Aluminum floor layer delaminated

[wbmiller3]

I pulled the camper out for "depot maintenance" today; one of the tasks was replacing some 10 year old stick down floor tiles that were curling up at the edges.

When I pulled one up, the aluminum "skin" underneath it pulled away from whatever the layer below that is.

Is there any way to "stick" this back down? Inject some kind of glue below it?

[Larryjb]

I believe Trailmanor uses a polyurethane glue like the original Gorilla glue.

[Bill]

Somewhere, years ago, the same question arose. The aluminum floor had de-laminated from the foam below it. As I recall - I can't find the post at the moment - the solution was just what you mentioned. Drill a few shallow holes in the de-lam areas, pull the aluminum skin up just a bit, inject some glue, weight down the glued areas, and wait. I don't recall what kind of glue was used, but polyurethane as Larry suggested is as good a choice as any I would make. Remember that TM sprays the glue as fairly thin liquid. I think you might use a fairly thin glue as well, so it will spread out a ways from the injection site. You certainly don't want a pool of thick glue just below the hole - it will ooze back out as you weight it down, and that would be a horrible mess.

Don't forget that Gorilla Glue expands A LOT as it cures. I'm not sure that is a good choice.

Bill

[wbmiller3]

Thanks for the info. I have bad memories of airplane model glue dissolving styrofoam from when I was a kid, so will be careful about the kind of glue. Or perhaps I will not do anything - I am not sure it is actually a problem, since it is on the floor.

[rickst29]

DuPont (the inventer of XPS styrofoam) recommends UHU 'POR'. That's available in smaller tubes as a brush-on product. It also behaves as a no-adjustments' contact cement. The drying time (before assembly) is slower and water-vapor dependent.
- - -
With less than perfect technique, or a need to slightly adjust the contact (getting rid of air bubbles), a less powerful glue would be a better choice. 3M "Super 77" spray apparently allows such repositioning for several minutes. But I don’t know whether it depends on water vapor to cure properly, and it has the same issue of high cost with the adapter included.

Everyday Gorilla Glue might also do OK, but it needs vapor contact to dry. You would probably be wise to to let it dry up most of the way before sticking the aluminum down, because it will have a hard time becoming cured between the aluminum and the thick foam.

[Shane826]

I’ve been told by the folks at TM that 3M spray adhesive (or most any adhesive out of an aerosol can) will eat the styrofoam.

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by Shane826

I’ve been told by the folks at TM that 3M spray adhesive (or most any adhesive out of an aerosol can) will eat the styrofoam.

They make bunch of different kinds. I''ve removed the previous recommendation for #90, it contains acetone. But #77 is made for foam, and might do a great job.

[Larryjb]

Originally Posted by Shane826

I’ve been told by the folks at TM that 3M spray adhesive (or most any adhesive out of an aerosol can) will eat the styrofoam.

I know that any product containing acetone (a very common solvent) will dissolve Styrofoam.

[Bill]

Bill's mention of "injecting" implies to me that the real question is how to get glue into the bubbles in the aluminum, without pulling up all of the aluminum and starting the floor from scratch. The goal is to get some glue onto a wide area under the aluminum.

I'm thinking that a water-thin spray, with an extension tube on the valve, would do the job. Or a water-thin liquid glue could be injected into holes in the aluminum. The watery stuff would flow out between the aluminum and the foam, especially as weight is added. The glue doesn't need to have steely strength, but can be more moderate. This may widen the list of choices.

Just my thoughts

Bill