boat carpet adhesive

Cptkid570

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Oct 18, 2005
Messages
964
Hi all..<br />I'm going to be putting new carpet into the interior of my boat. It has the marine backing on it. What adhesive should I use to glue it down? At Lowes they had an adhesive for carpet, but it said that it was more for putting carpet onto concrete. Will this stuff work? It's being glued onto fiberglass on my boat..
 

solidwaste

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jul 12, 2005
Messages
106
Re: boat carpet adhesive

I used liquid nails adhesive and it did pretty good..I bought my carpet from lowes as well..I would recomend if you use liquid nails put it on with chaulking gun then spend even with a trowel..I used caulking gun but did not spend it even and some spots of my carpet didnt stick good. But the carpet will not come up I think if I want to redo it Ill probably have to rip the carpet cause it definitly will not come up..And the glue youre talking about for concrete Ive used for flooring in house its more like a latex when its dry kinda rubbery..I dont know if itll stick to fiberglass..
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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70,465
Re: boat carpet adhesive

3M Super 77 is pretty much the Industry Standard spray adhesive for both Automotive,+ Marine Upholstry.......... ;)
 

Terry Olson

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Aug 20, 2005
Messages
415
Re: boat carpet adhesive

I just put carpet in my boat. I was at Lowes and looked at their indoor - outdoor carpet adhesive, but the label didn't include that it could or should be used for marine carpet. I stopped at Home Depot and the indoor - outdoor carpet adhesive they carry specifically says it's for carpets including marine. I bought carpet online (I'll make a separate post for that) and the vendor cautioned that liquid nails and some other carpet adhesives can deteriorate the backing. They of course sell the correct glue but were honest enough to admit that it's available locally and offered the caution about compatible adhesives.
 

KaGee

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Aug 14, 2004
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7,069
Re: boat carpet adhesive

What Bondo said... 3M can't be beat.
 

surlyjoe

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Nov 21, 2005
Messages
486
Re: boat carpet adhesive

3m super 77 is no where near as good as actual carpet cement, WeldWood doesn't allow positioning and liquid nails is a huge mess. IMO real carpet glue will make your finished product look better and last longer.<br /> the stuff at the Depot (Henry I think) ia rated for fiberglass and marine. I assume the Lowes stuff would be OK as well as long as it is for outdoor carpet
 

Ranger01

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May 31, 2005
Messages
106
Re: boat carpet adhesive

I'm a carpet installer and happen to know a couple things about glues for carpets, including boat as i did mine last summer. You can go to any carpet store (atleast here anyway) and ask them if they sell indoor-outdoor glues. Most will work, things you want to stay away from are water based glues (for obvious reasons) a lot of glues for carpets are turning to those water based becase its smell is less obnoxious and it's better for the environment. Unless the carpet is reall cheap, any good indoor/outdoor glue spread with the proper size trowel will work. It's going to be messy though. wear old cloths your not attached to, and knee pads.
 

Rockchalk

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Jan 10, 2005
Messages
82
Re: boat carpet adhesive

Rangers right... It is messy. Add gloves to list. I used those baggy plastic ones. Put 3 pair on. That way you can pull one off when it gets goobered up.
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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70,465
Re: boat carpet adhesive

wear old cloths your not attached to,
Ayuh,............<br /><br />'Cause you Surely Will Be, in the End............... :D
 

LubeDude

Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
6,945
Re: boat carpet adhesive

Ranger is right to a point.<br /><br />I have done three Bass boats. I have come to the conclusion that the best thing on the main area is a marine carpet glue that you spread with a trowel, but I use a regular contact adhesive on the corners and tight spots and places where the carpet wraps around lids and such as you need those areas to grip fast. Contact adhesives are waterproof.
 

glasply1

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Jan 20, 2006
Messages
171
Re: boat carpet adhesive

3m spray adhesive worked great on my cabin wall fabric. Be sure to have good air circulation when using it - gives one hell of a buzz in a hurry if used in closed area. Sprayed fabric and walls with the 3m which dried quickly for a very clean application. No mess. <br />I'm getting ready to carpet the floor (sole) but will probably use snaps to attach it. The floor gets really nasty from fish guts/blood etc. and needs to be taken out for a good wash and dry. I've never installed carpets with snaps before but it looks fairly easy. My concern is how to deal with the seams on the edges.
 

Haut Medoc

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 29, 2004
Messages
10,645
Re: boat carpet adhesive

The raw edges? Take them to a carpet place & have the edges bound....Don't know where you are, but D.A. Burns on Leary way in Seattle does that.....<br />Any indoor/outdoor adhesive will workon the main floor....<br />Stay away from latex based adhesives...<br />Contact cement for the wallls & wraps....JK
 

brownies

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 5, 2004
Messages
495
Re: boat carpet adhesive

Contact Cement/Glue. Gallon can and a dozen fairly stiff cheapy brushes.<br /> If the can says Contact Cement or Glue, and nothing about "marine carpet"...Thats the stuff.<br /><br /> OR, that would be what I would use/will use again and again. I'd use chewing gum before I'd use that stuff you spread with a trowel again.<br /> If ya need any of it, I've got several cans that customers gave me, after they gave up on it.
 

Boomyal

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 16, 2003
Messages
12,072
Re: boat carpet adhesive

You all are making it too complicated. Go down to your local auto upholstery shop, take a gallon jug, and have them sell you some of their bulk upholstery contact cement (about 15-20 $/gal). Take your $20 Binks knock off paint sprayer:<br /><br /> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43760 <br /><br />..fold your carpet and spray sections of the carpet and the floor as you lay the carpet off of your folds.<br /><br />It's the easiest thing you'll ever do. The spray gun lays the glue right where you want it with virtually no overspray and you won't even have to thin the glue. On the edges you'll want to tape some newspaper to keep it off of your side panels.<br /><br />You'll want to get some 'hot' reducer to clean the gun. Acetone just makes the residue ball up in the bottom of the spray gun.<br /><br />You won't even need no gloves!~ :p
 

glasply1

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
171
Re: boat carpet adhesive

Commander Haut: thanks for the suggestion of DA Burns for getting the carpet edges bound. That was the last thing holding up my carpeting job. I'll stop in there when I go to Jensen's in Greenwood for some more smoked fish and pepperoni. Thanks again.
 
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