New to pontoon floor help

[win231]

Hi all just brought home a 20" bass buggy. The floor is soft and I want to replace flooring and carpet as a winter project. After reading different post and Internet searches I am more confused now then when I started my research. Lots of conflicting information on the web.Here's my latest plan, 3/4" Bcx plywood, top and edges sealed with ploy bottom unsealed as not to trap moisture in then topped with marine carpet glued with marine adhesive. I will use the pontoon 1 week a year at the resort we stay at in Wisconsin it would remain on the lake for that week. The rest of the time it will spend in the pole building only seeing water here in Iowa maybe 1 day a month during the summer. Do you think that combination will hold up for along time based on the usage pattern described or should I splurge on marine grade plywood at $40 more per sheet and use vinyl flooring at more then double the price of carpet. Based on my usage pattern would it makes the most since.

Thanks Don

 

[2 Eagles]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

If I was you I'd use marine grade plywood & carpet. The marine grade plywood will last avery long time & carpet is what most use.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

Marine grade plywood = 20 years. Other stuff is a gamble and it sure is a lot of time,work and expensive to change it out ever few years. Do not use pressure treated it eats aluminum.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

Marine grade plywood is the way to go. I replaced some plywood on the rear of my pontoon when I re-carpeted my boat 10 years ago, and regular exterior plywood didn't hold up. The rest of my plywood is 26 years old with no apparent problems.

When you put the carpet on the boat, be sure to use the proper adhesive, and use a heavy metal roller like used to roll out vinyl flooring--available at rental yards. If you don't roll the carpet, a bunch of wrinkles will pop up.

 

[5150abf]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

+4 on the marine ply, to change the deck on toon you need to disassemble the entire boat and that isn't something you want to do very often..

it would also be good idea to document the diassembly process since there will likely be a good span of time between taking it apart and getting it back together and another tip is to keep all the fasteners woth what they fastened, nothing like digging through can of screws to find a specific one.

rebuilding a boat is really cool, i redid my fishing boat from the keel up and it is very satifiying, no matter where you look you can say ''i did that''.

sorry no caps, broke my arm, not stupid

 

[luckyjr]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

I came up with a different material for my floor. I am very happy with the results. The main difference is it allows spray to go over the cross members. It weighs less than water logged marine plywood. It will last forever if maintained. It is solid and you have no twisting.
In my case, I have steel cross member so it worked. Pontoons now have aluminum cross members. Manufactures are missing the boat by not using this design formed out of aluminum.

 

[Slow Rider]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

Ever thought about using faux teak? we have it on our pontoon and love it. It is the first thing most people notice about it. We love it as it is not slick like vinyl, and you can easily rinse off any food, spills etc. Then, we often place a simple runner down the main walkway on those really hot days. the runner rolls up and can easily be washed (or pitched each year).

 

[old jim]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

win231, good stuff in 45colt.

 

[Water logged]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

Been using it in 45 Colt & 45ACP for over 20 yrs.

Glenn

 

[jigngrub]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

Use the BCX and seal both sides and all 4 edges. The underside of pontoon decks are exposed to more moisture and splashing water than other boats and need the bottom sealed to protect it. MDO plywood would actually be your best bet for your application... check it ou.

Don't use carpet, carpet absorbs and retains moisture. Use marine vinyl or a paint on type deck finish to shed water instead of absorbing it.

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

No carpet!!!

Carpet holds moisture and breeds mold. We are in the process of fittting our high end toon with vinyl flooring.

Carpet is OK for horizontal surfaces that can drain. NOT good for floors.

 

[RoughFishAssassins]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

To each his own, if the boat isnt seeing alot of water, and being stored inside, then why not. I used just cheap interior plywood, and coated the bottom of it with an outdoor oil based paint, and then carpeted it using a good exterior glue that forms a water proof barrier. My boat has been thru alot of water, being a bowfishing boat, it gets slimmed and bloodied alot, so we wash it alot, it sits outside under a carport and I have had no problems with it, the only bad spot in the floor is right where everybody jumps off the shooting platform, it is getting alittle soft there, but like I said, we fish alot, atleast once a weekend.

I say go for it and savee yourself a couple of bucks! It will last.

BTW the floor has seem 4 years of hell, probably more water across the carpet than most boats ever see.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

My decking plywood is 26 years old and still solid. I replaced the last 3' of my boat's plywood with exterior grade plywood, and it lasted about 5 years. There's no replacement for marine grade plywood. Just about every medium and large city has specialized building supply businesses specializing in plywood--in oversizes, for furniture and special purposes like marine grade. Lowes and Home Depot don't carry the stuff.

Many, many pontoon owners are ordering their boats with vinyl flooring--especially the fishing style pontoons. Marine vinyl has a grain, and is not at all slick. I've never seen anyone with vinyl flooring ever brag about marine carpet. Bennington has snap in marine carpet as an option, and people that spend the extra $1K seldom if ever even use the carpet.

Any vinyl floor or marine carpet requires special mastic (glue), and it always has to be installed with a heavy steel roller, available @ rental yards. Last time I installed marine carpet, it bubbled up because I didn't roll it down properly.

 

[jessp]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

I really really like the vinyl flooring for my pontoon.

 

[newcomlr]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

The most important decision is to keep your entire deck/boat covered. It kills me to see all the toons at our marina that sit uncovered all season. Ruins decking, carpet and vinyl.

 

[oldman570]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

Carpet is not the answer for a deck covering. Take a look at the Duro Coat deck paints with rubber granules in them for skid resitant finish. I have used it on several boats and am very happy with the results. It is not realy that costly, when compaired to carpet and glue cost, and can be touched up if needed easy. I use two coats when doing a deck and have one that was done over ten years ago and is still in great shape. It can be ordered in most colors and is a ploy type paint that is water repelant. I have it on a toon and 2 alluminum boat decks and have used them on every type of ruff service known to man. Check out the Duro Coat web for more info. JMO
Oldman570

 

[oldman570]

Re: New to pontoon floor help

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