I live in a trailer and the floor in the kitchen is an orange peel textured linoleum (good choice that, let’s put in flooring that’s has lots of nooks and crannies in area subject to a lot of spills :rolleyes: ) and in the winter time, it’s ice cold. I want to (when the weather gets warmer, of course) rip this out and replace it with a smoother flooring which hopefully will be easier to clean. I’d also like something relatively inexpensive that will keep the floor warmer or at least decrease the heat loss caused by the floor. I realize that the floor is going to always feel cold due to the fact that linoleum will “wick” the heat away from one’s feet, but sticking a thermometer on the floor yields a temp reading that’s nearly 20 degrees cooler than the air temp at about chest level, when you’re talking about an ambient air temp of 70 F or so, a 20 degree temp difference is pretty substancial.
I’ve tried a google search, but haven’t come up with anything helpful. I’m wondering if I couldn’t stick a layer of aluminum foil between the floor and the new linoleum (or whatever) I install over it and have the floor stay warmer. If that wouldn’t work, what would?
I know this is a kitchen, but carpet is probably the best thing you can add above the subfloor to keep your feet warm. Beyond that, do you have a skirt to seal the space under the trailer? This could keep the space under the trailer warm, which would warm the floor a little as well.
Underside of trailer is insulated and skirted as well. Tried googling “insulated flooring” to see if anyone made a floor tile or something similar that might help cut the heat loss, but came up with nothing. I know that no matter what I do, my feet are probably going to be cold with a tile floor, but if I can cut the thermal difference between the floor and the air to something less than 20 degrees, I’ll be happy.
You could try a fibre or foam carpet underlay. You may even be able to get it for free, because when people lay new carpet, then often put down new underlay and throw the old stuff away.
I meant the above as a underlay for lino. You could also look at thick cork tiles, which you coat with clear poyurethane, giving a smooth, hard-wearing surface.
This might be unfeasible depending upon the total area involved and what the floor underneath is like but… If you can drive nails into the floor under your kitchen or if the total area involved is not much more than 4 by 8 feet (I have no idea of what your trailer lay out is like) you might consider a layer of carpet padding toped off with a sheet of underlayment (1/8 inch thick plywood). Finish this off with either the linoleum or press in place floor tile of your choosing.
This would raise the floor of your kitchen around a half to 3/4’s of an inch which may or may not be a problem. I mention the possible nail issue vs. the total are size because if you can’t nail the underlayment to the floor I don’t think that more than one sheet, closely cut to fit the area would be advisable given the fact that it would all be riding on a foam cushion and without anyway to hold everything in place it would all shift with weight along the seams between multiple sheets.
But assuming you could keep it in place you could have almost any final surface you chose and would add a significant insulation value. And depending on your final flooring selection the price per square foot would be relatively cheap.
Tucker - Have you tried Pergo ? I have heard in the past from some that it is good expecially because you don’t have to glue or nail it. Also, they are quite generous with samples to try out :
Ennui’s suggestion sounds pretty good, and better than my suggestion of just putting the lino on top of the underlay. The extra layer of plywood between the underlay and the lino gives a more “solid” feel to the floor.
Whew! I could do that, but I’d really need to replace the carpet in the living room (which does need it) at the same time for that to work, and that’s more than I can afford.
andy_fl, I’ll look into it if I can ever get their page to load!
What kind of insulation is under the floor? We had a similar situation because of soggy fiberglass. Reflectix makes a nice replacement if you have the $$$.
Another, easier option would be to put dense styrofoam down on the present lino, then nail or screw underlayment through the styrofoam into the old subfloor, and finish with glossy enamel paint. This kind of floor is not squishy or compress like you might think. We have done this a couple times.Similar to ennui’s carpet pad idea, but much higher R-value for your feet.
Perhaps not. Again I have no idea of what the floor plan is like but I assume there is an edge of some sort between the carpet and the “orange peel linoleum”. After removeing the linoleum and doing what ever you decide with that floor you would still have the same edge (perhaps the new floor being a little higher). There are any number of mouldings or transition pieces that you could use to seam that in and they could even be used to bury a small hight difrence.
At ant rate from what you’ve said I see no reason why you would need to replace the carpet at the same time.
And thinking through what I posted last night the carpet pad under the 1/8th inch plywood might be excessive. I live in northern Ohio an my impulses to insulate might be overkill in (sorry. theres no location info under names in preview but I believe I recall yours to be) Texas. The plywood it’s self might well be sufficent, but I suspect you would have a clearer idea of that than I.