Chris Moor undertakes a low-cost floor refurb
The floor of our eight-year-old Chausson Flash 514 was looking a little tired and, as it was a light beige, it showed the muck!
The surface itself was sound; it’s actually an integral part of the construction of the floor panel.
The obvious choice was vinyl flooring. Given the size of the area, a smallish offcut would probably do it.
However, the shape of the area is complex and would prove a challenge of my cutting skills! Similarly, vinyl planks, although easier to handle, would also be a challenge to cut accurately. So, I was keen to find a more user-friendly alternative.
Looking at vinyl planks, a potential candidate emerged. Welcome to high-tech, multi-layer, heat and scratch-resistant sticky back plastic!
I turned to Amazon and a seller called NUFLR. Available in several imitation wood shades, this product comes in a pack of 10 strips at 150mm by 900mm, which is suitable for covering an area of 1.35sqm.
The vinyl strips are very thin. Naturally, I was very sceptical, but having read reviews and watched online videos, I decided to go ahead.
The strips are supplied in a roll. Because of this, it’s recommended to unroll them on receipt. Lay them out flat with a weighted piece of MDF/chipboard on top for 24 to 48 hours prior to installation, preferably in the ’van to acclimatise.
Preparation is key. The first job was to remove the dinette table. This was straightforward, requiring the removal of six screws securing it to the floor.
Next, the whole area was thoroughly vacuumed and washed. I then laid out as many whole strips as possible to see where the joins would fall and how it would be possible to minimise difficult cuts.
I proceeded to lay the full strips, staggering the joints, as with any plank system. Then came the cutting.
It is easy to cut wi
