New Owner of 73 Viking with rotten Particle Board subfloors

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
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73Viking
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:40 pm

Hello Forum Moderators and Members -
I am new to this Forum & wished I had found it a month ago. I am the proud owner of a 1973 Viking 'Westwind' Doublewide on the SoCal coast. I have started renovation or what I now call 'peeling the onion' with this doublewide. I found rotten particle board subfloors in the kitchen under the dishwasher and sink area, behind the fridge and more. The 2nd bath toilet subfloor is rotted out around the toilet flange too. My plan A was to lay 5/8in pressure treated ply throughout so that I NEVER have to worry about this rot-out situation again. I was cautioned that I may be creating a potential hidden mold problem should a toilet or appliance overflow...the water would simply seep through to the perimeter gap and down to the particle board below. Plan B - rip out the bathroom particle board sub-floors and put down the pressure treated plywood. Repair the areas in the kitchen with the same 5/8" pressure treated plywood.

Please weigh in - Plan A or Plan B?

Final flooring in the baths - lay down Schluter Ditra on the new plywood and install with Tile. Install the new vanity and toilet and be done.

Final flooring in the kitchen, tie in LVT (click-install luxury vinyl planks) in the living areas thru to the kitchen.

Question - Should I put the LVT on the full kitchen floor and then install cabinets? I wanted to make sure the existing particle board floors (under the rest of the cabinets) would be covered with some 'flooring' to protect them from any potential water problem...dishwasher/fridge/undersink leaks.

I plan to rent this out in a 55plus community for a few years. Am I overdoing it with LVT in the kitchen? Maybe do sheet vinyl instead? I'm just worried about this particle board and 'water' incompatibility and damage issue cropping up again later.

More to come...next, a bowed set of ceiling tiles in the living area. Will investigate more and then write in again. Thanks in advance!
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Greg
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DO NOT leave the old particle board. It is nothing but glued sawdust that turns into wet sawdust when exposed to water. You need to pull the old stuff up to get a look at the joists for any further damage that needs repair. Pressure treated plywood is overkill, regular plywood is fine. Use a liquid leveling compound before the final floor is put down.
I am not sure what type of tile you are planning on, but Ceramic tiles are generally not advised. Mobile homes are designed to move slightly, ceramic tiles aren't.
If you are going to do a rehab, check the home for being level (with a water level) before going too far. If you start with an unlevel home EVERYTHING you do will be off level.
Do the floor before you put the cabinets down, it will make the cabinet install easier and much cleaner looking. Again if the home is level before you start it will make the installation easier.
Do it once, do it right the first time don't try to cut corners it will bite you.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
73Viking
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:40 pm

Thanks a million Greg! I was at the mobile home this weekend and assessed the floor repair.

Kitchen - Looks like I need to replace the 4ft wide piece below the dishwasher that abuts the exterior wall. Possibly, need to do the next piece below the sink...so probably ripping out 2 ea 4 x 8 panels. I could go wild and replace 'good' particle board but that would be a lot more panels in the kitchen/nook area.

Bath, rot around toilet flange - so will rip out the adjacent vanity and replace the entire particle board up to the tub. (mouse ran up under the vanity and into one of the mobile home's floor gaps around the hot/cold lines that run up from the floor - just like the kitchen....a nice surprise!)

Question - any circular saw blade you like that will rip thru some of the staples along the floor panels? I also bought a toe kick saw pretty cheap at Harbor Tools and will use along the walls.

To answer your question on floors - will use either Home Depot LifeProof or similar Vinyl Plank Click-lay Floors that are waterproof. They tell me my re-leveling of the mobile is necessary as well...so thanks. Only problem since I've had that done, is there are a couple of low spots near the mid-lines along walls and since I cannot use 'leveling compounds due to water' on particle board, I read that layers of heavy roofing felt matched to the low area might also work.

Thanks, 73Viking
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Do yourself a favor and take a hammer and tap the floor in areas that have the potential for water damage. Look close by the bath tub and under sinks, by the front door and near windows. if you tap with a hammer you will hear the difference. I have seen many times where the floor under the bath tub is totally gone, when we did one for our daughter when the tub was pulled out you could look down and see the ground.

If you are going to do a total rehab you may want to think about putting all new sub floor down, it may be quicker and easier in the long run.

As far as saw blades, I bought a few cheap blades for cutting the old floor and a better blade for the new floor.

In the areas that you are leaving particle board, you could get some cheap paint to help seal it up.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
73Viking
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:40 pm

Thank you Greg!
I'll try the hammer on other parts of the floor...great idea. Worked on paneling rip-out...tore out a lot in the kitchen area...managed to nick a couple of romex cables and now it will be 'junction box' add on time under the sink area...or put an outlet out under the kitchen window. They notched the studs at 6 inches above the subfloor in my Viking...to run the romex. And the romex was butted right up against the paneling where I sliced it to get it out...used 1/4 inch depth cut too.

My tubs look pretty good outside, right at the edge. I am weary of finding more under the tub...think I'll cut up to that spot and put my camera down there and take some pcs....hope to god nothing is awry. Kitchen is the priority now, then the 2nd guest bath. Master bath is pretty good...but the shower pan is grubby. Thinking in there I'll tear it out and get a roll-in shower assembly/pan.

Roofing person comes Tuesday...more to come I bet w/the sagging ceiling. Oh my.

Oh...testing a sealant on the particle board in spots...so far so good.

Have a great weekend!
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Greg
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Remember to set the saw depth to the thickness of the flooring so you don't hit things that may be hidden. Very common to find romex in a channel cut in the studs.

What are you planning for the roof? Remember that weight is ALWAYS a concern.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Remember to set the saw depth to the thickness of the flooring so you don't hit things that may be hidden. Very common to find romex in a channel cut in the studs.

What are you planning for the roof? Remember that weight is ALWAYS a concern.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
73Viking
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:40 pm

Hi Greg and forum, update as of 12/2/18...

Kitchen 5/8" particle board is coming out...took some time as I had to catch up w/neighbors. Cut out the old kitchen plumbing and started demo'ng the particle board. Greg your hammer test is awesome. I was able to delineate the bad sections from still 'sound' and good sections of the subfloor. Thanks! May save me some time.

Odd finding...my 1973 Viking double wide features joists running lengthwise...where did they get joists that long? Where the 4ft x 12ft particle board panels but up to one another, if not on a joist, they installed a 1x4" board where the particle board ends are stapled. More demo work here and there during the week.

On another note, which I'll post to ceiling repair forum area, My double wide has 1 ft x 12 ft wide ceiling panels w/masonite backing. I'm trying not to open too many cans of worms here...roof is bowing or appears to be dipping in spots too. 2 Layers of asphalt shingles...thanks a lot!

Thanks again Greg, 73Viking
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
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There are some homes that do run joists the length of the home. The home that we tore down when I bought the land that we moved our's on to was set up like that. They used metal plates to tie them together. They were printed as stud grade, but they were better than what you can find now.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
73Viking
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 1:40 pm

HI Greg and Forum,

I got to work tearing out the rotten particle board this weekend. Used a Diablo Circular Saw Blade that worked well on metal/wood. Still sharp and cut well despite some nicks to the blade by all those 'staples!' Speaking of which, I see that staple and glue removal is a nightmare for most who are ripping out paneling/subfloors in older mobile homes. Now I feel their pain!

After I removed the staples, it was time to remove the particle board that stuck to old joists because of glue overuse. I tried a chisel, and it didn't work well. Belt sander, nope...just polished the old particle board I was trying to remove. Finally, I put the Harbor Tools half-circle wood cut blade for 'oscillating tools' on my Fein Multimaster and went at the job of glue/particle board residue removal. After a bit of experimentation, I have to say, it worked like a charm. I made diagonal hash cuts on top of the particle board glue mix that remained on the joists. Then I just dug the 1/2 circular blade into the 'mess' and just let the Fein Multimaster do its magic. As the residue got whacked away, I re-oreiented the blade to be even and parallel to the top of the cleaned up joist and then whisked the blade back and forth to even it out more...removing the final glue and particle board residue.

Just wanted to share this tip for others facing a similar sub-floor glue/particle board on joist clean-up job.

Thanks! 73Viking
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Glad you found something that worked for you, I would have been tempted to try my 4 1/2" grinder with a diamond blade.
I haven't been impressed with Harbor freight blades, I am using one it remove the grout on the kitchen counters I can make better time with a hand grout remover than I do with the harbor freight oscillating tool & diamond blade.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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