flooring ideas?

[Atti]

I'm glad I found this site!
I've tried to find info on this but haven't had much luck
I've got an '05 AWD passenger van and want to take out the both back seats and put down a floor of some sort.
I'm hoping for:
- insulation
- sound deadening
- easy cleaning
- durable
- not smelly
- fits well
I want to use it for camping (sand, dirt, dog hair, spills)
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[GnarliSafari]

IKEA sells fake wood flooring, the snap/tongue and groove stuff. its rather durable/flexible and you use a pad underneath to float it which also works as a vapor barrier and insulation, its rather cheap and would clean up well.

[rlsllc]

I'd Rhino-line or use the roll on bedliner, and then have an easily removable carpet and pad so that clean up is easy and replaceable. That way you have a choice between tough utility or comfort.

I like Gnarly's idea also, laminate hardwood was my first thought as well.

I'm planning to do the roll on bedliner (front and rear) in my 1989 when It goes back together. If it sucks, I'll let the carpet back in I guess.

[Atti]

the fake wood floor sounds like I could lay it over the current stock carpet (so I can put the seats back in later if need be), but I was hoping for something easier to remove and to be honest, I'm a little creeped out by the fake wood I put in our kitchen - something about the sound.
Is there a rubber mat type floor that can fit from just behind front seats to the back doors? and maybe I could put insulation between carpet and mat?

[kings-x59]

Yah, I'd skip the laminate flooring. It does not like changes in humidity or moisture. I have it in my house. It will swell a great deal with exposure to humidity.
You'd have to seal every joint of the tongue and groove, otherwise spills will get into the joints and then into the masonite backing under the laminate. Now that I think of it, it'd make really poor traction for a dog in the vehicle as well.

[Atti]

I'm thing some sort of cork flooring?

[kings-x59]

the cork will absorb water. I'm liking the rhinoliner idea. It will be smelly till it out gasses all the VOCs, but that won't be too long.
If you need a little more high touch finish for an occasion, get some berber carpet remnants, or hemmed runners to throw between the seats. Rereading the posts, I'm getting that you are looking for something that you can just throw over the existing flooring to fulfill your list of criteria, and there just isn't a silver bullet. If you leave the existing carpet, it will ulitmately get wet and quite smelly. Me thinks you will have to apply some elbow grease to get where you want to be...

[Atti]

Steve, During some insomnia last night I was thinking that the Rhino liner was probably the way to go too...
so, I'll look into how difficult that is, before I get my elbows all greasy ...

[Lumpy]

...Is there a rubber mat type floor that can fit from just behind front seats to the back doors? and maybe I could put insulation between carpet and mat?

Interlocking neoprene squares from Harbor Freight.


Lump

[JaxSPL]

DIY truck bed liner would be the way to go. You can go as thin or thick as you want and still hold the shape of the interior.

But you also mentioned sound deadening. May I suggest second skin sludge. It'll go on like a truck bed roll on liner plus have more of a sound deadening effect. It'll dry like a truck bed liner and I don't think it'll smell too much during cure time. It may be a little more expensive than your rhino liner or such, but it'll have 2 a few things you want: sound deadening, insulation, durability, and easy cleaning (if install properly).

There are also some cheaper roll on lineing than rhino: herculiner comes to mind right off the bat.

I priced to get my van done by a rhino liner shop. $475 to do everything from behind the front seats. Roof, sides, floor and rear doors.

[Atti]

I'll check out the second skin sludge mentioned (although it sounds awful!)
I didn't see the neoprene squares at Harbor Freight website.
Rhino Liner is a bit steep in price for my budget right now.

[Lumpy]

...I didn't see the neoprene squares at Harbor Freight website...

I don't see them in their current website either. But they still
had them yesterday at my local HF.

Here's a pic from their website -


Or here -
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop.html
Look on the right side of the page under "Garage Accessories".

I think I got four 2 ft x 2ft squares (16 sg ft total) for 8 dollars.
Half inch thick, interlocking edges in a jigsaw puzzle pattern, and you get
edge strips that give you a finished edge if you snap them on.

Inexpensive, very effective, completely reversable.
I've also seen them at BestBuy, Target, WallyWorld etc.
Sears tools has them but they're three times the price.

I'll bet GM sells them at the parts counter for about $748 each..


Lumpy

Can you play country music?
Sure. Which country would you like?

www.LumpyMusic.com

[Atti]

thanks Lumpy, I'll check the local stores. At the link you posted for Harbor Freight, when I clicked on the pic, they have a different type mat - oh well. Looks like these squares ought to do the trick.
Atti

[thevalleyboy]

cork would also be fine - it does NOT really absorb water - however depending on the weight of your hound he/she could damage it - cork would deaden sound also - but the neoprene squares would be good also

Come to think of it I think Costco has a neoprene type shop mat that could maybe be cut down to size!

[Lumpy]

Here's those neoprene mats I used for my carpet subfloor -


http://shop.oreillyauto.com/ProductDeta ... Code=3483K



If the URLs get botched, it's at checker/CSK/O'Reilly auto parts.
Search for "anti-fatigue flooring"

Fifteen bucks at Checker. Less at Le Freight de Harbour.
I suggest taking them out of the shrink wrap and letting
them air out for a few days before using. They have that
new cured rubber smell.

Glued a piece onto the bottom of my plastic ice chest to
insulate it from the hot ground.

Cut a piece to fit the bottom of my tool box that rides
in my Astro.

The "Exit Greeter" at Costco today was standing on
a square of the stuff. I've seen identical squares of
the stuff at store checker stations as floor mats.


Lump