Need help on replacing floor Please

[Domb1972]

Hello everyone

I was hoping yall could help me out I just purchased a 16' Glastron its a 1975 model with a johnson 70 hp anyway everything looked to be in great condition when I bought it 2 weeks ago, however when I went to pull the old carpet out I found a few weak spots in the floor and at the rear a small hole in the floor.

I do not want to rip it out not afraid of the hard work just never done it and not to good with faberglass work.

So I was going to go to my local home depot and purchase some 1/2 plywood sheets and stain em then I was just gonna lay it over the top of the exsisting floor then recarpet to give it that new plush look is this ok to do? any advice would be great I have included pics

Thanks in advance for the help

Dom

 

[JB]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

Ahoy, Dom.

Welcome to iboats.

Lesson one: Boat people call that a deck.

Lesson two: You have rot. Rot is like cancer. You can't fix it by covering it up. It must be removed or it will infect and destroy the rest of the boat.

Lesson three: There are many guys here who have been guided through their first experience with deck replacement by other guys here and gotten excellent results. It is not brain surgery.

Hang in there.

 

[bucchb]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

Wow, I just bought a 1976 Glasstron 176. The real attraction to this boat was the fact that someone had completely redone the floor. When they did that, they built in Seat Boxes and mounted fish mounts allowing the boat to switch from a runabout to a fishing boat without all the clutter of "back to back" seats in the way.

1ST your really want to use 1/2" pressure treated minimum. Regular ply will deteriorate in a couple of years. Second you need to make sure you have enough floor that IS SOLID. Then screw the **** out of it. Even with your bes efforts, the floor will fall apart in 3 - 4 years. If you use regular screws they will deteriorate, the banging will loosen the wood arond the screws, etc.

Remember that the floor is Structural to the boat. A weak floor will allow the boat to twist.

Fiberglassing the floor is not more difficult, but it is more expensive. You would need a gallon of the cement and a few yards of fiberglass material.
HOWEVER, I painted the floor with a polyurethane Deck Stain, the matched the color of the boat. Cleaning is just a matter of hosing her down.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

this will help http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=233970

 

[salty87]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

welcome to iboats, home of the rotten deck it seems.

it all depends on what you want to get out of it. you could slap another sheet of ply on it and not have to deal with it for a few years. it will definitely be a total rebuild at that time, it might be now too. it might not make a few years before it starts getting too soft for safety.

you wouldn't be the first to do it that way but new plywood and carpet over soggy rot isn't going to last very long. have you inspected the transom?

 

[guy74]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

That looks like a Glastron V156. Mine was alot worse than that when I got it, but just like yours the floor was ok futher forward. I wish I had taken pictures of mine while I worked on it. I was able to replace the rear section of floor, and replace the rear parts of the stringers without removing the cap (the upper part of the hull from the rubrail up). My transom was still solid and sealed, so I just grafted the new stringers into good part at the front. My deviding line is about at the rear of where the seats were fastened (about where you put the word solid). I had A friend who works with fiberglass everyday help me with that part, so I really don't have good advice for that part. Someone like Oops would have better answers for you. Mine turned out great, solid and secure. We been using it hard for 3 years now with no problems.
Good luck,
Brian

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

Hi there Domb1972, and welcome . I got a glastron 1976 t166 sportster last spring , used it for the summer , the guys i got mine from just slaped some plywood on my deck also , this fall i started to tear mine apart , man when i took off the plywood he slaped on , I could pull the deck out in a million peices it was so rotten and I am just strating to replace the stringers ..
Now on yours its eather now or later , mine was a lot worice by the looks of you pics , but I will bet your stringer are rotten , found this out after i got in to mine and talked to a few others on here , glastron didnt fully glass there stringers , and there wasnt drainage to the back of the boat , and dont get me started on the foam !!!! lol what i am trying to say is that , you might be safe this summer and maybe next but I wouldnt push my luck ,
And dont be afraid of the glass its really not that hard and this is the place for all the answers , there are a bunch of really great guys , they really know there stuff , and they know there boats also !!! hahaha Ohh if you want check out my link right below , I just loaded a bunch of pic in it of what i have done so far !!! Ok keeps us posted on what your doing and safe boating !!! John

 

[Domb1972]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

WOW! Thanks Yall !

I apprecieate the warm welcomes and the great advice. I also uploaded a few more pics it is a 156 its in great condition well besides the floor.

I plan on using it to fish the California Delta with the wife and kids this summer/fall dont plan on keeping the boat much more then a couple of summers. I also plan on making a removable platform deck up front with a pedistal seat.

As for the floor here is the plan

LET THE BOAT DRY OUT

2 sheets pressure treated plywood

liquid nails

2 boxes of 1 1/2" wood screws

water proofer/stain

Cut to fit, Liquid nail the back sides and press down to old floor and then unload about 2 boxes of screws. I will then carpet and presto done, sounds simple enough gonna let the boat air dry for the next 3 days gonna buy the wood Friday night cut and stain it. Get up Saturday morning and install and carpet hope to have it complete by Saturday night.

I have some good back to back lounge seats I am also ging to install, the guy
before me mounted pedistal seats he lag bolted square sheet of steel to stringers then mounted the pedistals to the metal it was pretty solid so this leads me to belive my stringers are not that bad.

Then Sunday I will lay my deck out with paper and cut out the front deck and treat, carpet and install the pedistal bass going to use 3/4" plywood for the deck it will lay right on top of the coushing seats.

And there ya go a REDNECK BASS BOAT. LOL

I will keep yall posted and post pics over the week end

Thanks again Yall
Dom

 

[tylerr83]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

If the floor is rotten, make sure that the stringers are solid before putting in a new deck...

 

[mrmushroomman]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

I had to replace the floor in my 1984 Sportcraft that i sold. It had weak spots in the floor when i bought it. You can use pressure treated wood but, you can buy marine grade plywood which is about $50.00 a sheet for 1/2 inch. It is prssure treated but is also for marine grade applications. I bought mine at Lowe's. I then bought the best grade marine carpet there also. I would recommend doing this job right the first time because it is a job and you don't want to spend the money for carpet and then have to pull it up because you didn't lay the floor right. I spent around $300.00 total and my floor lasted for 4 years untill i sold it and was still in great shape. If you leave the boat parked outside and not in a covered garage than the floor will absorb the water faster over the years and if you plan to have the boat for a long time you will do this all over again if the boat is not properly covered when it rains.

 

[Domb1972]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

Got the floor cut and installed I used Thompsons water sealer to water proof the wood. Just waiting on it to dry so I can install the new marine carpet
Then I am tackling the front I plan on adding a deck, the way this boat is laid out the deck will sit perfectly flush a couple hatches on both side to access the storage compartments will work great

Then I am installing a 100 qt cooler at the back with the igloo marine extreme seat cusion and presto a live well and extra seating. Who needs to spend 40 g's on a bass boat by them time this project is complete I will be into it about 1500.00 bucks (yea got a killer deal on the boat and the 70 hp Johnson runs excellent) and it will serve all aspects of a bass boat

Will post more pics as I progress the Water sealer should be dry by tomorrow morning thats when were doing the carpet and deck.

Tight Lines Dom

 

[Coors]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

WOW! Thanks Yall !

I apprecieate the warm welcomes and the great advice. I also uploaded a few more pics it is a 156 its in great condition well besides the floor.

I plan on using it to fish the California Delta with the wife and kids this summer/fall dont plan on keeping the boat much more then a couple of summers. I also plan on making a removable platform deck up front with a pedistal seat.

As for the floor here is the plan

LET THE BOAT DRY OUT

2 sheets pressure treated plywood

liquid nails

2 boxes of 1 1/2" wood screws

water proofer/stain

Cut to fit, Liquid nail the back sides and press down to old floor and then unload about 2 boxes of screws. I will then carpet and presto done, sounds simple enough gonna let the boat air dry for the next 3 days gonna buy the wood Friday night cut and stain it. Get up Saturday morning and install and carpet hope to have it complete by Saturday night.

I have some good back to back lounge seats I am also ging to install, the guy
before me mounted pedistal seats he lag bolted square sheet of steel to stringers then mounted the pedistals to the metal it was pretty solid so this leads me to belive my stringers are not that bad.

Then Sunday I will lay my deck out with paper and cut out the front deck and treat, carpet and install the pedistal bass going to use 3/4" plywood for the deck it will lay right on top of the coushing seats.

And there ya go a REDNECK BASS BOAT. LOL

I will keep yall posted and post pics over the week end

Thanks again Yall
Dom

It ain't gonna last- just more weight.

 

[Coors]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

Thompsons won't even last on your patio deck.

 

[Domb1972]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

It ain't gonna last- just more weight.

Only plan on using the boat this year gonna buy a bad ***** bass boat this December/January 2009 only had limited funds saved so I could have bought a 80's model ranger ran across this deal swooped on it still got 6 g's in the boat fund and by years end will have double that saved then I will sell this boat in the spring of 09 to recoop my investment. Hey Im married with 2 kids got get my hussle on. lookin at a 2000 or newer Champion. So if it will last a year or 2 then cool.

Thanks
Dom

 

[Domb1972]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

Thompsons won't even last on your patio deck.

aye aye captain, ill get back to you in November with pics

 

[oops!]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

good luck my friend...happy boating.!


im sure your gonna have a ball this summer

cheers
oops

 

[Robj]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

Your repair is a band-aid at best. At least do not put carpet onto that deck and use vinyl, something that will not hold water. I used Water-seal on my boat, but to seal the wood before putting on the upholstery. The best way to seal it is with epoxy and polyester resin is second.

Happy boating,

Rob.

 

[deputy00791]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

Hi Domb1972,

Welcome to iboats. I recently replace the stringers. deck and transom on my 1983 runabout. After reading several threads on here. I have learned not to use pressure treated. I used regular outdoor ply that I coated with epoxy. Some epoxies will not adhere properly to pressure treated. Once all coverd with 3 coats of epoxy I then put the carpet in place. Now I have nothing to worry about. I agree with Coors that you will just be adding more weight if you throw more ply on top of what you have now.

 

[Domb1972]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

I got the boat all carpeted and installed a bilge pump had to cut thru hull to put the fitting in that was a B#$%^ seeing how these older boats have foam in em.

I also installed new lights and rewired the whole boat, I did away with the old single switch and wired in new lighted flip switches. I have the running lights hooked to one and the bilge hooked to the other I also install two new BRIGHT interior lights and they come switched so I hard wire them and my fish finder.

I am running a group 27 for all acc. and a group 24 for my cranking battery I made a custome battery tray it fits in the drivers side rear corner and will put a 12 gal tank on the other side to off-set some of the weight.

Up front the deck will recplace the two seats which had storage under them
got my hatches coming for the new front casting deck should be here tomorrow so should have it done by next week-end gonna make another custome battery tray and mount the trolling battery under the deck again off-setting some of the wieght. I figuer I have added about 75lbs with everything from the wood to the zip ties.

Still got to mount the seats I got some good used back to back white seats and used the vinyl paint to change the color of the interior to grey looks Great! got the one set of seats done still got to do the other.

I am replacing just about every thing she should be ready by end of March
The 70 hp Jhonson runs fine but gonna take it to my machanic and have the impellor,plugs,etc... all replaced, makes for a real bad day when ya break down on the water. Here are some updated pics of the project

Well tell me what yall think alot of hard work has gone into this old glastron. Still need to clean up and wax the inside .

Thanks Dom

 

[beauff]

Re: Need help on replacing floor Please

looks like you did a nice job but once that deck gets some water on it you are in for a very slow ride. That old deck is going to hold a lot of water.