glue in carpeting

[CrocTears]

Does anyone know if carpeting can be glued directly to that white board foam insulation, then tacked on at the solid framing? Or is a plywood board underneath required? I cannot find 1/8" plywood within 150 miles (nearest source would be in Albuquerque, uffff).

Thanks!!!!!
CT

ps. This is for the inside liner of a closet of a huge horse trailer camper - which I need to finish up and sell so I can start the TT build. The closet is up in the curved gooseneck nose, it would require bending the wood to line it.

[Miriam C.]

CT, for the inside of the closet your should be able to use masonite or any paneling for a liner. Am I understanding what you are needing?

If you need extreme bends you can get Bendy Birch on line.

[EffieRover]

I have tried gluing various materials to various textures of foamboard and it always pulls. The foamboard just doesn't have the core strength to hold up (insert any flexible material here). Even if you tack it, it will sag in the middles. And develop lumps where pieces of the foam pulled out and attached to the back of (insert any flexible material here) instead of itself. Sometimes it holds for a while ... but never permanently. IMX, anyway.

Only two things I've ever had luck with - fabric and paper. Have you tried textured wallpaper? That stuff is great for making a nice-looking "wall" surface out of a lumpy mess. It has a little bit of resiliency on its own so it stands up really well to cracks, lumps, mis-fit cuts, etc. Just a suggestion; hope it helps.

[CrocTears]

Thanks - good to know. I thought the foam board top might delaminate and make a saggy mess... I will look for masonite or at the textured wall paper today. If masonite is what I think it is - it doesn't bend enough unless there is some good way to bend it? Wall paper would be easy if I can make it look decent. A nice top trim strip would probably hold it up nicely.

If it doesn't work well, it might be possible to make the liner out of a few pieces of lauan if I can put a flexible joiner at the places where the bends have to be, then cover the whole mess with carpet.

I tried bending the luaun, but they only carry the exterior rated type here and seems like water and steam will not loosen the glue much. ???? Also tried putting grooves in luaun to bend it, that seems to make it too brittle.

There has to be a good material for this! Worst worst case, I guess I could use fabric and quilt it to a heavy backer and rivet it up... Funky, but that I could manage. :-)

[Miriam C.]

CT do you have a picture of what you are working on?

[EffieRover]

You can use heavy fabric (like upholstery fabric) directly. Just put liquid nails on the foamboard and use a drywall trowel to smooth it out and provide even coverage (you want a real thin layer, as if you painted it on), then attach the fabric and rub, rub, rub. If you're worried about it getting dirty and hard to clean, then brush a coat of epoxy or spray on clear acrylic sealant (both in the paint section). I wallpapered a room in cotton duck once ... came out beautifully (I just really liked the pattern on it). Tip: get a cheap plastic drywall trowel, cause it's pretty much toast by the time you're done. They're like 79 cents at Home Depot.

[CrocTears]

I found some 1/8" Masonite at HD. I was looking at the wrong stuff before (it was more firm). Will try it first, as it looks like it might work.

Here's a photo. I am making a closet out of the space at the very front of the trailer so I don't have to insulate the fiberglass roof in that section.



I have been working on this trailer on and off for a few years - we bought it after the LQ section had been burned up in a fire - I am just getting started working on it again. I want to finish it up, sell it, and build us a minimalist camper (TT). We haven't been able to horse camp for a couple of years, so this trailer needs to go. It's been a fun learning project, tho.

Lots of photos, starting with the burned up hull:
http://www.redwrench.com/bak/TrailsWest/default.htm

CT