Floor Lumps??

[cherterr]

Okay.. so in the last few weeks I have a couple of spots on my floor in the 5th wheel under the vinyl that are 'lumpy'.  I noticed them in my socks.  It's just weird.  One is in the middle of the kitchen floor between the sink and bathroom, and the other is down in front of the toilet (toilet is on raised platform).

I feel reasonably certain there is not a single bit of tubing or pipes or anything with running water under there.

Could this possibly be from ALL THE RAIN we got?  It rained nearly non stop for 5 months this year.  Could it just be moist, humid, soggy, and buckled?  I don't want to tear the floor up, cause if it's done all it's gonna Do, it's not so big a deal.

Just really curious.  ANYBODY?  IDEAS?  THANKS!

 

[highdesertranger]

well there is no doubt the vinyl has delaminated. why? I don't know. what is your sub-floor plywood, osb, is it waterproofed from the outside? have you had water on the floor on the inside? you do know that osb or the wrong plywood will come apart with moisture, doesn't need an actual soaking. highdesertranger

 

[cherterr]

Okay.. lol.. I have NO idea what OSB is... The vinyl is fine.. it's the sub flooring.. whatever It's made of? As far as I know there is black plastic underneath this thing and that it/was/should be still intact.

I'm still thinking of conventional house mode.. HELP.. lol I know less about this than I thought.

Maybe someone can tell ME what I've got?
It's a 2004 Fleetwood Wilderness Advantage 365

 

[SoulRaven]

I think for starters I would just monitor it. If it gets worse, address it, and if it doesn't, just live with it. I have seen some of this stuff appear and then disappear on their own too.

"Soft" indicates definite problems, lumps, not so much.

 

[Almost There]

OSB is 'Oriented Strand Board' - it's one of the cheapest underfloor used because it's made with wood chips rather than whole pieces of wood.

Lumps are rather telling of future problems...the floor isn't rotten yet and it could be years before it's a really big problem, or not since there's no way to tell how long it's going to take. The OSB is swelling and the large chips used in OSB are separating from each other. Since they can't go sideways they go up and down.

It's not a case of plumbing under the floor, it's more likely that there's a small water leak at some other source that has run there and caused the lumps. In the case of the lumps in front of the toilet, there might be a very small leak that you wouldn't even notice, at the base seal. The water will be running between the finished floor and the OSB. The ones in front of the sink - well they'll be harder to identify the source because it could even be just water running down the outside of a pipe inside the cabinet, and then running between the flooring and the OSB.

Since it's a 2004 it's worth monitoring and keeping any eye out for the source. At this point it's not worth panicking or starting to rip things apart IMO.

 

[GotSmart]

I call OSB pressed sawdust.  Start a fund to either replace the bad spots or to get a new unit.  I would check the pipes and toilet after a shower to see if there is condensation.  Perhaps figure out a way of dehumidifying your air.  

I have had to replace many bathroom floors for that reason.

 

[LeeRevell]

"Pressed sawdust" is particle board, a different kind of board and much less resistant to moisture. Becomes mush when wetted. Painted OSB can withstand years of water exposure, as has my shop walls now fourteen years old and still solid. Both are heavier than plywood.

 

[Almost There]

"Pressed sawdust" is particle board, a different kind of board and much less resistant to moisture.  Becomes mush when wetted.  Painted OSB can withstand years of water exposure, as has my shop walls now fourteen years old and still solid.  Both are heavier than plywood.

The difference between the OSB used as a underfloor in the 5th wheel and your shop walls is the paint and the positioning. Sealed and used as walls it can indeed survive for years and years, laid on the horizontal where it can have water sitting on it and NOT sealed against water penetration it has a much shorter life expectancy.

 

[GotSmart]

I have found plenty of fake wood in trailers and mobile homes. Unless it is marine grade, the end result is the same. There are different manufactures of OSB, the ones imported into the West Coast years ago were no better than pressed wood chips. Much of the garbage was bought up by companies that only cared about the bottom line. The better stuff went into stores were people actually saw it before they bought and used it.

 

[coolmom42]

Okay.. so in the last few weeks I have a couple of spots on my floor in the 5th wheel under the vinyl that are 'lumpy'.  I noticed them in my socks.  It's just weird.  One is in the middle of the kitchen floor between the sink and bathroom, and the other is down in front of the toilet (toilet is on raised platform).

I feel reasonably certain there is not a single bit of tubing or pipes or anything with running water under there.

Could this possibly be from ALL THE RAIN we got?  It rained nearly non stop for 5 months this year.  Could it just be moist, humid, soggy, and buckled?  I don't want to tear the floor up, cause if it's done all it's gonna Do, it's not so big a deal.

Just really curious.  ANYBODY?  IDEAS?  THANKS!

Some people on RV.net have reported that these are nailheads from the subfloor working up.  You can probably take a rubber mallet, or a hammer with a towel for cushioning, and beat them back down.

 

[highdesertranger]

um I don't believe a rv sub-floor is nailed down, it's screwed. so hitting it with a hammer will not work. there is no such thing as marine osb. x-2 on the water migrating under the vinyl. I have seen this many times with conventional housing. highdesertranger

 

[GotSmart]

Every floor in a mobile type dwelling I  have worked on been screwed down.  It could be that the air pockets over the screws is bubbling.  This is nothing to worry about .  If you notice a lump with stuff under it, or a place starting to sag, then be concerned.

 

[gcal]

If they are just bubbles from the glue coming loose, you could always use a syringe to inject glue into the bubble and put weights on top for a day or so to reglue it. Howev er, given the places of these bubbles, you may be in for a more difficult fix.

 

[cherterr]

The 'lumps' are about the size of the ball of one's foot; being the reason I discovered them!

They are hard, not mushy. No staining or anything on vinyl. Just.. Lumps.

 

[GotSmart]

The 'lumps' are about the size of the ball of one's foot; being the reason I discovered them!

They are hard, not mushy.  No staining or anything on vinyl.  Just.. Lumps.

OOOO.. Not good.  

That sounds like moisture swelling the floor material.  Check for what I mentioned.  Possible sweating issues, and start saving up for a floor replacement.  A good handyman should charge a couple hundred to pull the sink and toilet and replace the flooring.  Make sure they use a good plywood or Advantek.

 

[cherterr]

Thanks for all the answers. I came back in here and read them all again.. BECAUSE.. I've been running around freaking out about it.
I have SOOO much to DOOOOO (financially) and something like THIS was NOT in my plan.

Glad I came back and read slowly and carefully.

I think since we had 6 months of monsoon here in S. Central TX (NEVER rained like this .. EVER!) and it was damp/humid the entire time; Now that it has been very hot and dry for a month or two, it's probably drying out and being lumpy. I found another area in the bedroom.. *sigh*.. so I don't think it's any leak that I may have.

It's dry and lumpy with no 'air' pockets. SO.. I'm just gonna wait and see and.. ?? maybe wear shoes inside so I don't notice so much!

Anyway.. thanks again for all of your input. I really feel like it's been a life saver. (Long story, but I am planning on building a tiny home for my home base, paying off my debt, and then hitting the road some.. but at this rate.. It's like EVERY TIME I turn around it's one more thing to bring me down.)
So thank you.. a lot!
I just hope this thing holds together long enough to 'work my plan'! After that somebody can drive it off a cliff! lol

 

[highdesertranger]

yep probably an osb sub floor and it sucked the moisture out of the air. highdesertranger