Snap in carpet

[Johnshan1]

I have a 2000 Larson Cabrio with a fiberglass non-skid deck. This was great when we used the boat in the ocean and for fishing, now we are going to try the lake scene for a year and the wife and I want snap in carpets.

I was hoping to make my own, it seems simple enough right? Find the right shade of carpet, cut it to shape, then put the edge on.

Is there more to it then this?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Snap in carpet

Nope you got it. Just make sure when you purchase the carpet you mention it will be used outdoors in a wet environment. Most indoor carpets are not uv resistant and will fade fast...... or fall apart from the water.

IMO the snap in is the best solution for carpet and easier to clean too.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Snap in carpet

Thanks for the info. I will employ the snaps for sure. Will a standard sewing maching be able to stich the edging?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Snap in carpet

Good luck but normally NO. I have brought mine to an awning place where they have done the binding and they had the machine to handle it.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Snap in carpet

Sounds like a better plan. Do you recall the cost of having this done?

 

[83Evinrude]

Re: Snap in carpet

You might want to make sure its worth all that work to you first. Get some large pieces of carpet to use in the boat while anchored and see if you really like it.

After many years of running a carpeted boat we bought one with snap out carpet. We boated one day with it in and one day with it out, its in the basement now for good.

We boat only in fresh water but the floors are cooler in the hot sun and its so much easier to clean. The boat looks nice with the carpet in, but if I bought a new one we wouldn't pay extra for snap in carpet. I also wouldn't buy a new boat if the carpet could not be removed.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Snap in carpet

I think we are pretty set on it, the non-skid deck is a pain to keep clean, if anyone has damp feet when they step on board they track prints all around the boat. I end up doing a full scrub on the boat everytime we are done with it and my hope is that carpet will cut that down to maybe every other trip.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Snap in carpet

for small binding jobs I think I paid about 1$/ft of binding.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: Snap in carpet

We have snap-in-out carpets in our Sea Ray. I like it unless we are rafting off and have a lot of kidlets getting in and out of the boat via the platform. Then it gets soaked and it's a real pain in the rear for me since it stays wet for a while, but then again I am from the school where "this is a boat, not a playground, so there's no getting in and out endless times...." Call me a curmudgeon, but it isn't a cheap boat and I usually get stuck cleaning up the messes.

Our carpet is from Sea Ray and has a thick rubber backing on it, much like the bathroom mats you can buy at the department stores. I still take it up and hang it out to dry, but I'm an anti-mildew fanatic. Most of the time I take them home, wash 'em in the washing machine and hang them on the fence to dry. Our marina is right down the street from us, so it's not that big of a deal.

One word of warning though- the snaps that screw into the deck are rather uncomfortable to step on barefooted.

 

[werthert]

Re: Snap in carpet

Agree snap in/out carpet is nice. Just adults on our boat and w/it I only clean every other trip instead of every trip.

 

[themaniam1]

Re: Snap in carpet

I love our snap in carpet. Just keep the snaps at the edge and not in the traffic areas so you don't step on them. You do not need that many to hold it in place. Ours is a light tanish color and it does not get hot and feel good on the toes.

 

[MTribe08]

Re: Snap in carpet

Have a read through this...this is one of the nicer restorations you will see. He took the original carpet out, layed down Durabek and installed snap in carpet. He details how he went about doing it, and where he had the stiching and snaps installed.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=292511&highlight=1999+bayliner

 

[cribber]

Re: Snap in carpet

We got our boat with snap in carpet but didn't have the snaps screwed into the deck. The rubber backing keeps it in place and I don't have to step on the snaps on the deck and have to worry about peeled wet toes. This also makes it easy laying the carpet down going out and pulling it up when buttoning up the boat after a day out.

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Snap in carpet

how about industrial strength velcro instead of snaps?