Step 2: The floor & the lino

17 August 2017 7 Comments

Step 2: The floor & the lino

Our second step naturally imposed itself, to any good construction it is necessary a good foundation. Our starting base consisted of a laminated carpet glued to the vehicle sheet metal, as well as to the side panels. We decided to remove it completely but we kept it in order to use it as a template for our floor. After cleaning, we bought two large boards of plywood that we cut with a jig saw, based on the shape of our template. Same thing for the side panels that we chose to redo in order to, eventually, fix things on it more easily in the next steps.

The sheet forming the floor of our vehicle was undulating, so we chose to flatten it by gluing small sections of plywood where we felt it was necessary.

Before fixing the elements, we sanded the edges of the plywood, then passed several coats of varnish at the side panels. After that, we set up our floor with a good dose of multi-support glue, then we screwed up the side panels.

The varnishing of the wood panels protects them from humidity and prevents the formation of mold. Sleeping in a van create a lot of condensation, that’s why this detail is important in the long run.

In order to protect and maintain our soil easily, we opted for the installation of a linoleum. After cutting the template we have glued the material directly to our plywood, taking care to use a suitable glue and to smooth well during the installation in order to avoid the bubbles and masses of glue. Finally, we screwed our metal rods, which also reinforce the fixing of the lino to the plywood.

The linoleum appeared to be the best option for the soil, it isolates slightly, is easy to sweep and clean, and remains pleasant to the touch.

 

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