April Showers Bring ...
It was a long, cold, and snowy winter here in NH, like every year! The snow started in November with a significant amount and kept falling until early April. Each winter, of the past 20+ years I have lived here, have been different one to another. There doesn't seem to be a pattern but it is almost certain to have snow, ice and below zero temps for a portion of the season. This winter it seemed to be the entire season of all three.
The design of Airstream trailers originated from aircraft construction and design. So if you ever thought they looked like "flying clouds" you are not alone, they even name one of the designs "Flying Cloud" and it is a very popular model since the beginning of the official company in 1952. My model is a Tradewind, another air reference. The dome design is for the aerodynamics of the trailer but here in the northeast we praise it being able to shed snow quicker than a box-type trailer design. My trailer was used every year by the previous owner up until 1991. It sat in Maine every winter and would travel south in the spring. It sat for the past 26 years unused and covered up. It may have been an occasional guest quarters for visitors and certainly for mice (another blog story).
The previous owner had a tarp on it which is very controversial in the Airstream world. A tarp will truly scratch off the clear coat on the trailer and could do other damage over time. From the time I took ownership of this trailer, it has been un-tarped. What is obvious though is that there is water coming in through openings on the roof - AC, vent stacks, fan, Astrodome, and potentially every seam and rivet. I understood this would happen because weatherproofing seams, doors and windows needs to be checked annually and maintained, neither of which I knew where happening to this trailer. It was very well preserved though and the tarps surely saved the floors and interior from more damage. I knew this all going into the project and I actually expected to see worse up on the roof with damage or missing parts or dents. The top of my trailer actually looks really good for its age and use.
So with true April showers extending into May, I will continue the water sealing efforts. I have removed the original 8"x8" Armstrong floor tiles for many reasons and it was a quick task as most were popped loose already from the years. The install was most likely well done but adhesive between wood sub-straight and vinyl tile only lasts so long and the temperature swings of seasons is not good for longevity of a good bond between materials. That is a sophisticated way of saying it took about 1-1/2 hours to remove it all and clean up. I am happy to be rid of these tiles because I can clean up the floors, get a good inspection for clues to condition of frame, and I can monitor my sealing efforts as I hopefully eliminate the water leaks from the outside. Having a cleaner floor I can now keep envisioning the new floor which I am planning to have a unique 3D design element, using the same but updated Armstrong Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT) product.
The patchy color on the floor seen here is not water damage. The gray wood is where the tiles were no longer sticking to the floor with a good bond. The more brown part is where there was still good bond between the surfaces. The water mark up this small inside wall (inside a cabinet under the bed) is from a suspected past leak for the vent stack about 12" from this water stain. New vent stack covers and sealing are coming soon and this area is dry.
Looking from the front to back - Kitchen to bath with the bed area in between.
This is the area by the door which I knew was moist. I removed the gaucho (lounge/sofa bed) last year while exploring the replacement of water lines. I did not realize all this would be so wet and I am glad I removed it because otherwise it is under a large piece of furniture that is permanently attached to the wall here. This is the space where the fold-out table is mounted to the wall. Well, it looks like I have one sunny day today before the next few days of consistent rain and next week looks like a good stretched of fine, sunny weather. So if you need me, you will probably find me working outside on the T1NCAN these early days of May.
The design of Airstream trailers originated from aircraft construction and design. So if you ever thought they looked like "flying clouds" you are not alone, they even name one of the designs "Flying Cloud" and it is a very popular model since the beginning of the official company in 1952. My model is a Tradewind, another air reference. The dome design is for the aerodynamics of the trailer but here in the northeast we praise it being able to shed snow quicker than a box-type trailer design. My trailer was used every year by the previous owner up until 1991. It sat in Maine every winter and would travel south in the spring. It sat for the past 26 years unused and covered up. It may have been an occasional guest quarters for visitors and certainly for mice (another blog story).
The previous owner had a tarp on it which is very controversial in the Airstream world. A tarp will truly scratch off the clear coat on the trailer and could do other damage over time. From the time I took ownership of this trailer, it has been un-tarped. What is obvious though is that there is water coming in through openings on the roof - AC, vent stacks, fan, Astrodome, and potentially every seam and rivet. I understood this would happen because weatherproofing seams, doors and windows needs to be checked annually and maintained, neither of which I knew where happening to this trailer. It was very well preserved though and the tarps surely saved the floors and interior from more damage. I knew this all going into the project and I actually expected to see worse up on the roof with damage or missing parts or dents. The top of my trailer actually looks really good for its age and use.
So with true April showers extending into May, I will continue the water sealing efforts. I have removed the original 8"x8" Armstrong floor tiles for many reasons and it was a quick task as most were popped loose already from the years. The install was most likely well done but adhesive between wood sub-straight and vinyl tile only lasts so long and the temperature swings of seasons is not good for longevity of a good bond between materials. That is a sophisticated way of saying it took about 1-1/2 hours to remove it all and clean up. I am happy to be rid of these tiles because I can clean up the floors, get a good inspection for clues to condition of frame, and I can monitor my sealing efforts as I hopefully eliminate the water leaks from the outside. Having a cleaner floor I can now keep envisioning the new floor which I am planning to have a unique 3D design element, using the same but updated Armstrong Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT) product.
Comments
Post a Comment