Well whaddayaknow. Today I dodged torrential rain and finished installing the flooring!

I had picked up some nice vinyl and laminate tile samples from Home Depot, but I ultimately decided to use the six boxes of flooring I had purchased months ago. Mostly because the RETROvan is a woodgrain- and Earth tone-free zone.

I started dry-fitting the tiles from the back moving forward, carefully bisecting the van down the middle. And to my surprise, the tiles finished nicely at both points of egress. I encircled all three pedestals by using a 12″ platter and a 9″ plate as a template. Then I cut the holes with a utility knife. I used my table saw and a fine blade for most of the straight edge cuts.

To slip the tiles under the heavy helm, I just slid it back and forth and tipped it a bit. The refrigerator was pretty easy to pull out and lift back in, being careful not to scrape the flooring or spill any beer.

If you missed it earlier, this product is made from the same rubber as flip-flop shoes — a high-density non-toxic EVA foam. The tiles fit together as a puzzle, and they feel really great to walk on. Just the right amount of cushiness, with some sound-damping and insulation benefits too. I didn’t bother using any adhesive, but I can always apply some silicon if necessary later. This stuff is really cheap, so if some tiles get dirty or damaged I can easily replace them.

And man does it give more of a finished look to the RETROvan. It’s 7 PM now and Mazy is here watching The Twilight Zone with me. I think she likes the floor too. It must feel good on her old lady kitty paws.