Please Help with another floor Question

[Zetman]

I am in the beginning stages of replacing my floor in my 1971 GulfStream. A previous owner put in a new floor with 1/2 plywood and expandable foam. After I took the floor out and 15 large bags of saturated foam (about 300#s worth) This is where I need the most advice. I spent the last couple of days reading on Iboats about what to do next but I needed everbodys opinion where to start next. First I found no evidence of rot, the other owner may have fixed it already because I can't tell if the stringers are the original or not. When I ripped out the floor I was just going to install marine ply over the top and sprayed line-x over the top to seal it. Probably a bad idea. Here are some pictures of what I'm dealing with. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks Zet

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

pictures from photobucket

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

More pictures

 

[DJ]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

The floor is an intregral part of the boats structure. It must be glassed in. You can Linex over that, if you want.

The problem most likely was, the previous owner used the wrong type of foam. You must use "closed cell" foam. Not all expanding foams are "closed cell".

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

one more try

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

closed foam cell will not hold water?

 

[DJ]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

Zetman,

Check here for picture posting help.

http://forums.iboats.com/bbBoard.cgi?a=viewthread;fid=37;gtid=1179789

Closed cell foam sheds most of the water. Open cell is a sponge.

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

pictures

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

more pics

Sorry for all the screw ups I think I figured it out know:$

 

[DJ]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

The center stringer appears to have been repaired. There is a "sistered" board next to it. Nothing wrong with that, just make sure it is all sealed.

The stringer on the port (left) side appears to be broken. If so, it needs to be repaired and sealed.

You can fill the hull with expandable foam or lay in foam blocks. Just make sure they are closed cell. If you pour in foam, make sure there are channels for water to run to the stern (rear).

As stated, the floor needs to be bonded to the sides and stringers.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

I've been curious about this for awhile. How does one ensure drain channels when pouring foam?

 

[tmh]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

I've been curious about this for awhile. How does one ensure drain channels when pouring foam?

Not only can the foam hold the water, on my 20 yr old 19' BR there is really no way for the water that gets under the floor to drain to the back/bilge to be pumped out. The stringers make rectangular sections that were glassed in solid, no drainage holes. I don't "get it" but that's how it was built. I'll bet many other brands were made like that also.

I'm drilling drainage holes between stringer sections, then putting 2 liter soda bottles in for floatation. Some people put 1" PVC piping with lots of holes in it in the bottom before pouring the foam back in to allow water escape. I have no idea if that works or not.

 

[DJ]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

I've been curious about this for awhile. How does one ensure drain channels when pouring foam?

iwombat,

If you lay in foam blocks, it becomes a non issue.

Either pouring or laying in foam blocks, I make sure there are passages through the stringers just above the hull. These passages must be drilled and carefully sealed with resin.

When I have poured in foam, I purposely created voids along the stringers by laying down PVC pipe with holes cut in it and then heavy mil plastic sheet strips covering those that I could pull out after the foam set. By doing that, the foam is no longer adhered in spots but it doesn't matter if it is closed cell.

Remember, water flows down hill. So the drains must be at low points such as along the keel and the low side of stringers.

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

I saw too that my stringers would need holes drilled in them to let water pass to the bilge. I was wondering if my stringers need to be completly covered or sealed before I do this. Plus, when you talk about foam blocks, where do you get stuff like this? Zet

 

[tmh]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

Zet, what do you mean "covered or sealed" before drilling the holes? Wouldn't you seal seal the holes with resin AFTER you dill them, as DWJ says? That's what I plan to do.

One has to be careful not to drill thru the hull when drilling these "relief holes" as some of the stringers "low points" may be below the hull for the next section over. Confusingly stated by me, I know, but if you look at the area you may know what I'm talking about.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

I've always just used foam blocks over a 2" sheet laid horizontally so that water flows under the sheet. Never poured foam, so I was just curious. Sounds like and easy solution.

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

How about this idea..instead of poured foam or foam blocks or coke bottles what about those pool noodles used as floation? They don't hold water and are cheap where I come from. Plus I was thinking of cutting a 4' or 6' piece of drainged pvc down the middle and lay in the V of the hull. With notcheds down the side for water to flow thru the pvc. I might have to get a picture of this to get my idead across? Zet

 

[iwombat]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

Makes sense, but I'll bet you can get foam blocks cheaper than pool noodles in volume at your local foam store.

 

[Zetman]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

pvc cut like this

 

[brownies]

Re: Please Help with another floor Question

French drain pipe if the CUSTOMER INSISTS that foam be replaced.
Soda bottles rattle and squeak.
Foam blocks squeak.
The ONLY boat that I have ever taken the floor out of, that did not have a few hundred lbs of saturated factory foam in it...was a boat that did not have foam in it.
It was also the only boat that had no rot issues other than the floor.

This does not apply to all boats....Only the boats in which I have removed the floor. I can't remember ever removing a floor that didn't need it.