1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

[speed_demon]

I'm looking to replace the floor in my Wooldridge Alaskan and I'm curious if I can get away with 1/8" aluminum diamond plate. It came with 1/2" plywood and has longitudinal support with 14" separation. If it were just a question of money I'd go with 3/16" but it's going to add 49lbs (104 vs 153 total).

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

14" centers?.....Guess it would depend on a couple things. Grade of aluminum and the weight it's expected to support/sq ft or sq in. 1/8 is pretty tough stuff but if you are talking about a 300# passenger with high heals....could be a problem.

 

[pootnic]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

Factory aluminum boats(jons) don't even use 1/8"(.125),think most are .062.
The .062 are normally stiffened up abit,with the use of foam as well.
I think 1/8' would be plenty thick with 14" centers...IMO

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

Wet diamond plate will be very slippery unless painted with anti-slip

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

Good point, crabby. I was focusing on the strength issue but you are correct about the slip factor. There are lots of commercial products available that will span the 14", resist moisture and still provide traction.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

Save yourself a lot of money and use MDO plywood sealed with epoxy resin instead. You can deck your whole boat for less than the cost of one sheet of the aluminum and it'll last longer than you're going to live.

 

[IllesheimVet]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

Don't know much about summers where you are, but down South using that for flooring would turn your boat into a large frying pan.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

I've put aluminum DP floors in several boats, so lets get rid of some of the misconceptions. It is not slippery, the traction is very good, and nothing is needed over it. It does not turn into a frying pan in the sun, it will get warm, but will be much cooler than dark gel coat. The glare when new can be a hassle, but it will soon lose its gloss and isn't a problem anymore.

1/8" works well, extra support is needed and it depends a bit on the design how close the spacing needs to be. Velcro works very well to hold it in place, get the long rolls of industrial stuff, no rattles, no screws or rivets backing out or breaking, and it can be pulled up easily.
I put one in a 20’ Alumaweld sled, so it will work the same in the Wooldridge.

 

[IllesheimVet]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

I've put aluminum DP floors in several boats, so lets get rid of some of the misconceptions. It is not slippery, the traction is very good, and nothing is needed over it. It does not turn into a frying pan in the sun, it will get warm, but will be much cooler than dark gel coat. The glare when new can be a hassle, but it will soon lose its gloss and isn't a problem anymore.

1/8th" works well, extra support is needed and it depends a bit on the design how close the spacing needs to be. Velcro works very well to hold it in place, get the long rolls of industrial stuff, no rattles, no screws or rivets backing out or breaking, and it can be pulled up easily.
I put one in a 20? Alumaweld sled, so it will work the same in the Wooldridge.

Must be a big difference between summers in Wa. and summers in Ga. Down here, concrete docks get too hot to walk on barefoot, I can't imagine walking on an aluminum deck in a boat. JMO..

 

[ShowMeGuy]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

I've put .125 diamond plate in my cheiftain. I added a few more supports on every other rib from the stringer but once it was riveted down it was solid. I will be ending up painting it a light color though....

 

[ondarvr]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

Wooldridge boats aren't designed for lounging in the sun, they are purpose built fishing boats, most use outboard jets, and we don't often fish barefoot.

While much of the year the weather is cool while we're fishing, the warmest I've been out in here is 113F, not fun. If this was a Family ski boat DP probably wouldn't be the best product, but for what we do here it works very well.

This is another one of those topics where people evaluate the value or function of how a boat is setup according to how they use their own boat in their part of the country, not on how the OP is going to use the boat on his local waters. What seems odd and out of place in one region can be an ideal setup in another.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

I've put .125 diamond plate in my cheiftain. I added a few more supports on every other rib from the stringer but once it was riveted down it was solid. I will be ending up painting it a light color though....

Why will you be painting it?

 

[ShowMeGuy]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

Why will you be painting it?

I'll be painting it merely to keep it the same color as the rest of the inside gunwales and such along with reducing it's glare.. Going aluminum as it's going to be used for family/fishing trips and almost always out on the Mississippi River and I like easy cleanup.... and no worry of rot. It was a little more money for sure though....

 

[gm280]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

I too thought about using diamond plate on the outside foot runners by the fenders (in front and behind the fenders) for my trailer. However, I know for a fact that once that diamond plate gets even a little water on it, you will have to be very careful to not slip while leaning over into the boat. And I have slipped before doing just that and luckily not crushed my knee caps... I’ll just use some marine carpet over plywood sealed with fiberglass and resin... JMHO! :watermelon:

 

[mrdancer]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

Must be a big difference between summers in Wa. and summers in Ga. Down here, concrete docks get too hot to walk on barefoot, I can't imagine walking on an aluminum deck in a boat. JMO..

I run an aluminum boat in the hot summer sun, but I had the interior painted white with some sand thrown in. It stays cool on hot sunny days. The white I used has an aqua tint to it, so it isn't blinding in the sun.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: 1/8" or 3/16" Aluminum Diamond Plate Floors?

I too thought about using diamond plate on the outside foot runners by the fenders (in front and behind the fenders) for my trailer. However, I know for a fact that once that diamond plate gets even a little water on it, you will have to be very careful to not slip while leaning over into the boat. And I have slipped before doing just that and luckily not crushed my knee caps... I?ll just use some marine carpet over plywood sealed with fiberglass and resin... JMHO! :watermelon:

Some new DP has a polished finish to make it look nice, this finish can be slick when new, when used as a walking surface the problem goes away quickly, it's the same with the gloss (glare). There are also other types of finishes applied to DP that can make it a terrible product.