Re: 1972 Signa Echo-teardown and rebuild
My "personal" boat carpeting recommendation is don't install boat carpet unless gel coating the floor would look bad or awkward.
If I had a 1995 to 1999 boat that had old carpet, I'd gel coat the floor in a heartbeat and order what minimum amount of carpet needed to fix areas that still require carpet.
My "official" boat carpeting recommendation is make sure your work is 70% preparation, 30% perspiration.
Preparation:
Remove all panels or sections that can be removed that will obstruct laying carpet.
Save the old carpet if possible when removing, at least long enough to get a rough estimate on the carpet square footage needed when you order new carpet.
Carpeting surface must be clean enough of debris and carpet for proper adhesion. Dirt and residual chemicals (oil, gas) need to be fully removed off the surface to carpet, getting about 80% to 85% of carpet glue removed is sufficient.
Triple check the amount of carpet square footage needed, and always order 10% more than what you estimate.
Triple check the color shown in the magazine with an actual carpet sample. Carpet orders are usually "No returns" allowed, so make dead certain its the right color and you order the right color.
Have PLENTY of clean room available for you to lay out, measure, and cut carpet available.
Depending on the complexity of the carpeting and size of the boat, it could only take 7 hours (1 person) or up to 30 (1 person, complex cuts).
Buy PLENTY of carpet cutting blades, and regularly change these anytime you suspect or feel the carpet not cutting correctly. Dull blades = big headaches.
Perspiration:
Schedule a full day to devote to the bulk of the carpeting work. This will be the main long carpet run from the stern to at least the main consoles, if not farther.
Complex cutting patterns, especially large complex carpet piece cuts should first be practiced and fitted on painter's drop cloth or something similar. So if you get it right on the template, you're not guessing with $50 to $70 worth of carpet when cutting it. If you've saved your old carpet patterns, you've probably saved 80% to 90% of guesswork.
Triple check the mental game plan, triple check the measurements, then give about two inches extra on all sides when cutting a specific sized piece. You can always trim more away if you cut it too larger, but if you cut way too short, you might be royally screwed.
Place the rough cut piece, dry fit it on the area, make sure that piece is covering all it should, start gluing it down with a notched trowel with marine/outdoor carpet glue, going from stern to bow direction while keeping the piece of carpet in position.
Make sure to glue the edges or areas of any piece of carpet last IF where you might have to cut carpet that is already glued down. If you cut through carpet glue, you can potentially pull big globs of glue up on your carpet and make your seams look bad.
When its all said and done finished, make certain it stays dry a minimum of 24 hours in 60 degree or higher temperature after completing the carpet gluing.
If I think of anything else, I'll probably edit this post.
well been busy this weekend got everything wired in, except guages . everything is coming to gether nice. One more weekend of finishing touches then the carpet and shell be ready to hit the water!!
