help for a poor lady

[apaknad]

hi all,

  i need your brain power to help me come up with a solution to a friends problem. she is poor and lives in a mobile home with no flooring. the subfloor is pressed wood(not osb) and i want to come up with some VERY inexpensive way to cover the floor. some of the most clever people i know are on this forum so i was hoping we could put our collective minds together and come up with something. i will do the labor. i tried craigs list... nothing.

p.s. this woman also finds funds to give to her grandchildrens comfort because their momma is a lazy ass. you know, luxeries like turn on the gas for the furnace and stuff like that.

[muldoon]

The subfloor they use in mobile homes is not finish grade, or really even finishable.  You'll need something down on top of it.  You could put down some 1/2" plywood and finish it fairly cheaply.  I would get the existing subfloor as level and clean as you can, remove any nailheads or ridges riding up then cut the plywood in sections so the seams wouldn't line up when you lay them in. 

I think I would put down a construction adhesive between the subfloor and finish floor after dry fitting the room with panels.  leave 1/4th to 1/8th inch or so around the wall edges for contraction of the wood.  Sand it down very good and fill in the nailholes.  sand some more and lay down a stain once or twice and a few coats of polyeruthane.  With poly, the coats will bring out the dust particles in the wood as it dries.  The first coat will dry very rough, it just needs to be hit with 220 or steel wool, swept good, wiped with tshirt and coated again.  Usually you'll get a good finish in 3 coats. 

It would be cheap, but it would be plywood.  Perhaps some cheapy area rugs would help balance it out.  just an idea. 

[John Raabe]

When we first built our house we couldn't afford finish floors. We had the 3/4" plywood subfloor exposed. We just scraped off the plaster spots, nailed down any nailheads poking up and painted it with two coats of latex floor paint. The dark green even looked pretty classy! For two years the whole main floor was that way. I think we repainted the kitchen floor during that time. Then we put down vinyl in the kitchen and eating area but lived with the green subfloor in the living room for 10 more years! We liked it and no visitors ever thought twice about how cheap we were.

It was simple to clean and easy to repaint every couple of years.

[MikeT]

A number of year ago on this forum, someone posted a link for the "forever floor."  I bookmarked it and have thought about trying it in the appropriate place.

For this person, this might be an affordable option:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/lee92.html

Good luck,
Mike

[apaknad]

very good ideas, thanx i want to think about costs.

[Redoverfarm]

Laminated floor has really come down since it began.  I see that some places like Big lot, Odd Lots and other discounted stores have it to where it is about the cheapest flooring to do.  Discontinued colors and close out styles. Some of the prices are cheaper than vinyle flooring.   

[jb52761]

Poor woman...it is admirable of you to lend your time and help to someone in need...more people should follow your lead....my first thought was, instead of nailing new subfloor, I would get really big nails and nail that lazy moma's ass..... .....secondly, about the forever floor, I am still 98% sure thats what I am going to do, however the "recipe" calls for 90 pound roofing felt. I have contacted several stores and no one here carries it. Menards said they don't even have it listed in their system to special-order me some. I was wondering  if 30 pound could be used if I go heavy with adhesive underneath. I am assuming the woman ownes here home, right? If not, I'd be "nailing" the landlord"s "back porch" too.....jb

[MikeT]

Re: the forever floor:

I haven't tried it, but I was under the impression that the author was recommending roll roofing.  The key is that the roofing needs to have the minerals running flush to the edges on all sides--not raw where the roofing gets lapped.

mt

[TheWire]

I believe the 90 pound roofing they are talking about in backwoodshome link is rolled roofing not roofing felt.  It is covered with mineral granules.  I'm quite sure Menards has this.  Not sure whether it has the 2" lap strip they are telling you to avoid. 

I'm not sure how much the roofing and glue and paint and tools cost plus the work and the waiting but laminate floor goes on sale for $0.67 sq ft.  Its got to be close and if there is a landlord involved, he is less likely to take issue with laminate floor than roofing glued down.

BTW, if your going the roofing route, painting sounds like a good way to get lazy momma to pitch in.

Jerry

[jb52761]

  ....yup...roll roofing, not the felt....would someone please slap me and call me stupid......jb

[John Raabe]

Interesting use of roll roofing. And the painting surface (three coats or so) is easy to maintain.

This material could also work as siding. It would have the added advantage that it could be formed into flashings around windows and doors. If wood trim were added (vertical battens and a water table or belly band) it could probably be quite handsome. Once such siding were painted it should last as long as any other painted siding.

Interesting!

[NM_Shooter]

Check out and see if you have a habitat for humanity store near you.  They have discounted building supplies...

-f-

[apaknad]

hi jb,

thanx for the input. i think you would have to go to a builder's supply business, not a box store to find this material. i found the idea very interesting, along with john's ideas. i will think about it for a few days or so and go back to the house and look at it again. i need about 465 s.f. to do the living room and hallway. if you find out any more please let me know. btw, i repaired said daughters porch and she didn't even say thank you. guess where i WON'T work anymore?

[apaknad]

yes, rolled roofing, she owns the house and the forever floor was really ingenious. cost may be a little high. don't know yet.

[apaknad]

thank you shooter, i used to volunteer at our local restore and that is on the list.

[jb52761]

 I called Menards again...today, after my coffe kicked in, and I actually SAID roll roofing, not felt, and yes they have it in stock....approximately 28.00 and some odd cents per roll, and the roll is 3 feet by about 36 feet...called Lowes and the price was within a few cents of the same.....on a furthur note, my main concern was using an asphalt product in an interior living space, as far as health and environmental issues and I came up with the info from Atlas Roofing Company, which states that the roll roofing has been designated as not being any type of health or environmental hazard, and therefore an MSDS sheet is not required to be on hand, or shipped with any of their products....and the person who emailed me back with that info said he has never heard of such an application being used, therefore he could not comment furthur....poor soul...he should broaden his area of knowledge and check out the Forever Floor idea.......I'm gonna do it........Good Luck Apaknad.........jb

[apaknad]

good lookin' out jb, that price for the flooring comes to five rolls($140)+ supplies. that is right about what i can afford. good job.

[june]

I've used the painted roll roofing on a floor.  I can suggest a way not to do it.  I found a bargain on a roll that had a peel off backing, and was pre-glued.  Don't get that.  Some of it did not adhere well, and buckled when it came unstuck, unevenly,--after a few coats of paint went on.  But I can report that it looked really good where it was nicely stuck down.  I can't report about wear because we covered up the live-and-learn error with cheap laminate.  Your floor may not be entirely level, so be careful with applying paint.  Put on thin layers so there is no puddling  in any low spots, because it will obscure the mineral coating in those areas, giving an uneven appearance.  My experience was in a Baltimore row house rehab.  One of those deals where son calls up his old mother and says, "Help!"

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks for posting your experiences, June.

[ListerD]

A number of year ago on this forum, someone posted a link for the "forever floor."  I bookmarked it and have thought about trying it in the appropriate place.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/lee92.html

Hell I like that!