Pontoon redecking material?

Joined
Jan 28, 2013
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4
Everyone that has redecked your pontoon and DID NOT use marine ply.

1. What wood did you use?
2. What did you seal it with if anything?
3. How long has it lasted?
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Messages
4
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

So i take it everyone used marine ply when they have redecked

THANKS FOR THE INFO
 

MaPaHa

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 6, 2012
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239
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

My first pontoon I bought years ago was an old Aqua Patio 24 footer with 19 inch toons and an 85 hp motor. The guy had died and his wife was selling the boat soon after he re-decked it and before new furniture was purchased. Not knowing any better I thought the green treated plywood he used was the right stuff. We used it long enough to figure out what we wanted in a pontoon and started working our way up. I retired the pontoon to our pond and just used it as a dock/platform and it wasn't long until the floor started getting soft in spots and then became unsafe and you could only walk on the joists or break through. I would say about 5-7 years total but the last 1-2 there's no way I would take it to the lake with the floor like it was. I put some old plywood on it to keep from stepping through. The boat was outside all the time. I'm not sure if he sealed it.
 

BrianMc

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Oct 2, 2010
Messages
177
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

1.
IMG_20110704_193842.jpg


2. No carpet,vinyl,or sealer needed

3. Lifetime warranty
 

Okieboatguy

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 28, 2012
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204
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

There are several ways to go. You can go with Marine grade at about $90 a sheet, MDO plywood which runs about $40 a sheet, aluminum which I would guess would be on the pricey side, but not sure, or you could go with exterior grade plywood and just fiberglass the top, bottom and sides. All of these options will last 10 to 15+ years, except the aluminum which will outlast us all, just avoid the pressure treated. I have been recently informed that the chemicals in it are toxic, and you can not fiberglass it, because it will de-laminate over time. I plan on re-decking mine in the next few years and will most likely go with exterior grade ply and fiberglass it, and then run gelcoat across the top. This way I will also go with snap in carpet that can be removed for the winter season, and so my wife can change colors at her whim and if my wallet allows. This way I plan on doing it once, and barring any damage, it could be the last time it will ever need to be done.
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Messages
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Re: Pontoon redecking material?

There are several ways to go. You can go with Marine grade at about $90 a sheet, MDO plywood which runs about $40 a sheet, aluminum which I would guess would be on the pricey side, but not sure, or you could go with exterior grade plywood and just fiberglass the top, bottom and sides. All of these options will last 10 to 15+ years, except the aluminum which will outlast us all, just avoid the pressure treated. I have been recently informed that the chemicals in it are toxic, and you can not fiberglass it, because it will de-laminate over time. I plan on re-decking mine in the next few years and will most likely go with exterior grade ply and fiberglass it, and then run gelcoat across the top. This way I will also go with snap in carpet that can be removed for the winter season, and so my wife can change colors at her whim and if my wallet allows. This way I plan on doing it once, and barring any damage, it could be the last time it will ever need to be done.[/QUOTE




Looked at the MDO ply. That looks like it might be better than marine ply? Im trying to find a place to order some, anyone ever use MDO?
 

Lurch77

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
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129
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

So i take it everyone used marine ply when they have redecked

I don't know where you live, but if you have a Menards nearby, you can get marine grade for $50-$70 a sheet, depending on thickness. It's not a bad price for something as critical as the boat deck, and it will last a long time. Plywood at Menards
 

Bamaman1

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 15, 2011
Messages
1,895
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

My 1985 Starcraft pontoon has marine grade plywood that's still solid.

The two pieces on each side of the engine rotted from water blowing in our boathouse, and I replaced it with painted 3/4" CDX plywood. It lasted about 7 years, and has again rotted.

Marine grade plywood is the only thing to replace your floor with. Forget about anything else, including aluminum sheets which are not as structurally sound as 3/4" plywood.

Many manufacturers were using other flooring for awhile, but all but one have gone back to marine plywood.
 

BrianMc

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Oct 2, 2010
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177
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

The only thing, huh? My '89 StarCraft went through 2 decks,and when I bought it was racked over 1" out of square with the screw heads about pulled through half the sheets. It came from a rough lake. The frame will have to be reinforced if you use aluminum sheets. Cost is probably the biggest reason they use wood. This is the 5th boat I have rebuilt. All had rotten factory wood in them. With today's technology I can't believe they're still using it in boats.

I don't even cover mine. It sits outside in the rain and snow. It's waterproof with not one stitch of wood in it. And I bet it's stronger than yours. Point is it's not the only thing,it's how much do you want to spend.
 

hossy

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Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
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Re: Pontoon redecking material?

I have an all-fiberglass pontoon - and instead of doing carpet (which I really hate), I did a wood-graphic vinyl. It wasn't meant to be perfect, I just thought it would be hilarious and look good. It was also relatively cheap (~$400) for the material to cover the entire lower level of the pontoon (30 ft long, 8 ft wide), as I opted for carpet on the top given the very weathered nature of the top deck.

It does really well so far in the heat - but is a bit slippery when wet. That doesn't actually affect my use of it too much, as I put a couple carpets down to help with foot traffic in the larger areas without furniture.

I nailed it down in corners and other edge areas using linoleum nails, as it is one of the "adhesive optional" vinyls. I also ended up doing hardwood quarter-rounds as edging, just to make it look a little nicer! The edging won't last too long, but it is also very cheap and easy to replace. We shall see how long the floor will last, but at least it looks pretty good! Here is a picture of it when I was about 75% done:



Here is a view of what the floor looked like before:

 

bigdee

Commander
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
2,665
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

Depends on type of wood. Fir exterior plywood grade A-B will last about as long as marine and is an economical choice and should last at least 15 years. Pine plywood will last 7 to 10 years
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Messages
4
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

Found 3/4" MDO two sided, in stock at local lumber yard for $58 a sheet. I think i will pick up 7 this weekend and just seal the edges with fiberglass resin.
 

Okieboatguy

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
204
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

I like the MDO, or at least what I have been reading about it. I have read in some of the restoration threads and on some of the home built house boat forums that this seems to be the wood of choice.
 

Uncle Dave

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2003
Messages
240
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

Marine ply can be found at a reasonable price. It does take a little looking. I would use nothing but marine ply. Pontoon boats are unique in that the ply get soaked with each use. Even skinned undersides do not keep the ply dry. Then there are the rain drops. Marine ply will stand up to the constant wetting and drying. Save a few dollars on 6 sheets and pay a lot later. Just my 2 cents.
Uncle Dave
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
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8,155
Re: Pontoon redecking material?

Found 3/4" MDO two sided, in stock at local lumber yard for $58 a sheet. I think i will pick up 7 this weekend and just seal the edges with fiberglass resin.

Polyester resin will not bond to the phenolic resin already used on the MDO, use an epoxy resin. Epoxy/phenolic = same thing/family.

You can use epoxy on polyester, but you can't use polyester on epoxy. Epoxy bonds to everything, polyester only bonds to itself in the resin world.
 
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