Pontoon Boat Deck Question

[jeep187]

My Pontoon Boat has a factory Vinyl Floor. Is it normal to see the seems where they peice the Plywood through the Vinyl? The Vinyl is not cracked or sepperating at the seems you can just tell where they are.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

That depends entirely on high tightly the plywood panels were joined when the boat was built. As the boat ages the plywood will shrink a bit so I would expect the joints would tend to show.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

My guess is that it is normal to see the seems.

 

[jeep187]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

Thanks for the imput guys

 

[cc350]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

My guess on the seams showing would be, water is absorbing into plywood and swelling at the seam causing the distortion of the vinyl/coated decking surface. I'd pull the pontoon and allow to dry then apply a water proofing. Also consider sheeting the under-body with sheet aluminum to stop water saturation from your wake. This also will give you more mph and better fuel usage. a +++


Just a opinion

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

My guess on the seams showing would be, water is absorbing into plywood and swelling at the seam causing the distortion of the vinyl/coated decking surface. I'd pull the pontoon and allow to dry then apply a water proofing. Also consider sheeting the under-body with sheet aluminum to stop water saturation from your wake. This also will give you more mph and better fuel usage. a +++


Just a opinion

You can't waterproof the top of the deck without removing and distroying all of the vinyl surface. And you never waterproof the bottom of a deck.

 

[cc350]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

Yes you can waterproof the underside of the plywood. The surface is already covered with sheet vinyl. There are many products out today for doing this with marine plywood. Aqua tech has done this for years and sold many products to do it,penetrating to lite mixed epoxies.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

Never a good idea to seal up the bottom side of the plywood and is also unnecessary. It needs to be able to breath and shed any moisture that permeates it. Otherwise it will hold the moisture and rot in short order. Now it you seal the entire sheet, with epoxy for example, then that would be fine..

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

Never a good idea to seal up the bottom side of the plywood and is also unnecessary. It needs to be able to breath and shed any moisture that permeates it. Otherwise it will hold the moisture and rot in short order. Now it you seal the entire sheet, with epoxy for example, then that would be fine..

Rickdb1boat's response was much better than mine and very accurate.

 

[NCLakeboater]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

If a pontoon has the underdeck aluminum wave shield does that prevent the underside of the wood decking to breath, assuming some moisture reaches the plywood?

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Pontoon Boat Deck Question

An aluminum shield would not be air tight so it should not present a problem. Maybe a better word for breath might be drain. The real bottom line is that when moisture is in the wood, it must be able to drain out the bottom. The more free air flow, the easier for the moisture to exit the deck.