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gecko gecko is offline
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Default Hardwood Flooring in a Double Wide?

On Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:32:21 -0500, "Pete C."
wrote:


Wayne Boatwright wrote:

On Tue 07 Oct 2008 05:40:12p, Pete C. told us...


Wayne Boatwright wrote:

On Tue 07 Oct 2008 04:49:42p, aemeijers told us...


How dry is it under that trailer? Most trailers I have seen aren't

real
solid on the bottom, and hardwood does not cope with moisture well.

Not
to mention the problems with the floors getting taller on all the

doors.
I'd go with a good grade of textured vinyl and area rugs, myself.

--
aem sends...


Again, age, manufacturer, and method of installation of the double wide
unit are key to its construction and the various characteristics that

some
folks are criticizing/evaluating without knowing all the details.

Modern manufactured homes, in this case a double-wide, often exceed the
specs used for stick built homes. They go through rigorous inspections,
are well insulated, have sturdy subflooring, and are extremely well

sealed
from the underside.

Unless the OP states otherwise, I rather doubt that this qualifies as a
"trailer".

Manufactured homes, whether they are installed above grade or "ground

set"
at grade, have no more moisture underneath them than a stick built home
with a crawlspace.

I think we need to hear more from the OP to accurately make any kind of
recommendation.


Let me quote the OP: "I have a double-wide trailer in Delaware", so
barring info to the contrary from the OP, I'm going to assume he has a
double wide trailer a.k.a. mobile home, not a manufacturered home that
is placed on a foundation.


No - my double-wide is not on a normal foundation. Just a
concrete-block wall placed around the perimeter which provides no
supports whatsoever for the trailer itself. The latter is supported
by 'piers'.

My underlying ground is always dry, so I don't have a moisture problem
- although I have to say, I am close to the ocean and probably get
some moisture from that.

As a double-wide, it is on steel framing underneath. I don't know how
thick the sub flooring is, but I think it is press-wood (?spelling?).

I am interested in hard-wood because laminates do not turn me on.
I have dog-soiled rugs now, but they all show and retain depressions
from furniture and furniture legs. Rug dealers say I can't avoid
that.

Thanks
-GECKO

Sorry, Pete, I did miss that first line. Still, in some places people
refer to manufactured homes as "trailers", since they units are brought in
on wheels.


Yes, there tends to be a lot of confusion between the mobile homes,
manufactured homes, modular homes, panelized homes, and the variants in
between. Manufactured housing these days covers quite a range from
standard low end, to fully custom high end.


My recommendation would be for the laminate as adding the least
thickness, and being more tolerant of dampness that hardwood,
conventional or engineered. If it's replacing carpeting, the laminate
thickness should be comperable so no door issues would be expected.


Personally, I really detest all of the lainate floors I've seen. All I can
think of is *plastic* and *fake*. Unless, of course, it is a laminate with
an actual wood surface. I would also not like having vinyl flooring
installed throughly my home. If it were mine I would re-carpet, since the
source of ruining the present carpetis no longer there.


Personally I think a combination of flooring would be in order, even in
a relatively small home. Carpet is appropriate for some areas, vinyl for
others and wood or laminate in still others. For a mobile home with
typically mediocre insulation underneath, carpet may have an advantage
in comfort for bare feet.