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Hi everyone, I need to fix my Delaminated floor in my Abbey lancaster and was wondering what the stuff is that i have to inject into it? Can i buy this in a D I Y store or only at caravan repair centres? and is it expensive?

PS, i have seen some of you in the past have taken pictures as you have done your own rebuilds and repairs and put them into an on line album so others can see how you got on. I cant remember how to get back to those pictures, so could some one point me in the right direction please?

hi,delamination...frightening no if you set out your stall and take your time.this is not a two hour job as stated,when you have finished you will know why they charge so much at the caravan repair shop.i have just done ours a few months ago.i will go through the steps best i can.ours had gone in two places,next to the door entrance and next to the sink four feet away.you will find that delamination is where the floor is used most.ie next to the sink and the door entrance.first decide how much delamination you have,ie.2 feet (old school) or 6 feet,this information is required when you go to order your epoxi resin mix.one mix will cover about 3 feet by 3 feet.got mine from barrons £25 for both tins.you also need a large syringe to inject the mixed epoxi resin.this will also sell.also the chemicals (glue) are called apollo 1 and apollo 2.i think the code is A8136.the small tin is the hardener and must be used in the time on the tin.the first thing is to remove all carpets or lino.second(must) tape up all joints and the cowls under the caravan .use a good tape.ie brown packing tape,3 in wide.if you dont the glue will run out on to the ground outside through all the seams.you will not know until you see a pool on the path..third ,support the floor under the van in some way so it cannnot bend when pressure is placed on top,do not push up the floor.you can damage the fittings inside.use wood blocks stacked up just touching the floor on the underside in the same place as the delamination.fourth find a sharp 10mm drill .you need to buy 10 mm round wood to cut and plug the holes,sold in 6 foot lengths.this needs cutting into plugs,half inch long and sanded down at one end to make it go in easy.the next step is to do a test hole,find a place that has no gas pipes on the underside.slowly drill one hole until it only just touches the plywood at the bottom.DO NOT DRILL THROUGH.tape up the drill at this depth,use plenty of tape to stop the drill going deeper than it should.mark out the area of delamination,black marker,in a square grid pattern of 4 inch each way .when finished you will have a large square full of holes to the size of the delamination.ie.3 x 3 feet.clean away all and any dust or shavings.have a large polythene bag ready to put over the square,the glue does not stick to polythene.you need a tin  or old pan to mix into of the correct size for size of mix.a clean strong stick to stir the mix.only mix what you need within the time allowed.start at the rear end injecting the holes one by one until it flows out then plug with the wood plug.when finished ,place poly bag over all holes.put a heavy weight on top ie.wheels and tyres or gas bottles.leave for 24 hours to dry.sand down all plugs until smooth.you must wear a mask for the fumes and open the windows when you are doing the job.rubber gloves are handy too.CHECK UNDERSIDE FOR GAS PIPES BEFORE STARTING.wish i could type.

Be carefull,

             Expandable foam does what it says

Paul

Michael

You may  "wish you could type" - but that is the clearest explanation of the process I have read anywhere.

Many years ago I did a quick fix on a spongy floor on an older Monza. 2' X 2' sheet of half inch marine ply wood glued to the underside and fixed from the top with wood screws at 6" centres. Lasted for years. If I was doing it again I might try this technique plus the expanding foam. Perhaps use a temporary board inside until the foam and glue set then remove it and refit the screws. Could work.

Jim

Just a quick tip on preparing all those plugs.  Try a quick turn in a pencil sharpener, cut of your half inch, pencil sharpener, cut off,  and on.....and on......

You might also find a drill depth stop usefull.  The tape method works well at first but can get inaccurate when it gets worn.  You should be able to get a depth stop that fits on the drill bit from any "good" tool merchant.

---

Steven

just wondering,

now im no caravan expert so dont laugh

but could you cover the floor with laminate flooring?

just wondering!!!!! lol

mary

Expandable Foam is easy.......just 'do what it says on the tin' ie remember how much it expands....weight it down and you will be fine.

Delamination repair Kits are bloody expensive for what is basically an epoxy resin mix.

cool

so you could stick in the expandable foam, then lay laminate flooring....

good as new....:)

my bro in law is looking at a cheap van but it has a dodgy floor, he's good at d.i.y...so we'll see if he can do this...he was thinking of laminate floor but he could do the expandable foam bit first.

exellent.

btw...hiya TT....where have you been will ya grace us with your presence in niteowls one night lol we haven't spoken to ya in ages we'll have a laff

Dont forget Laminated flooring is Heavy and will increase the weight of your Van.

 Barry

Just done the same thing what a messy bloody job hope i dont have to do it again soon.

The only trouble i had was some sites say 10mm drill bit others say 8mm so i was undecided and went in the middle a 9mm ,also to the amount of holes you drill to plugs i got where a bit short by about 100 lol but if id have drilled 150 holes im sure there would have been enough resin if i got it all in the syringe first without spilling,wish id put a plastic bag down first.

Got my kit off eBay only £27.90 inc postal insurance which i thought wasnt bad as i was struggling to use it all.