topwobbler
New member
I am building my floor using Thinsulate and plywood and have ran into some problems attaching the floor to the van. I know that floating floors are one option but read the final paragraph for why I don’t like that solution.
I have laid down PVC firing strips on the van floor and attached w/ 3M VHB tape. Above that is a layer of AU4002 Thinsulate, and then finally there’s a sheet of 3/8” plywood. I have run into some problems trying to drive screws through the plywood into the PVC firring strips. The screws that I put in are penetrating the PVC fine (90% of the way through) however they are being pulled back out of the screw hole! I tried several screw types and lengths but none of them remained screwed into the PVC!
I believe that this might be because the plywood layer is creating an upward force that’s fighting the screw. The PVC firring is slightly lower than the highest part of the metal van floor (about 1/16” lower, see attached image). I think that the flex in the plywood is not enough to let the floor sink 1/16” above the firrings and therefore the screw is being pulled out of the hole. This is just my guess. The Thinsulate adds an additional level of uncertainty about what’s going on. Is the Thinsulate also trying to push the screw up? Has anyone else tried a similar floor construction? Any advice is appreciated.
Why not a floating floor? The Thinsulate compresses A LOT when you step on it. My floor is made from 4 sheets of plywood. If you step on the edge of one sheet it will actually sink around 1/2” due to the insulation below it compressing. If the floor also shifts a little (as I’ve seen happen) then it will end up below the neighboring piece of plywood. When you lift your foot up then you now have one piece of floor lifting up the other which is very likely to crack the plywood. Perhaps I am missing a critical but 4 separate floating pieces of plywood feels like a bad solution.
I have laid down PVC firing strips on the van floor and attached w/ 3M VHB tape. Above that is a layer of AU4002 Thinsulate, and then finally there’s a sheet of 3/8” plywood. I have run into some problems trying to drive screws through the plywood into the PVC firring strips. The screws that I put in are penetrating the PVC fine (90% of the way through) however they are being pulled back out of the screw hole! I tried several screw types and lengths but none of them remained screwed into the PVC!
I believe that this might be because the plywood layer is creating an upward force that’s fighting the screw. The PVC firring is slightly lower than the highest part of the metal van floor (about 1/16” lower, see attached image). I think that the flex in the plywood is not enough to let the floor sink 1/16” above the firrings and therefore the screw is being pulled out of the hole. This is just my guess. The Thinsulate adds an additional level of uncertainty about what’s going on. Is the Thinsulate also trying to push the screw up? Has anyone else tried a similar floor construction? Any advice is appreciated.
Why not a floating floor? The Thinsulate compresses A LOT when you step on it. My floor is made from 4 sheets of plywood. If you step on the edge of one sheet it will actually sink around 1/2” due to the insulation below it compressing. If the floor also shifts a little (as I’ve seen happen) then it will end up below the neighboring piece of plywood. When you lift your foot up then you now have one piece of floor lifting up the other which is very likely to crack the plywood. Perhaps I am missing a critical but 4 separate floating pieces of plywood feels like a bad solution.
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