New decking on old pontoon boat

[gpfishingdude]

I am changing out the back three sheets of plywood on the deck. I had to replace the front sheet quite a while back. I am using the CCA plywood that costs $95 a sheet because this is something I don't want to have to do again in five years. I want to find something to replace the carpet with because it is a filth mess of rotten leaves and dirt that has soaked through. I am thinking about using Tuff Coat rubberized coating to cover the deck with. I am figuring on using the spacers to raise the fencing so that I can use a garden hose to clean the deck off. I am at the point of rolling back the old carpet and removing the old plywood. Has anybody used the Tuff Coat on their pontoon deck and how did it hold up?

 

[Marinescout]

I had the tough coat on my old dock and it was awesome it was there after several years when I moved and I'm sure it still is. I'm fixing to put it on my pontoon boat as well as raise the fence. I won't hesitate to use it for that. It comes in over 25 different colors. I suggest getting the primer and spraying the tuff coat instead of rolling. You can roll the primer. It's soft enough to walk on barefoot and it doesn't get as hot as you would think. I'm going back with the medium gray on my boat. Mine is 20 ft and I was just quoted a price for the coat primer and roller to cover my area and it was 423.00 plus shipping that was for 21x8. It was 4 gallons tc, 3 qts cp10 primer and one roller the stuff will cover 45 sq ft per gallon and primer will cover 60 sq ft per quart. Mike bailado is who I'm in contact with and his email is mikeb@tuffcoat.net. The carpet and glue was close to that and for me a lot more work imho.

 

[gpfishingdude]

Thank you Marinescout! I read some reviews on the Tuff Coat and several people said that it does not cover as big of an area as they advertise. If I go with it I will make sure that I get enough material to do the job and more. I just read about a product that True Value sells that is from Amesresearch and it is called Safe-T-Deck. It comes in three different grades from the looks of it. So I don't know which one would be the best for a pontoon deck. Some guy used it on his and added crushed walnut shells to give it a non skid surface. I would like something with a rubberized surface that lays down smooth so that it is easy to clean. Your just doing the top of the deck-right? I underpinned the bottom of mine so the bottom of my decking doesn't get as wet.

 

[Marinescout]

Yes just the top and edges I'm underskinning the bottom with aluminum so hopefully that will be good. Will Thompson water seal the under deck before I skin it. If you contact him and tell him the size and that it's going on wood he will send you a written invoice. When I did my dock I found out it doesn't cover near as much as it said. The 45 sq ft is spraying and covering real good. It has a rubber in it so it's skid resistant and rather soft. If you email him I'm sure he will send you a sample and you can feel it. I know it's rather pricey compared to some but it does work. I can't vouch for the other products. I know I spent about 200 on a cheap roll on Berliner for my Jon boat and hated it. Ended up using a spray type Bedliner material from my local paint shop but the tuff coat would have been cheaper. It will be what I put on all my boats from now on rather it be my toon my Jon or my bass boat

 

[MH Hawker]

you use marine grade plywood

 

[gpfishingdude]

Thinking about painting each sheet in the garage and then installing them on the boat because keeping them dry long enough to cure might be a problem on mine. I could use primer -sealer on the bottom of each sheet but I am not sure if I even need to with CCA marine grade plywood.

 

[Marinescout]

At 95.00 a sheet I don't think it would hurt lol

 

[Marinescout]

But would not seal the top if using tuff coat I would let it do the preserving. Cca plywood will still rot. It's really not a lot different than regular in my opinion I may be wrong there maybe a carpenter can chime in

 

[MH Hawker]

sealing the bottom is a bad idea it hold in the water

 

[Marinescout]

I'm glad you said that because I was about to seal mine before I skinned it. So I should just leave it alone and just skin it.

 

[MH Hawker]

marine grade plywood with no sealing or any thing else is good for 15 to 20 years

 

[gpfishingdude]

marine grade plywood with no sealing or any thing else is good for 15 to 20 years

I thought that as long as it's the good stuff-CCA treated marine plywood- that it was supposed to last a long time. I am removing the old decking screws now, some are broken, some I got out and some I have to drill out. Where the old wood is rotten enough I make a divot around the head and use vise grips to turn the screws that don't want to turn. Got to clean out enough of the garage to get the plywood in for painting. A lot of work ahead yet and it seems like I get older every day.

 

[MH Hawker]

i dont know a lot about the CCA wood but its my understanding that it has copper in it and that eats aluminum but i have seen it in a lot of re decking web sites, the standard marine plywood has 7 layers and water proof glue and no voids it is a lot more rigid and that is the back bone of the boat

 

[Marinescout]

I put standard marine plywood in mine a few years back and it's still good. Used pl glue and ss bolts nuts and washers the top was a little damp from the carpet holding moisture but a quick sand I think will fix that. Then tuff coat the top and I'm skinning the bottom. I made the bolts just long enough to hold
My aluminum sheeting also for the under skin

 

[BigDfromTN]

sealing the bottom is a bad idea it hold in the water

Agreed. Don't coat bottom with anything. Aluminum skinning under the cross members is good.

 

[Marinescout]

Do I need to put glue on the aluminum stringers before the aluminum or just bolt them up? Also I go from rear to front correct? That way the water won't get under unless you drive in reverse real fast lol

 

[MH Hawker]

thats how i did it a few years ago when i rebuilt mine but i put carpet on mine

 

[ahicks]

Not following the thought about starting in the rear?

 

[Marinescout]

If you start in rear and then over lap the next then over lap the next and so on then when the water hits it it will not get under the aluminum. Like when you put metal on a building over lap then do the rain flows down over the next piece if the gap was reversed then water could enter on all of the over laps.

 

[ahicks]

Theses are butt joints though. 2nd sheet pushes tight up against the first. There is no overlap from one sheet to the next.