Hi just wondering if anyone here has fixed a delaminated floor with expanding foam and if so how good was the repair and how long has it been done for. Also how long compared to resin should it last. Thanks
Hello dpr i done my floor last year but i never used expanding foam, there are some people on here you have though. I used the proper resin glue which is used by Bailey Caravan Manufacturers, it worked very well although it takes a while to do, i was told not to use expanding foam because it is hard to control, and if you use to much the floor will be uneven because it expands at a very fast rate.\personally if i was you get the proper stuff its a bit on the dear side but well worth it to do the job properly. Good Luck.
used foam on our floor back in Feb,ok so far , cheap and easy fix,planning on flogging `van this time next year anyhow so as long as it lasts til then im quite chuffed.
Hi. I did my floor (600mm x 600mm) about 3 weeks ago, with Apollo resin (£22 from Ebay) and dowels. Its a bit messy (wear disposable gloves) but really worth doing. It is well within the capabilities of any half capable diy'er.
Cheers
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hi this is my version,hope it helps,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.
Post last edited on 26/08/2005 20:33:41
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hi im a new member but thought i would mention something about expanding foam.Just bought a van that i now realise has had a foam job done on it.It has made the floor bow outwards and although sound is very annoying so we are now trying to rectify.Not sure what we are going to do yet but have already had some usefull ideas thanks to members of this sight.
Toolstation sell 'non expanding foam'.. which won't expand to bow the floor in the same way - expanding foam grows loads! I plan to try using this as I feel a propelled application may be more successful from under the van, than using the proper stuff. I don't want to rip up the carpet/vinyl!
I did a patch on my floor a couple of weeks ago with expanding foam. It's as lot better than it was, but still has a small patch in the middle that's a bit soft. In hindsight, I probably should have drilled the holes closer together, but I can always put a bit more in at a later date.
It's certainly a lot quicker, cheaper and neater (from the inside anyway) than pulling the floor up and injecting resin.
Did my whole floor and used Oneshot of ebay a lot cheaper from what i used one bottle should do all of floor, but wear cloves its a bitch to get off your hands.
hi i have done my floor with expanding foam,thats how my local dealer does theirs,i drilled from underneath the van just through the plywood then removed the polystyrene with a hollow tube the same dia as the drill bit 10 mm,as long as you put weights on the floor inside you dont get any bowing of the floor ,hope this helps ,bill.
hi dpr my bo in law did my floor bought the one shot bottle for 17 quid 10 quid for new carpet and tray o
f lager he said it was a doddle he is joiner by trade
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Topic: delamination and expanding foam
