Is it possible to put laminate flooring in a caravan?
Absolutely.
Here’s a little rundown of why we decided to put laminate in a caravan and some before and after pictures.
A Little Potted History
A few week’s ago I wrote about Dolly II — our caravan — and how we had performed a caravan makeover, on quite a grand scale.
In this post I talk about changing the carpet to laminate flooring.
We’d bought Dolly II over the summer to replace our original van; also named Dolly (due to the fact that it was impossible to convince our babies that a caravan could possibly have another name).
When we bought Dolly II home, she was in a sorry state.
Ugly, brown wooden cabinetry, beige walls but the worst offender — in my mind anyway — was the flooring.
I’m not sure whether it was original but the van floor was swathed in the most revolting red carpet.
The kind of carpet that, no matter how may times you vacuum — or VAX it — still looks dirty. A petri-dish for heaven’s knows what — and I’d really rather not dwell on this — the only solution was to replace it.
Is Carpet The Best Caravan Floor Covering?
I’ve never really understood the trend for carpets in a caravan.
Vinyl flooring — even the cheap self adhesive floor tiles — would be so much better.
As our caravan is often parked in festival fields or on grassy campsites, it made no sense to me to replace it with more carpet.
The best solution to muddy boots and grass is hard-flooring, something that can easily be mopped down and wiped clean at the end of the day.
This was pre the brilliant Bosch cordless vacuum that we take everywhere now. And —as electric hook-up is not available in a festival field (for normal folk anyway) — vacuuming the floor when we were camping was nigh on impossible back then. It’s definitely something that had to be done when you’re back home.
A dustpan and brush, followed by a mopping down is the best way to keep a caravan floor clean when you’re off adventuring.
But not when there’s carpet on the floor.
Options, options…
So what did we decide? Vinyl? Laminate flooring in a caravan? I wanted something light in colour and easy to maintain. Cue a swift trip to Carpetright.
Despite what their name may suggest, Carpetright also sell a fantastic range of hard-flooring; everything from laminate to on-the-roll vinyl flooring and luxury vinyl tiles.
We decided on a hard-wearing lightweight laminate flooring and after much deliberation, went for Supernatural Classic Aspen Oak; a cool white/grey which would lighten up the van and compliment the fab yellow wallpaper we’d already chosen. It’s not dissimilar to the laminate that I put in my she-shed.
For those of you who have not fitted laminate before, it needs basic DIY skills.
Mr D laid it over a couple of weekends and we decided to use the original underlay — and carpet — as a sub-base, to give good insulation and keep warmth in the van.
How To Lay Laminate Flooring in a Caravan
You cut the lengths, as needed, and simply slot them together — a little like grown up Lego — really simple and very gratifying too, as you can cover a decent space in quite a short space of time.
Once the floor was totally covered, the only thing left to do was add beading around the edges to hide the gaps and give a lovely finish.
We chose white —to tie in with the painted woodwork.
So Would We Recommend It?
Having a paler floor covering in the caravan makes the world of difference. The light has increased ten-fold.
And it looks so much fresher too. No longer a harborer of bacteria and dirt, it can be easily cleaned with a broom and a mop and — even after a long weekend of being stomped all over with muddy boots — looks as good as new in no time.
It just goes to show that laminate flooring doesn’t just need to be restricted to use in the home either — it’s the perfect floor-covering for a caravan or motorhome. Hard-wearing and easy to clean. And it looks fabulous too.
There’s really no need to be stuck with a dated, dirty old carpet when you can cover your caravan floor in something as lovely and contemporary as this!
Stacey says
I love this van! What an awesome transformation. Did you make your own seat covers? As I’m looking to cover my caravan seats.
Great work.
The Twinkle Diaries says
Aaah thanks ever so much Stacey! :) YES! They were really simple to do too — I’m not an upholsterer by any stretch of the imagination so I made some simple loose covers that fasten with velcro so they can be easily removed and washed. MUCH cheaper than getting them professionally done and it works :)
Californian Mum in London says
Wow, what a makeover! So pretty!
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much lovely! It was a labour of love, that’s for sure!! Tool a LOT longer than we first anticipated! All worth it though :)
Becky at PinksCharming says
This looks so amazing, and what a relief to get that carpet covered up, ugh it was making me feel a bit ill over the computer, never mind in real life! Amazing makeover, you must be thrilled. Becky x #TwinklyTuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much Becky! So pleased with how it’s turned out! And yes — that carpet HAD to go!! :)
Mudpie Fridays says
Omg this is amazing you have done a fantastic job it looks brilliant. I thought when you got rid of the van you would be hard pressed to get something as gorgeous but this is beautiful! Thanks for hosting #TwinklyTuesday xx
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks lovely!! I must admit, when we sold the original Dolly, I did wonder if we’d be able to make as nice a job of the next van!! SO glad it all worked out!! :)
mummyofboygirltwins says
Wow so light and bright now! That red one was awful!! Yuk! What a super job and amazing transformation :) Jess
#HomeEtc xx
The Twinkle Diaries says
Revolting huh? Amazing that the couple we bought it off were happy to use it/sleep in it in that condition!! Not my cup of tea at all!! xx
Jenny says
Wow! It looks amazing, it doesn’t look like a caravan inside at all, much more like a mini house. Love the transformation, the yellow wall paper is gorgeous, where is it from? And The flooring is perfect for you fresh style. I didn’t used to like caravans, but love them now, just need to convince the husband! :) x #Twinklytuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks Jenny!!! All the info for the wallpaper is in the first post and **EXCITING NEWS** I have a giveaway scheduled in the next week, so if you were lucky enough to win, you could be buying some for yourself!! :) xx
Stephanie says
Euwww! That’s the before not the after ;) Of course the after is much more stylish and more practical too. Long Live Dolly 2 and thanks for hosting #homeetc lovely x
The Twinkle Diaries says
Grimmers isn’t it? I’m not a fan of carpet at the best of times to be honest — that nasty red stuff nearly tipped me over the edge!!
Lizzie Woodman says
Brilliant transformation! It looks so cool now. I’d love a caravan! #HomeEtc
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks Lizzie — I absolutely recommend them!! Buying Dolly 1 was the best move we ever made! It’s revolutionised our lives!! ;)
Katy (What Katy Said) says
Oh my goodness what a transformation. And of course yellow wallpaper- love it! I always wanted a caravan as a child, Mr F and I have said when we are older we will get one and travel together. #TwinkyTuesdays xxx
The Twinkle Diaries says
Aaah don’t wait til your older!! The Twinkles absolutely LOVE Dolly — being able to go to festivals and camping in comfort is so brilliant!! :)
Sabrina @ The Mummy Stylist says
What a difference the floor makes – it looks like a home, not just a caravan! Great job! xx
#HomeEtc
The Twinkle Diaries says
It’s made SUCH a difference hasn’t it? That carpet was REVOLTING!! x
Molly says
What a wonderful transformation! Though it took me a while to recover from seeing Exhibits A, B and especially C first ;) Your choice of flooring makes all the difference, though the whole job is just gorgeous. Well done.
The Twinkle Diaries says
Ha! Yes — I did feel bad about Exhibit C — but really wanted to show just how awful it was!!! ;) So chuffed with how it’s turned out!
Sarah Christie says
I cant believe how you have transformed Dolly Caro and that floor looks just fantastic, and like you say just perfect for muddy boots and festivals x
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much pet — am so delighted with how it all turned out!! Roll on festival season!! :)
Poppy A Sunny Island says
Oh I do LOVE your caravan updates – I still can’t quite get over how much you’ve transformed it, it’s beautiful. That close-up carpet shot gave me a little shudder I have to say! #HomeEtc xx
The Twinkle Diaries says
Aah thanks lovely. Yes — the carpet shot was uncalled for ;) It was pretty nasty but SO much better now!! Can’t wait for the warmer months to arrive :)
Fionnuala says
I do think you made the right choice with white. It looks so lovely and bright and airy.
#HomeEtc
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much lovely. The white really bounces the light around… they did have a yellow vinyl — on the roll — but I figured that the white would have more longevity and go with more! :)
Sarah says
Wow that’s so impressive! I could never do anything like that. Must be such a nice feeling when you see it all come together! #twinklytuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Aaah thanks so much Sarah!! It was a bit scary in the middle — it looked worse than before we started and I began to doubt what we were doing but it all turned out really well in the end!! :)
Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely says
Blimey, it’s made such an amazing difference. That carpet???!!! Why would someone do that??!!! I still can’t get over the full caravan makeover. You done incredible things with it. I best you can’t wait for the next festival season.
The Twinkle Diaries says
WHY indeed? Carpets and caravans go hand in hands and I just can’t get my head around it!! SO much better now — roll on next year ;)
Jen @ 4,128 miles says
Well done what a transformation! Well done the twinkles daddy too!
The Twinkles Mama says
Thanks lovely!! Yep — he’s a clever boy to have around the house, that’s for sure ;) xx
Jen @ 4,128 miles says
That’s amazing! What a change! Well done to the Twinkles Daddy too!
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much Jen! Am SO delighted with how it turned out! :)
Jessica Powell says
It looks awesome – and I love that wallpaper! The flooring makes such a huge difference too. #HomeEtc
The Twinkles Mama says
The wallpaper is awesome isn’t it? And I LOVE the floor :) A million miles away from that revolting carpet!! I have a wallpaper give-away next week on my blog — watch this space :) xx
Claire at Tin Box Traveller says
Once again I have massive caravan envy! I love the colour you went for. It certainly is perfect for Dolly 2 and the rest of your work on the interior. Is she now ready to hit the road? x #TwinklyTuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much lovely!! We’ve still got quite a bit to do when she comes out of storage again… I have the loo to decorate (MORE wallpaper!) and I have some ambitious plans for the exterior of the van too. Not 100% sure what I’m going to do yet but am SO excited!!! :)
Lins @Boo & Maddie says
Fantastic, SUCH a huge improvement on the carpet *shudders*. Really love that colour and it will be so long-lasting/hard-wearing too. I need to send Pete over to Twinkles Daddy for some DIY tips!! Xx
The Twinkles Mama says
Aaah it’s SO much better isn’t it? That carpet was REVOLTING. He’s pretty handy to be honest — saves a fortune on not having to get a man in!! ;)
Kim (sisterkin) says
Wow-wee-cup-of-tea! We are so jealous of your lovely camper van, sooooo cool. Very clever idea x
#HomeEtc
The Twinkles Mama says
Thanks so much Kim. I used to absolutely hate caravans until we bought the original Dolly and I realised you could do them up to your own spec! I absolutely love them now!! :)
Tracey Abrahams (The Anxious Dragon) says
That looks like a completely different van with the new flooring and white cupboards. A vaste improvement. #TwinkleTuesday
The Twinkles Mama says
Thanks Tracey — SO much better. Can’t wait to start using it :)
John Adams says
Wow, that makes a tremendous difference. I’m also getting into my caravans at the moment. We’re about to have our kitchen completely red-one and we need somewhere to stay while it is done. It may very well be that we decamp to a caravan for a couple of weeks to keep the kids away from all the heavy work. I’m fascinated by the laying technique though. I’d have thought you needed to lay the floor on a hard base? For a DIY enthusiast such as myself, a very interestingpost. Thanks for hosting #twinklytuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Aaah it’s a slippery slope John!! Once you buy one, you’ll be hooked for life!! I used to absolutely hate them but they’ve revolutionised holidays and festivals for us!
Re the laminate over the carpet in the van — yes — if you were to lay the flooring in a house, you would definitely use proper underlay and lay it on a solid base but — in this instance — upon inspection the caravan had coach bolts coming through the floor and if we’d have lifted the original flooring, carpet and underlay, we would have had a job laying it over the bolts that were proud of the floor. Hope that makes sense! :)
Carie @ Space for the Butterflies says
Oh wowed what a difference it makes, it’s so beautifully light and bright and yay for not needing to hoover with no Hoover!
The Twinkle Diaries says
Yay indeed! SO nice to get rid of that grotty old carpet! :)
Silly Mummy says
Yes, probably wouldn’t have associated laminate flooring with caravans, but it looks really great! #twinklytuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Yes — it’s weird that they use carpet isn’t it?! You’d think that they’d fit laminate as standard — given the fact they’re mostly being parked in fields!! :)
Heledd - Running in Lavender says
I’m a little obsessed by this caravan make-over. I’ve showed it to friends and family and keep going on about it to Dom – I’m not even a big caravan fan but you’re really winning me over. #TwinklyTuesday xx
The Twinkle Diaries says
Haha!! I am TOTALLY obsessed too!! And I used to HATE caravans with a passion. Once I realised that you could treat them like mini houses and give the a makeover my opionion totally changed though!! ;)
The Twinkle Diaries says
Haha!! I am TOTALLY obsessed too!! And I used to HATE caravans with a passion. Once I realised that you could treat them like mini houses and give the a makeover my opinion totally changed though!! ;)
Naomi says
Amazing! What a difference, and so much more practical!! #twinkletuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much Naomi!
Robyn says
That looks gorgeous, such a cosy and inviting little space. The flooring is beautiful and so practical – great choice! #twinklytuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much Robyn — she’s a beaut now! A proper little house on wheels! :)
Vix another mum in london says
What an incredible transformation. It looks so lovely and bright and breezy now.
Now time to go on holidays I think!!
Thanks for hosting #twinklytuesday
Vix x
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much Vix!! Totally — roll on spring! :)
Julia @ Rainbeaubelle says
It looks AMAZING! My caravan is looking seriously shabby next to your stylish creation! I need some help with mine I reckon, before it takes its maiden voyage! x
The Twinkle Diaries says
Aaah thanks lovely!! Hurry up and do yours and we can go camping!!! ;)
Jayne @ Sticky Mud and Belly Laughs says
LOVE it!
Amazing job there hon.
Hope you have loads of happy times away in Dolly :) xx
The Twinkle Diaries says
Aah thanks SO much Jayne!!! That’s lovely of you :) xx
Crummy Mummy says
Wow that’s quite a makeover! #TwinklyTuesday
The Twinkle Diaries says
Thanks so much lovely :)
Mrs Tubbs says
Wow, that’s stunning! You have done an amazing job on it. Enjoy using it!
The Twinkles Mama says
Aah thanks so much :) It was a labour of love but SO worth it!! Phase one almost complete — just the bathroom to do and then on to the exterior!! :)
Unhinged Mummy (aka Janine Woods) says
That looks a million times better! Even makes the caravan look bigger. I don’t blame you for getting rid of that carpet. I would have done so too. Looks like the makeover is coming together nicely :-)
Thanks for hosting #twinklytuesdays
The Twinkles Mama says
It does, doesn’t it? It was SO grim beforehand!! That carpet had to go!!
Something Crunchy Mummy says
How spacious and light does it make your caravan look. It goes so well with the wallpaper. Love it! #twinklytuesday xx
The Twinkles Mama says
It’s made the world of difference, to be honest. It was SO dark to begin with!! xx
whine or wine says
Cool! Looks great!! Lots of family holidays for the future xx
The Twinkles Mama says
Thanks lovely — I cannot wait!! x
This Mum's Life says
WOW!! What a difference, it looks amazing!! Very envious you have a van, we have been looking at getting one for ages, but haven’t taken the plunge yet! Do your boys sleep well when you go away in it? Such a fantastic makeover!
#twinklytuesday
The Twinkles Mama says
Aah DO IT! It’s one of the best decision we ever made! I used to hate them but since I realised that you can make them look however you want them to, I love them — just like a little home away from home! The boys sleep really well in the vans — I think all the excitement of ‘camping’ knocks them out!! ;)