There are many options for flooring in a vehicle designed for nomadic living. Needs differ somewhat from conventional floors for a few reasons: foot traffic is highly concentrated in just a few spots (not much floor space in most vehicles!), the vehicle is moving and bouncing as it drives, and the temperature swings inside a vehicle are larger than those in a building.
Floor surface
Options for your floor should generally be easy to clean and preferably waterproof. If you have carpet, be sure it's removable for easier cleaning.
Materials may include:
- Sheet vinyl
- Laminate floor
- Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) / Plank vinyl floor
- Rubber mat
- ... and more
Waterproof floors ensure that no spilled liquids will get under the surface and cause rust issues. If you use sheet vinyl, you can even make a "tub" by oversizing the sheet and extending the sheet up your walls 5cm / 2in.
Commercial grade flooring, such as that used in restaurant kitchens, may be worth the added investment. Virtually all of your foot traffic is confined to a very small area, so getting floors with high wear-resistance is a good idea. Due to the small size of vehicles, spending a little more on flooring doesn't typically represent a huge cost increase.
Subfloor
Framing
Depending on your floor construction and insulation choices, you may not need to frame your floor at all. Skoolie builder Chuck Cassady recommends just using XPS foam boards as your subfloor; they have a very high compressive strength and should not be crushed under the weight of your build[1]. Also, since XPS foam has a higher R-value than wood or most other materials, having a wholly XPS foam floor reduces thermal bridging.More …This article is incomplete or needs additional work. Use the "Suggest a change" or "Edit page" buttons below if you would like to help improve it! |
Insulating your floor
Cold floors in the winter months ...
See Insulation.
In-floor heating
Heated floors ...
