Ryan Shervill's 2011 DIY renovation...."Maximum Makeover, the inside edition"

[Greg from K/W]

Ya but there are all the little things that fly around in the spring. Um Black Flies? Deer flies? And the worst Snow Flies. LMAO

[ArtMulder]

... satellite is out due to our being in a valley, etc.

Ryan, my co-worker had 2 years (3?) of satellite internet and hated it. He got nailed by bandwidth limits all the time (has adult kids at home) -- you hit the limit and they just lock you down to slower than dial-up speeds. Speed of light (from dish to satellite and back) is also an issue.
I forget if uploads also had a problem. Like most home internet, the satellite is biased towards downloads not uploads.

[John in Calgary]

Any updates?

....We chose to use a new Laminate by Armstrong floors that is not only realistic looking and easy to install, but is approved (including warranty) for use in wet locations….even in bathrooms. Now there are a few differences when it comes to installing this laminate for wet locations, but nothing too difficult. For my kitchen I chose to use the install technique for bathroom use, just to get a little added protection from spills. This is what I’ll show you....

Question about the wet area laminates from armstrong - do they come in hardwood flavours too? We're looking at removing the Lino in our tent trailer this spring (it was curling in the corners right from the start), and the wife figured it would look great with hardwood laminate instead.

Any thoughts on how to start my install in a trailer? I was thinking about nailing and gluing down the first strip at the door, then letting the rest float into the trailer, but I haven't figured out how to do the transition at the door yet. Then, I would use a quarter round moulding around the inside to hide the expansion gap.

Last question, how does the cost of this stuff compare to regular laminate? Can you give me a rough idea of cost per square foot.

Thanks, John

[Kevin H]

Any updates?



Question about the wet area laminates from armstrong - do they come in hardwood flavours too? We're looking at removing the Lino in our tent trailer this spring (it was curling in the corners right from the start), and the wife figured it would look great with hardwood laminate instead.

Any thoughts on how to start my install in a trailer? I was thinking about nailing and gluing down the first strip at the door, then letting the rest float into the trailer, but I haven't figured out how to do the transition at the door yet. Then, I would use a quarter round moulding around the inside to hide the expansion gap.

Last question, how does the cost of this stuff compare to regular laminate? Can you give me a rough idea of cost per square foot.

Thanks, John

Replies in red...

Question about the wet area laminates from armstrong - do they come in hardwood flavours too? Yes, but there but there is no such thing as "wet area laminates from Armstrong". We're looking at removing the Lino in our tent trailer this spring (it was curling in the corners right from the start), and the wife figured it would look great with hardwood laminate instead. The curling is due to the fact that the vinyl is a 'felt-back'. It requires 1/4 round, shoe mould or silicone to keep it from curling. Vinyl shrinks, paper (felt) does not. This results in the edge curling. Fiberglass type vinyls, like Armstrong's Cushionstep, take care of this problem.

Any thoughts on how to start my install in a trailer? I was thinking about nailing and gluing down the first strip at the door, then letting the rest float into the trailer, but I haven't figured out how to do the transition at the door yet. Then, I would use a quarter round moulding around the inside to hide the expansion gap. This could work in a smaller area. Compensate by enlarging the expansion gap on the opposite side. Don't pinch the laminate with the quarter round. Forget about warranty in a trailer (no climate control).

Last question, how does the cost of this stuff compare to regular laminate? Can you give me a rough idea of cost per square foot.

Thanks, John