New pontoon deck covering

ronward

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I have done a lot of research on this subject. And I found an old post from a commercial roofer saying he wanted to use rubber roofing material for his decking. He was pretty much ridiculed for this idea , and there was reference made to a rubber door mat on a deck that rotted. I am thinking of doing the same thing, and I fail to realize how this would not work as good or better than Marine vinyl flooring. They both still have to be put down with adhesive, and the argument was that the plywood could not breathe. I am assuming that since both have to be adhered to ?the deck how would the Marine vinyl breathe more than rubber roofing
 

ronward

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Assuming we're not sealing the bottom side, how could one material be considered acceptable by industry standards, yet another material applied in the exact same manner is not acceptable, and even ridiculed?
 

ronward

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By the way, Commercial Rubber Roofing is warranted for 30 years. How could that not be acceptable as a floor covering for a pontoon boat?
 

ronward

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Also to the naysayers... It has a slick white side intended for exposure to weather as a roof. Flip side is textured, intended to "grab" the glue. It can be installed upside down, with the correct low VOC adhesive and will last as long as a 30-year roof, just installed upside down.
 

ronward

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Have already tested it, the right adhesive will hold the slick side as well. Not to mention furniture and the side rails will help to hold it down. I welcome any arguments against this, but I have tested this and I know that it will work as well as Marine vinyl, if not better
 

ondarvr

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Nothing stays dry when on the water, so the deck covering will prevent any water in the plywood form escaping easily, this can be a problem with many of the vinyl products because some aren't that durable and end up with nicks and cuts after a while. These nicks and cuts allow even more water to get to the wood, then the wood stays wet for a very long time, or just never dries out.

A thicker more durable coating would hold up better, but any unsealed screw holes or penetrations would still be an issue.

​There is no perfect answer for deck coatings, well, at least none that are easily affordable.
 
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Scott Danforth

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Roofs are not intended to be walked on.....they wouldnt survive
 

ahicks

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Foot traffic was my first thought as well.

Second thought, is the "rubber" roofing used on RV roofs is not holding up near as well as advertised - without foot traffic on it.

Last, after a lot of research, I just used this for my project, mostly due to it's warranty. I wanted vinyl, but I didn't want to have to replace it any time soon. It was the only thing with a warranty to back up it's durability claims. It wasn't cheap by any imagination, but so far, we love it!
http://www.restorepontoon.com/pontoo...&idcategory=88
 

bigdee

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Bad idea. Whats missing here is the bottom and edges of the plywood are NOT SEALED. Water will be absorbed into the wood from underneath with no way for it to escape. Heat and sunlight will dry out a carpeted deck. IMHO, with decks lasting 15 to 20 years there is no need to try something different.
 

Scott Danforth

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, with decks lasting 15 to 20 years there is no need to try something different.

Longer if the carpet is covered in wine, beer and fish slime ....... Based on experience
 

Silvertip

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An adjuster from my homeowners insurance company and my roofer left a bit ago after inspecting my roof for hail damage. While waiting for the adjuster I questioned the roofer about the use of rubber roofing for the deck of a pontoon. His thoughts were that it would work very well. It is available in 30, 60, and 90 mil and suggested the 90 mil material would be best and definitely NOT the 30 mil.
 

ronward

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To bigdee, EVERYONE recommends not sealing completely...water has to get out somewhere, the bottom side
 

ronward

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Silvertip you are spot on... This material is made by Goodyear and is every bit of 3/32". Really tough stuff. To whoever said roofs are not made to walk on, this material is. It is made to withstand the absolute worst that Mother Nature can dish out for 30 years. And we're worried that it can't stand up to bare feet for 10 or 20 years for the life of the plywood???
 

ronward

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Marine vinyl is Maybe, what, 3/64 of an inch? It may very well hold up for 5 to 10 years however the roofing material that I'm talking about is made to hold up to 30 years. Under the worst of Mother Nature's conditions, people walking on it or not, also, it is every bit of 3/32" thick and will resist punctures scratches and abrasions. It may not be the industry-standard but it is better than anything that is offered for pontoons as of now. Just think about it. It is made to last 30 years under all kinds of conditions
 

Big Gee

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Sounds promising.
It's your boat and your $$.
Go for it and let the naysayers know how well it works.
 

ronward

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I will do exactly that and it will last better than anything available as of now. After all, vinyl is thin and brittle. This is thick, pliable, rubber made by Goodyear to last 30 freaking years
 

bigdee

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To bigdee, EVERYONE recommends not sealing completely...water has to get out somewhere, the bottom side

Where can the water go if top is sealed? Sounds like a bass-ackwards vapor barrier to me. No different than a house that has water in the crawl space. The wood will naturally absorb water from the lake. I'm not talking about soaking wet but the moisture content of the wood will migrate/condense on the bottom side of whatever your sealing it with.
 
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mgjtkt

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I have a EPDM ( rubber) roof on my house. Black in color. After 10 years it starts to have a black powdery residue if you rub on it.Takes soap to and a brush to get it off your hands. Thats OK for a roof not good for a boat.
 

clemsonfor

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Yea I forgot the black residue that they will leave after several years.. I have black commercial roof on a few almost flater spots on my roof. It's only like 6 years old but the old rubber on ther left black. I also cover my wood piles with old skidder inner tubes. They leave black all over me when I move them around. They are thick too. But not designed for sun expose and get brittle and tear. But I'm. It comparing those as there not made for UV, but just that they leave all kinds of black on me. Also old car tires leave black when they get old and it's like no matter how much you clean it won't all ever come off totally (the black loose part coming off the tite, not you).
 

ronward

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I'm not talking about old inner tubes. This stuff is white, and made for commercial roofs. Also I think maybe someone doesn't realize that Marine vinyl seals the top of the plywood as well.
 
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