Has any one a clue to how long a bottle of one shot delamination floor kit lasts for once opened ? I just done a 12''inch by 8 area of my van floor and need to buy some more Dowling to complete the rest of the repair .
Honestly if you show me a foam which will resist compression longer than properly mixed epoxy you won't hear from me ever again coz I'll be a millionaire in a year.
I think that guy had more experience busting caravans up than he did building them, or he was trying to bring you to the conclusion that you'd best sell him your van for a song.
Builders foam isn't the right stuff for this - not adhesive enough, not rigid enough, might push panelling out of place.
I've used simple cotton rags soaked with epoxy to recreate bushings for steering arm linkages on classic cars when I couldn't find the right part. 3 years of daily driving later - this means literally a bolt being twisted back and forth inside the epoxy-rag/poor man's bushing - still working fine, not even much play.
Read below how epoxy creates a chemical and mechanical bond.
Think the guy had his story backwards; foam repair would be short-lived, epoxy would outlast most of the rest of the components. No way it's gonna crush from someone walking, jumping or dancing on it unless the mix and application aren't done right. The stuff sets about 3 times harder than fibreglass and way more impact and scratch resistant.
As far as strength; a laminated panel has to be glued together to have strength. Provided the epoxy restores the bond between the layers and the layers are in the appropriate position when the bond is restored you would have definitely restored strength. Also I'd bet you could replace the whole floor with a 4cm thick epoxy panel and it would last longer than the axle so I'm not too sure what he meant.
Anyone doubting - buy one of those dual-syringe long-set epoxy packs from the hardware store and make yourself a test sandwiching some foam sheet between two ply boards. If you manage to break that up after it's set you're either cheating or on your way to get medical treatment.
Quote: Originally posted by bill60 on 30/3/2014
Has any one a clue to how long a bottle of one shot delamination floor kit lasts for once opened ? I just done a 12''inch by 8 area of my van floor and need to buy some more Dowling to complete the rest of the repair .
As long as you keep the top on and don't let damp air get in it lasts ages. I have one that I used about 6 months ago and it's still liquid. Others I've used have set in the bottle, moisture starts a chemical reaction, it foams up then sets hard. That's the reason for soaking the dowels first.
Dave.
------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for a whole weekend.
Quote: Originally posted by Pickled Onion on 05/10/2020
Quote: Originally posted by bill60 on 30/3/2014
Has any one a clue to how long a bottle of one shot delamination floor kit lasts for once opened ? I just done a 12''inch by 8 area of my van floor and need to buy some more Dowling to complete the rest of the repair .
As long as you keep the top on and don't let damp air get in it lasts ages. I have one that I used about 6 months ago and it's still liquid. Others I've used have set in the bottle, moisture starts a chemical reaction, it foams up then sets hard. That's the reason for soaking the dowels first.
Dave.
Bill asked the question in march 2014 so he could now be in a position to tell us
Epoxy is exceedingly strong but has adhesive limitations in wet/moist and dusty areas. I suggest any spongy caravan floor will have issues with dust and moisture. Foam however will stick to anything. Advances in foam product technology mean that there are so many products on the market. Be very careful! Avoid high expansion installation foam (windows/doors) as this will as the name suggests raise your weakened floor! I recommend builders construction foam. This is used in the construction industry to actually stick hollow bricks together instead of cement and costs far less than 10 quid for a big canister. Expansion is limited to the cavity and compression is negligible. Dowels shouldnt be needed but will seal the drill holes well. What annoys me is the rip off prices you have to pay for anything that is caravan dedicated!
loads of dowels are essential in my oppinion.. they support the two layers of ply.. the amount you get with kits is not enough. they are cheap and the more you fit the stronger the floor..
its eight years since i did mine and its still fine..
Mine has lasted the test of time too, OK, I had to add additional areas as they received the same wear and tear as the original one over time but the job is still sound.
I agree entirely with trog on this, use plenty of dowels, it adds strength to the whole construction and are as cheap as chuips. Soak the dowels before inserting, the water activated the foaming action of the one-shot.
Dave
------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for a whole weekend.
its the dowels that provide the strength.. cut to the correct length they provide a solid wooden support between the two layers of ply..
it does need lots of them though but they are cheap and the holes are easy to drill.. dill a bunch of holes squirt some glue into each hole and tap in the dowels..
i cut my dowels to length first but they can be just tapped in and chopped off afterwards..
the hardest part of the job is removing the existing floor covering..