Dampness project - Floor now

[Terry]

But Puraflex 40 is a Sikaflex product, you just need to use the correct grade Stkia for the type of plastic, people just don't bother to check.
German vans use Butal sealants but there are an enormous range of Butal sealants Brit manufacturers are famous for using the cheapest.

I know it is Lenny but it is only £4 a tube a tube compared with Sika @£8 plus If you want some grab adhesive then Grip and grab by Siromer .not Sikaflex is the best but make sure it is in the right place because once you press it in place it's not coming off

 

[jacksmith]

Similar problems on my 2007 Bessie, but rotting to a lesser extent. I believe the side skirt mastic had failed in the last few years and led to ingress being trapped above the vinyl undersheet. Mastic appears to have a lifetime of about 10 years I am told. Last month I did some repairs. If it helps anyone, here is what I did.
I removed the vinyl undersheet in the areas where it was loose, removed any rotten wood, and treated the surrounding wood with a Ronseal hardening resin (screwfix 63540) . I inset new wood strip cut and routed to shape, along the floor/sidewall edges bonding to the floor and sidewall with wood PU adhesive (screwfix 40778). I took out the dinette and I found a wooden pad inset into the floor below the dinette which was almost rotted away, so I inset a new hardwood plate using PU adhesive. I then treated all the wood with a Sikaguard wood treatment (screwfix 66962). I bonded a new sheet of 6mm marine ply on top of the floor under the dinette to ensure the floor had integrity right to the edges. (must get round to putting some vinyl or carpet on that!) The skirts were refitted with new mastik-on-a-roll, the original stainless screws, and finished with a thin bead of Sikaflex 512 (although I should maybe have used a more flexible joint like sikalastomer 710?) Underneath I was wary of coating with anything else non-permeable, as it could just trap damp and cause a recurrence? In the end I settled for painting with black Waxoyl as a water repellant. Since then we have done 1000 miles in Benelux through some pretty terrible weather. Early days yet but it all looks good so far, with the wood apparently staying dry underneath around the skirts.

 

[Mark740]

Side skirt seals ........This is exactly what has caused my issues, again to a much lesser degree than Darren's. ( Leading to his heroic restoration he has completed )
I have found that where the rot was at its worst, was directly under sections of the skirt that had zero ( yes nothing) sealant between them and the GRP wall.

I am repairing mine now, I will try to document the fixes and post them here. As they are less complex than Darren's ( but along the same lines) it will probably help others to know what to look for.

 

[Afitos]

Blimey was that the full floor out from underneath! I think mine would have been something similar due to the amount of rotten timber removed.
These MH's need lots of looking after!
Hope you get it sorted soon

 

[Afitos]

Blimey was that the full floor out from underneath! I think mine would have been something similar due to the amount of rotten timber removed.
These MH's need lots of looking after!
Hope you get it sorted soon

Total body off. Cost a fortune but its all sorted now. Just had our first trip away in the motorhome since completion. All went reasonably ok thank goodness

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DJL220]

So after having a lovely week away in Shropshire I'm back working on Bessie again!
Glad to report no water ingress has happened over the past few days especially with the wicked storms.

I've finished the flooring project now with all trims and accessories back in place. The boot room locker is now functional again.

Front and rear suspension now totally replaced and I can only say the transformation is epic. Less noise, hardly any rattling, smoother acceleration and braking. Plus she now handles really nicely. When I tested the rear shocks and compressed them, there was no rebound at all! I do wonder if the knackered shocks had anything to do with the roof cracking again?

Full on front shocks. If anyone can make use of the old ones please let me know?

Rear shocks both now replaced

I know the interior could do with an update and I thought long and hard about using original wallpaper and flooring to replace the area cut away. Unable to source the wallpaper or floor so have gone for the following

I'm really pleased with the results and can't wait to get away for our next trip.

Only downside is I have been pushing to get her finished for a trip to France next month for my wife's birthday, that's now not going to happen

Last job on this transformation is to update the ceiling after all the various leaks. Have stain blocked and cleaned all of the mess and have decided to install PVC 5mm white ash bathroom ceiling. Then it's feet up for me for a while!

 

[Jamesh]

Confirms that I've made the right decision to go from a damp caravan to a pvc.

Just driven to mid Wales on roads I'd never take a caravan or coach built!!

Cheers James

 

[Gromett]

Brilliant job and thank you so much for sharing. Been a really interesting thread.

 

[DJL220]

Final part of the flooring completed inside the MH. Looks so much nicer than before, now only the ceiling to be sorted and I can enjoy a rest until I start on the next project.

 

[MR BLO]

Fair play DJL220 what an amazing job. I would have been curled up crying in a corner long ago had that been my van. Thanks for sharing this story and if I suspect any damp in mine then I know who to call!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[The Coops]

Still stands if we ever meet up the drinks are on me. brilliant job as an aside why not bill Bessacarr with your labour and material bill? Not that you would get anywhere but would scare the pants off the bean counters!

 

[Gromett]

DJL220 can you tell me what flooring you have used please? That looks really good.

 

[Winger]

Fantastic achievement mate, now go and enjoy the labours of your love

 

[DJL220]

DJL220 can you tell me what flooring you have used please? That looks really good.

Hi Gromit
B&Q plank flooring peel and stick. Really not bad stuff for the money!

GoodHome Poprock Dark grey Wood effect Self-adhesive Vinyl plank, 0.97m²

Change the look of your floor with a peel and stick vinyl flooring that is functional and easy to lay. A simple way to update your interior style.

www.diy.com

 

[DJL220]

Still stands if we ever meet up the drinks are on me. brilliant job as an aside why not bill Bessacarr with your labour and material bill? Not that you would get anywhere but would scare the pants off the bean counters!

Nice one AC/DC look forward to travelling soon, let’s hope our paths cross one day.
I’m sure Bessacarr would chuckle at the bill

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[steve 6644]

Well done mate.

 

[DJL220]

Managed to get away at the weekend for a short break!
Nearly time to address the final rot at the back end around the storage door

 

[SallyR]

Having similar problems on our van - removed the bed, pulled up flooring and found waste water pipe was leaking and had done probably since new. Massive repair job underway. Luckily managed to get local boat repairer to sort as hubbie unable to manage such a large repair. Bit concerned at the weight of the bonded only he is going to cut to fit. Two sheets of marine ply filled with insulation and bonded on one side with resin. Won't ever rot out but so much heavier than what's been taken out. Any comments welcome before he fits later this week

 

[DJL220]

Having similar problems on our van - removed the bed, pulled up flooring and found waste water pipe was leaking and had done probably since new. Massive repair job underway. Luckily managed to get local boat repairer to sort as hubbie unable to manage such a large repair. Bit concerned at the weight of the bonded only he is going to cut to fit. Two sheets of marine ply filled with insulation and bonded on one side with resin. Won't ever rot out but so much heavier than what's been taken out. Any comments welcome before he fits later this week

Hi Sally
Sorry to hear you are having issues. That sounds very similar to the original construction and how I put mine back together. I put back 6mm ply on the inside which sandwiched 25mm of foam insulation followed by 6mm ply outside. It depends on the thickness of the ply as to how heavy the board will be and if they are replacing any of the main structure too?
I have a sketch in the thread on page 1 of the makeup of my flooring.
Good luck with your repairs!

 

[Terry]

I would not worry about extra weight.No idea what the original van floor was/ is but 15 mm ply weighs approximately 45 kilo per 8 X 4 ft sheet and lightweight ply about half that. If you are using 6mm ply X 2 you are only adding 20 kg ish assuming they used lightweight ply in first place.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DJL220]

Bessie Update: -
So after many weeks of no leaks the dreaded wet patch came back the day before we went into lock down 2! We went to check on her before the compound was shut down for 4 weeks and found there was a leak at the rear (not massive) but still a leak. I checked the roof over with a fine tooth comb and found a couple of micro cracks and part of the fibre glass patch repair from the summer had lifted slightly.

So now the final roll of the dice after taking out the rear roof light (for the millionth time) and removing and repairing the fibre glass, I bit the bullet and ordered some liquid roof from alltimescoastings.
Cleaned the roof and applied on Friday late afternoon. Ended up getting the flood light out to finish
What I could see looked good in the dark.

It then rained very heavily early Saturday morning and left a fair amount of water pooled on the roof!

The results today look really good and very pleased with the result - Thanks for the tip 68c.

Currently got the heating on and the dehumidifier running, leaving that for 24-48 hours before sending her back to the compound or the scrap yard

Water pooling rear

Water Pooling Front

 

[68c]

That looks a really neat job, you obviously took your time to get a good result.

 

[TheBig1]

Did you prepare the roof by sanding and cleaning off any wax residue before painting? The rubberised paint you have used is excellent, and should solve your problem

 

[DJL220]

Did you prepare the roof by sanding and cleaning off any wax residue before painting? The rubberised paint you have used is excellent, and should solve your problem

Didn’t sand the roof, gave it a really good clean and masked up the edges. Only used one tin so will apply the second tin at a later stage. Seems like a cracking product and was easy but messy to apply.

 

[TheBig1]

Didn’t sand the roof, gave it a really good clean and masked up the edges. Only used one tin so will apply the second tin at a later stage. Seems like a cracking product and was easy but messy to apply.

It is good stuff but like most "specialist" products is pretty much the same as simple tanking paint. It contains tiny rubber fibres and is excellent at sealing and coping with movement, but more expensive because of a brand name. Tanking paint is used on water tanks, swimming pools and holding back serious damp.. A second coat is an excellent idea, as any variations in painting can cause thin patches

The other product I really like for sealing up areas prone to lots of water and weather is urethane truck bed liner, which is a thicker 2 part version of what you have used. Most on here know it by a trade name, speedcoat, as used for repairing shower trays. It use used a lot in various vehicles as it is resistant to chemical spills, cushions the base and is somewhat self healing to minor damage

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Johnenigma]

Brilliant and well done but I think out of the frying pan and into the **** might have been considered, It would have been a shame if it caught fire when doing the repairs .........................only saying...................... not advocating ..

I have been given that advice many times on here and by friends.

 

[DJL220]

Will it appears that I can tie off the final leak which created the issues for the floor. By chance I had to fill the toilet flush today and used the shower due to the heavy rain. I noticed there was water on the floor coming from under the shower tray, on further investigations I found that the shower mixer was leaking. This appears to have been happening for a while, we do not use the shower that often but I always flush water through it every time we use the MH. The water is leaking from the area circled in red.

The water was still present after a few hours after switching the water off, as we are away I haven’t been able to source a new shower mixer so I have had to cap the 12mm pipe for now. Any thoughts on if this is fixable or worth sourcing a new shower mixer?

Got to love a MH always a job to complete

 

[Grousemoor]

Hi Funsters

Following on from my previous damp project (https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/dampness-project-roof-first.205004/) I am now about to resolve the floor dampness issues on our Bessacarr E795.

I am reaching out to the wealth of knowledge in this forum and will again show pictures and progress in case anyone else feels like saving money and having a go! This is going to be split into two projects "side" and "rear". How lucky am I to have two more projects!

Side Project
The floor under the O/S from front to rear is showing signs of the dreaded moisture ingress approx 2.4m in length. The dampness is around 6-12" away from the side skirts depending on area. The floor in question is a single ply flooring and access can be had from underneath and in certain areas above. looks like I will need to remove the side skirts and reseal this when refitting.

Lets tackle the questions I have which regarding the damp/spongy floor: -

1) The ply has been painted black and I will need to match this on the replacement flooring. Searching the forums has thrown up more questions than answer including a reply from Swift saying use any black water proof paint.
Anybody have an idea of what to use?

2) The current sheets of ply run across from side to side. I do not need to replace the whole sheet so I was planning on joining the plywoods together using a water proof glue, sealing the cut edges and then biscuits or dowels for extra strength. As the damage is only approx 6-12" will a small piece say 12" wide by 2.4m joined to the existing wood be suitable and strong enough?

3) What to use on resealing the skirts on re-assemble. My favorite Sika 512 or Hodgsons Seamseal CV? I used the later on the top of the skirts but have found it to discolour really quickly, any advice on any other product on the top?

4) Which ply to use on replacement external grade, WBP, marine etc

Rear Project
This is a smaller project and should only require part of the side ply replacing around the rear external door/water tank area. I will tackle this at a later stage ;-)

Thanks in advance

Darren

Thank you for sharing this lots of useful info.