Installing Laminate Flooring in Mobile Homes

Installing laminate flooring in mobile homes can be more challenging at times. Some of the differences between mobile homes and regular homes are door jambs, sub floors and in the older mobiles the walls, they can be pretty flimsy.

Other problem areas are the joint where double wide mobile homes are joined together. This can be a problem when the joint is not flush from one side to the other.

Another issue is removing the old vinyl flooring (or linoleum) from your mobile home so you can install laminate flooring. I have seen in numerous mobile homes where the vinyl flooring was installed at the factory. The process they use is to install the vinyl flooring first and then install walls and cabinets on top of it. Most of the time they do not glue it, it is just laying on the sub floor. They also use huge staples around the parameter to hold the vinyl in place. This creates a hump, and can affect the laminate flooring when installed over it. If you are just installing the laminate flooring in the kitchen and not going over the stapled edge it isn't a problem, but if you are going over it then its best to remove it.

Also when installing quarter round in mobile homes it can be a little different. In the older mobile homes they use a thin trim to cover the joints between the wall boards. They also us a corner trim where the wall boards meet at the corners. these trims need to be cut so the quarter round will fit flat against the wall.

They have changed the way mobile homes are made over the years. In the old days they used to use particle board for the sub floor and install carpet and vinyl before they installed the walls. The walls were installed right on top of the flooring. The particle board would swell up if it got wet and then fall apart.

Even now when I install laminate in mobile homes I run across a lot of these older ones.

Here is an example of a door jamb in a mobile home. In this photo The actual width of the door jamb is less then 1/4 of an inch. You need more room under the door jamb for the expansion of laminate flooring when installing laminate flooring in mobile homes.

Installing Laminate Flooring in Travel Trailers

Installing Base Board or Quarter Round in Mobile Homes

Even installing base board in some cases can make you stop and think. Here is one I ran across recently. The mobile home I was working in had a room addition that was previously a screened in porch. When they converted it to a room the metal frame work was left behind the walls. They had to use metal screws to attach the paneling. And of course the screws are right where the base board needs to go.

In the photo above I had to glue the base board to the sheet metal walls. I used a white adhesive caulk which works good and fills in any little gaps. It also cleans up with water, just use a wet rag while the caulk is still wet. Notice how I use anything with weight to hold the base board in place until the glue drys.

Install Laminate Flooring in Travel Trailers

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