Bunks with plastic on top

[jlh3rd]

Are the pine 2x4's bare or painted? How long are the staples you used to secure the carpet to the sides of the 2x4's? How far apart?
Fresh or salt water?

Thanks for helping me not reinvent the wheel.

I just re-did my pontoon trailer bunks using standard 2x6's. The top, sides and ends are covered..the bottoms are bare. I used T50, stainless steel, 3/8 and 5/16 size staples because thats what I had on hand. A hand stapler was followed by a hammer to further seat the staples......
I also did my best to snug and staple the carpet, end to end first, then stapled one side and snugged and stapled the other side....trimmed the excess.....I used plenty of staples....
I don't know if I did it correct or not.....give it a few years....

 

[jlh3rd]

oh...staples are maybe 2" apart,...fresh water...pine boards,unpainted

 

[HRG]

Fresh water only in my area, no paint just carpet on 3 sides, keep bottom open to allow water to drain out ( no carpet)...just plain ole 2x4's are cheap, not a big deal to change them every 7-8 years, mabey longer if they can dry out between uses. When I built my house, I used non treated lumber for the deck floor joists, the county inspector had a fit, was not goung to approve my deck unless I used treated lumber....bank said it was my house didnt need the inspector approval, so I let it go, recieved numerous letters stating my deck wouldnt last ten years....it has now been 23 years and going strong with non treated lumber !!! However all my landscaping timbers that were treated lumber have rotted out and replaced years ago.... Treated is not always a plus !!!

Thanks for your additional info.

 

[HRG]

I just re-did my pontoon trailer bunks using standard 2x6's. The top, sides and ends are covered..the bottoms are bare. I used T50, stainless steel, 3/8 and 5/16 size staples because thats what I had on hand. A hand stapler was followed by a hammer to further seat the staples......
I also did my best to snug and staple the carpet, end to end first, then stapled one side and snugged and stapled the other side....trimmed the excess.....I used plenty of staples....
I don't know if I did it correct or not.....give it a few years....

Thanks for sharing. I have a hand T50 stapler so your experience of using a hand stapler and further seating the staples with a hammer is very helpful. I read that monel staples are best for salt water, which is what our trailer will be going into.

 

[HRG]

oh...staples are maybe 2" apart,...fresh water...pine boards,unpainted

Will do the staples 2" apart and pine boards unpainted. Thanks.

 

[HRG]

duplicate post so deleted

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks for sharing. I have a hand T50 stapler so your experience of using a hand stapler and further seating the staples with a hammer is very helpful. I read that monel staples are best for salt water, which is what our trailer will be going into.

yes, Monel staples will last nearly forever in salt water

 

[Drcoffee]

oh...staples are maybe 2" apart,...fresh water...pine boards,unpainted

Spend a few bucks and get an electric stapler or air stapler. I used 1500 staples and that would have been tough with a manual staple gun. An air gun can be set so you dont have to hammer them in and break the staples too

 

[HRG]

Spend a few bucks and get an electric stapler or air stapler. I used 1500 staples and that would have been tough with a manual staple gun. An air gun can be set so you dont have to hammer them in and break the staples too

Wow, 1500 staples, that's a lot of staples. I've seen that staples can come in 1000 per box and I thought that was excessive.

Per my quick calculation just now, for one 8 foot bunk, with staples 2" apart, 96 staples are needed to staple the two sides and maybe 16 staples for both ends. That would be about 112 staples per bunk. For two bunks, I would need about 224 staples.

Buying a pneumatic staple gun will probably still be worth it to shoot 224 staples. I do already have an air compressor.

 

[Drcoffee]

Two 10’ bunks and two 6’ bunks on a single axle trailer. It might be excessive, LOL. But when you have a pneumatic stapler, it gets fun. And they were about 1/2” apart. when you consider the amount of friction there will be between the boat and bunk, you will wish you hadnt gone cheap on the staples when the carpet comes off.

 

[HRG]

Two 10’ bunks and two 6’ bunks on a single axle trailer. It might be excessive, LOL. But when you have a pneumatic stapler, it gets fun. And they were about 1/2” apart. when you consider the amount of friction there will be between the boat and bunk, you will wish you hadnt gone cheap on the staples when the carpet comes off.

Staples 1/2" apart? Sounds like I should staple the carpet at least 1" apart.

 

[HRG]

Oh, oh. Hit some snags.

SNAG-1: Per online search, 2x6x8' untreated lumber is not available at Home Depot or Lowes in my area. So it looks like I will have to use pressure treated lumber.

SNAG-2: Learned that monel staples should not be used in pressure treated lumber. So looks like monel staples are out.

SNAG-3: Apparently common stainless steel staples are labeled "Not for marine use". Believe they are 304 stainless steel staples.

Anyone know where to buy 1/2" long, T50 size, 316 stainless steel staples?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Oh, oh. Hit some snags.

SNAG-1: Per online search, 2x6x8' untreated lumber is not available at Home Depot or Lowes in my area. So it looks like I will have to use pressure treated lumber.

SNAG-2: Learned that monel staples should not be used in pressure treated lumber. So looks like monel staples are out.

SNAG-3: Apparently common stainless steel staples are labeled "Not for marine use". Believe they are 304 stainless steel staples.

Anyone know where to buy 1/2" long, T50 size, 316 stainless steel staples?

if you have an aluminum boat do not use treated lumber.

they do not make 316 staples. they would be too soft to go into wood.

lowes and home depot sell 2x6 framing wood in every store. available 6 foot, 6 foot, 10 foot, etc. and if you are from the midwest, there is also Menards and Fleet Farm to get lumber along with a true lumber yard in every major town.

 

[Drcoffee]

Marine grade staples. Ebay. I think I saw these at home depot as well.

 

[ahicks]

Here's another twist. I've read using carpet on bunks used in salt water will hold salt water, accelerating corrosion when used under alum. boats......

Question in my mind becomes which is worse, carpet, or plastic? There doesn't seem to be a real good answer when it comes to alum. boats....

Further, how would any of the treatment chemicals is treated wood reach a hull when the wood is covered with a layer of plastic?

 

[jhande]

Oh, oh. Hit some snags.

SNAG-1: Per online search, 2x6x8' untreated lumber is not available at Home Depot or Lowes in my area. So it looks like I will have to use pressure treated lumber.

I would call the stores, a regular 2x6x8 is a standard and popular item. There computers are not always accurate or they maybe getting a delayed shipment.

 

[HRG]

if you have an aluminum boat do not use treated lumber.

they do not make 316 staples. they would be too soft to go into wood.

lowes and home depot sell 2x6 framing wood in every store. available 6 foot, 6 foot, 10 foot, etc. and if you are from the midwest, there is also Menards and Fleet Farm to get lumber along with a true lumber yard in every major town.

My boat is a self-built plywood, fiberglassed on the outside of the hull and painted. I'll personally visit HD and Lowes and ask for 2x6x8' untreated and see what happens. No Menards or Fleet Farm stores in our area. Thanks.

 

[HRG]

Here's another twist. I've read using carpet on bunks used in salt water will hold salt water, accelerating corrosion when used under alum. boats......

Question in my mind becomes which is worse, carpet, or plastic? There doesn't seem to be a real good answer when it comes to alum. boats....

Further, how would any of the treatment chemicals is treated wood reach a hull when the wood is covered with a layer of plastic?

My boat is a self-built plywood, fiberglassed on the outside of the hull and painted. Galvanized trailer. Thanks.

 

[HRG]

I would call the stores, a regular 2x6x8 is a standard and popular item. There computers are not always accurate or they maybe getting a delayed shipment.

I'll personally visit HD and Lowes and ask for 2x6x8' untreated and see what happens. Thanks.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I'll personally visit HD and Lowes and ask for 2x6x8' untreated and see what happens. Thanks.

ask for a 2x6 stud