Linoleum Floor Tears

[rowekmr]

Hello
I have owned my trailer since new (with no problems) and stored it last Fall like I always do. I went out yesterday since the weather is warming up to check it out and noticed the linoleum tile ripped in several places. I first thought water damage but didn't see any discoloration on the subfloor and then vandalism but the tears go under the rear slide. It happened in several places from the furnace vent into the walls and the bathroom.
What could have caused this?

[GrandpaGrant]

We had that happen to us and the insurance company said cold doesn't do it and they wouldn't cover it. We argued, they said no

[westend]

Lwiddis wrote:
Red and white checkered table cloth. If that isn’t campin’ I don’t know what camping is.

Lol. What I did was stop by a craft store and had them cut that piece. It was easier and cheaper than tring to find a suitable table cloth.

[CavemanCharlie]

SoundGuy wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I'm really bad with spelling but, isn't the title of this post saying that the linoleum floor is crying ?? I tried to look it up but, I got all confused.

"Tear" is an example of a homograph.

Thank You

[myredracer]

Regular sheet vinyl flooring shrinks in cold temps and the colder it gets, the more it shrinks. That's a fundamental property and can't be avoided except for installing another type of material or maybe providing a little heat. It is more likely to crack at higher stress points like floor vents where there are sharp corners. It's not an uncommon occurrence over winter storage and you can find reports of it around this time every year.

One thing is for certain, the manufacturers will be using the cheapest of the cheap flooring material. It just needs to *look* good on display at a dealer or show.

A 100% free-floating laminate plank floor is a good solution as westend talks about above. It might be possible to cut some patch pieces out from below dinette seating, in the underbed storage, or under the shower/tub and then use seam sealer to make a permanent and almost invisible repair. But it could happen again. I installed laminate flooring in a previous TT and it made it look like a high-end unit. Recommended! 🙂

[Lwiddis]

Red and white checkered table cloth. If that isn’t campin’ I don’t know what camping is.

[westend]

SoundGuy wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I'm really bad with spelling but, isn't the title of this post saying that the linoleum floor is crying ?? I tried to look it up but, I got all confused.

"Tear" is an example of a homograph.

Somebody went to school, lol. Thanks, new word learned, today.:)

I don't think age has much to do with sheet vinyl parting because of wear. It probably has more to do with the quality of the sheet and the contraction being restricted by fixtures installed on top of the flooring. IOW, if the sheet vinyl was installed on the same size surface and the whole sheet allowed to expand and contract with temerature, there would be no tearing. Unfortunately, RV mfgs will install cheap goods and all install fixtures on top of the sheet.It is about installation efficiency.
If Mfgs chose a heavier sheet vinyl like Armstrong through color, there would be no tearing but cost is prohibitive and installation is more difficult.

When tearing in the original sheet happens it is a good opportunity to review other flooring options and choose a material that complies with owner satisfaction. For instance, I could install new sheet vinyl flooring with a good top wear layer in a few hours. I'd glue it down and no trim would be needed because I know how to cut to the wall or around fixtures.Most owners don't have the skills.

I reviewed the Allure flooring when choosing a material for my trailer. Unfortunately, the company was dealing with bad recycling issues in Indonesia, at that time. They state that they have changed the process but the stuff is still made in Indonesia and your guess as to how it is made. I didn't need my pets going bald or my lungs giving out.
I opted to use a composite wood/vinyl plank. I got the cheapest stuff on sale at Lumber liquidators because I wanted to see wear and age characteristics and I can install a new floor in an afternoon. The flooring I have has an attached rubber back and I used the best underlayment they sell. It is a click/lock system. I don't adhere to that 1/4" gap or the floor will buckle mantra. I've installed enough of this sort of plank in some very moist locations and have never had buckling or joint failure. After six years, the plank is like the day I installed it with very minimal "joint creep".

[Lwiddis]

SUCH a baby caveman. Stop crying.

[SoundGuy]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I'm really bad with spelling but, isn't the title of this post saying that the linoleum floor is crying ?? I tried to look it up but, I got all confused.

"Tear" is an example of a homograph.

[CavemanCharlie]

I'm really bad with spelling but, isn't the title of this post saying that the linoleum floor is crying ?? I tried to look it up but, I got all confused.

[Home_Skillet]

Mine also split this past winter,

[beemerphile1]

Expansion and contraction of the various building materials in your floor can cause the vinyl to split. It is highly unlikely you have linoleum.

[Lwiddis]

Sure. Flooring is petroleum based, correct?

[mobeewan]

Probably with use the vinyl flooring gets scratches, dings and small cuts in the surface from wear and tear along with the occasional dropped knife or screw driver. Then winter comes along and the vinyl flooring begins to contract resulting in the vinyl tearing along those cuts and scratches which are now the weakest spots.

[ScottG]

yes, cold does it. Very common with boats as well.
During the winter I keep the inside above freezing and have not had this happen. At the same time my neighbor had the floor in his fishing boat split.