What is the best cabin flooring?

[waukewanderer]

This is a question to those of you who have seasonal cabins that are not heated during the Winter.

We are looking for a floor covering that is affordable, durable, easy to clean, unaffected by moisture, and minimally affected by the temperature range of the Northeast. We occasionally visit the cabin in the Winter and fire up the wood stove, too.

So far the best candidate that we have found is the floating vinyl that doesn't require adhesive and is sold by the yard. The only problem is that the manufacturer doesn't recommend that it be used if the temperature falls below 55 degrees. They say that it may become brittle and possibly crack. The only way to know if it will perform acceptably is to install it and see if it makes it through a few Winters under normal use.

Everyone who has a cabin on the lake knows how much abuse the floor is subjected to. Does anyone out there have experience with this type of flooring? Any recommendations on what you have successfully used in your own cabin?

[Merrymeeting]

Well, believe it or not, we have a hard southern pine floor that still looks great and is used exactly as you describe.

We may be benefiting from the fact that it is true hard pine, installed in the late 40's. But with many kids constantly trooping over it with sandy feet and wet suits, I'm amazed at how well it holds up.

[Just Wonderin]

I'm sure you're probably not looking for carpet as an answer, but we put some down almost 10 years ago and have been very happy. We purchased a very low loop carpet made of olefin. You can even spill bleach on it and it won't affect the color. Nothing stains it. We didn't use a pad because we didn't want anything to hold any moisture or dampness and it's just glued to the plywood. We have never had any issues with dampness or mildew. It cleans up very easily with just a quick vacuum and is a bit warmer on the feet on those cold days. And, obviously, temperature swings don't matter. It also keeps the house a bit quieter than a hard floor. It was a pretty inexpensive route to go. I'd do it again if I had it to do over.

We have friends that used laminate floors and the big temperature swings make their floors buckle. It drives them nuts!

[Mee-n-Mac]

So far the best candidate that we have found is the floating vinyl that doesn't require adhesive and is sold by the yard. The only problem is that the manufacturer doesn't recommend that it be used if the temperature falls below 55 degrees. They say that it may become brittle and possibly crack. The only way to know if it will perform acceptably is to install it and see if it makes it through a few Winters under normal use.

Everyone who has a cabin on the lake knows how much abuse the floor is subjected to. Does anyone out there have experience with this type of flooring? Any recommendations on what you have successfully used in your own cabin?


Well we just installed this type of flooring in a seasonal cabin. Can't help you now but in a year ......... sorry.

[Pineedles]

Well, believe it or not, we have a hard southern pine floor that still looks great and is used exactly as you describe.

We may be benefiting from the fact that it is true hard pine, installed in the late 40's. But with many kids constantly trooping over it with sandy feet and wet suits, I'm amazed at how well it holds up.

Merry Meeting is right. Our seasonal cottage (no heat or insulation) is going on 115 years and still looks good.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

RG and I wanted to install some tung and groove flooring we bought that had come from Russia. The veneer on top is bass and the core is birch. We loved the look and the unusual apearence of the wood. The normal method of installing the floor was to wood glue the edges together. After months of contacting vendors on the internet trying to find a solution that would survive the winter in an unheated cottage, I finaly took some advice from a pretty knowlegable adhesive expert who thought that glue or adhesive would not be a very good idea in a space that could see a 100+ degree temerature swing.

We ended up using a pnumatic brad nailer with the safty tip removed to nail into the tounge at a 45 degree angle. We used a paper layer on the plywood sub floor as the expert had suggested. The installation went quickly, (mostly due to the agility of my 2 teenage sons shooting nails). After 3 winters the floor looks the same as the day we put it down. It has not picked up any squeeks and we have not had any buckels or gaps. Knock on bass.

I would certainly do this agian. It apears to be something that will outlast me.

[ApS]

"...We are looking for a floor covering that is affordable, durable, easy to clean, unaffected by moisture, and minimally affected by the temperature range of the Northeast..."
Ours is oak flooring.

It has held up extremely well even when a "repeating winter event" caused the floor to get soaked. (Ice dams, I'm guessing).

The only mistake made over the years was to use paste wax on it. With stocking feet, you couldn't walk on it without falling down. :eek:

I include oak among "the affordables" because we have never needed replacement flooring in 50 years—pro-rate that! :coolsm:

[winnitru]

Let me add to the chorus for a hardwood floor. For 94 years our house had no heat except a fireplace and no a/c. It has endured wet sandy kids and dogs. We just refinished it and it looks brand new.

[idigtractors]

This is a question to those of you who have seasonal cabins that are not heated during the Winter.
We are looking for a floor covering that is affordable, durable, easy to clean, unaffected by moisture, and minimally affected by the temperature range of the Northeast. We occasionally visit the cabin in the Winter and fire up the wood stove, too.
So far the best candidate that we have found is the floating vinyl that doesn't require adhesive and is sold by the yard. The only problem is that the manufacturer doesn't recommend that it be used if the temperature falls below 55 degrees.
Everyone who has a cabin on the lake knows how much abuse the floor is subjected to. Does anyone out there have experience with this type of flooring? Any recommendations on what you have successfully used in your own cabin?
We have been using the vinyl now for better than 20 years and it hasn't shown any problems what-so-ever. Ours has a surface that doesn't loss it's shine and just a regular washing keeps it like new. One problem if one wants to call it a problem is after 12 to 13 years the tape used at THE SEAM started to loosen up. One just lifted it up and stuck a new piece in and is good as new. We have had over the years 15 kids running over it and many a happy hour drinks spilled. It also gets use during the winter months with just a wood stove and fireplace. Cottage open underneath and on post and footings so also have the real cold coming up through the floor.

[waukewanderer]

I was leaning towards the vinyl, but after pricing my cabin floor area at around $1000, I thought again.

We have decided to paint the underlayment with epoxy porch paint. It is very durable, the color can be changed in about half a day if we get the urge, and best of all, it will cost under $100 from start to finish. Some day, if my ship comes in, we can spring for the vinyl.

[GoSnow]

All my floors are painted with porch paint. You can get creative with stencils & stamps. I used the oil based paint which takes 24 hours to dry but it's well worth it when you have kids running around in dripping, wet bathing suits. When people step into my cottage, they think my floors are linoleum. You never have to worry about your floors getting ruined.

[Sunrise Point]

We have painted (oil paint 55+years old) pine floors in our older camp (circa 1895) and southern hard pine in the other camp (circa 1935). Both camps are on wood pilings, no insulation, no heat.

The floors are in terrific shape, (see exception below) and when I have the extra $$$ I will have the 1935 floors refinished.

I was lucky to come across a decent quantity of 1920 southern yellow pine from a remodeling job in our hometown. The contractor was happy for us to haul it away. We used it to replace boards in a bedroom floor that had sat on the ground, rotting the joists, sub floor and finish floor. Is finding salvage flooring a possibility for you?

[steadyon]

We used pine form boards (planed on 3 sides) they are cheap and it looks
good. you can use marine poly or good grade poly to coat and it will last
for years.

steadyon(squam lake)

[jeffk]

If you decide to use a coating product usually used outside (porch paint, etc) make sure you have VERY good ventilation while you work. The fumes in these types of products can be extremely strong until they dry. Plan for application and not staying at the house until its well dried.

[waukewanderer]

If you decide to use a coating product usually used outside (porch paint, etc) make sure you have VERY good ventilation while you work. The fumes in these types of products can be extremely strong until they dry. Plan for application and not staying at the house until its well dried.

Good advice. Thank you.