Recarpeting Boat Floor

[Rookster]

Hey Folks,

New to boating and this great forum, and wondering if anyone has advice on how to go about recarpeting my boat floor. I can buy the marine grade carpet at a good price, but installation is quite costly...unless I hire a marine-inclined handyman to come do it in my driveway - but such a fellow may cut corners.

Floor is solid marine-grade XL plywood My questions are around technique.

In my mind, it would be great to have a liner of some sort (similar to roofing liner??) on top of the plywood in order to stop it from getting wet when the carpet gets wet?

Or, perhaps lightly sand and coat the ply with some kind of marine-grade sealer?

But I've been told not to do that, since water will always get between the liner and the plywood, if even through condensation, and that marine grade carpet allows the water through to the wood but allows it to breath so that it also dries properly and doesn't get trapped under a liner?

And then again, I've heard that the glue that is used to install the carpet on the top of the plywood will act also as a sealer and protect the plywood?

Also - can how do I even pull up the old carpet without wrecking the plywood that it is glued to?

Finally, there is a hatch that leads to the gas tank which means there is a seam in the carpet - how is water prevented from getting through that seam...and similarly, if I want to only replace the carpet on the flat floor and not going up the sides, how do I effectively seal off those seams?

There in all of the above, is my dazed and confused state.

Arrow in the picture below points to the seam in the carpet where the plywood floor also has a seam, allowing access to the gas tank underneath.

Any takers for offering advice?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kdreese89]

If you really want to seal everything that we'll find a resin that works with your adhesive. Coat all the wood after prepping the deck and lay the adhesive and carpet after the resin cures and probably sanded.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I'm curious as to why the plywood floor isn't already encapsulated in fiberglass and resin. Was the floor replaced recently? I would definitely put down a coat of polyester resin to seal, then fiberglass using two layers of 1.5 oz of CSM. After perfectly dry of course.

 

[Rookster]

Sounds like a good possibility - as long the resin holds up and doesn't crack or break down underneath.

 

[ondarvr]

What type of boat are we talking about?

 

[Rookster]

I'm curious as to why the plywood floor isn't already encapsulated in fiberglass and resin. Was the floor replaced recently? I would definitely put down a coat of polyester resin to seal, then fiberglass using two layers of 1.5 oz of CSM. After perfectly dry of course.

The boat is a year 2000, and was not FB encapsulated at the time...don't think glue-down carpeted floors were, and some still are not, only ones that have removable carpet are, I thought.

 

[Rookster]

What type of boat are we talking about?

The boat is a year 2000, Crownline 180 BR (Bowrider).

 

[JASinIL2006]

I absolutely would fiberglass the floor. Better if the wood was encapsulated before installation, but certainly you want glass on top.

 

[ezmobee]

Just make sure to keep in mind the polyester resin MUST be used with glass. Epoxy resin not absolutely necessary.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Sounds like a good possibility - as long the resin holds up and doesn't crack or break down underneath.

This is really the only good way of water proofing your deck in my opinion. The fact that there is a gap in the deck that was just carpeted over is suspect to me. That is part of the reason I was thinking this boat has had some work done at some point. I don't see the manufacturer leaving a gap like this in the decking. If I owned the boat I would be wondering how much water intrusion has already occurred. :noidea:

 

[Rookster]

Baylinerchuck - I agree...that floor seam was a concern to me as well, but the dealer assured me that the underneath is solid. And I have a warranty. But most importantly, the picture I posted of that gap/carpet seam in the floor is not of my boat...just one exactly like it. Every similar Crownie of that approximate type and vintage, that I've seen online, has that characteristic in the floor/carpet. So for where've reason - it does seem to be according to manufacturer design.

 

[Woodonglass]

Depending on the type of Carpet glue used, it will have somewhat of a "Sealing' affect on the plywood substrate. However, IMHO, it is NOT enuf to call it good. I always recommend sealing the deck wood with either Poly and Glass or Epoxy. All marine carpet glues will adhere well to either one. As long as there are NO breaches to the surface of the wood the deck will last indefinetly.

 

[Rookster]

Worth a try for sure!

 

[Woodonglass]

Also Forum Rules and guidelines suggest that you keep all topics concerning your restoration project in one Thread.

 

[Rookster]

Apologies for that Woodonglass - still learning the ropes. Thought the topics had to be separated. So...if I have various items concerning the same boat, it's considered a restoration project and should all be on that same thread? I didn't realize it was considered a restoration project. More like "clean-up". Anyway, thanks and will do going forward.

 

[jbcurt00]

See my comments in you 3.0 to 4.3 topic.....

It must have been posted for sale somewhere, if you dont have pix from when you went to look at it, post a link to its ad.

Note the title of that forum, restoration is only 1 of the 3 listed subjects.
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat-repair-and-restoration/boat-restoration-building-and-hull-repair

Hull repair is what covers your chipped gelcoat topic. Glassing in the deck is sort of a repair as you'll be glassing.

 

[Rookster]

Ok sounds good - thought I posted Hull Repair in the right spot...glassing the floor was not my initial topic, it just evolved that way from a recarpeting post. Thanks for being patient. I'll refrain from adding anymore new topics or threads for a while until I get a better feel for forum rules. Cheers!

 

[jbcurt00]

Not the forum rules, per se

Trying to figure out the best way to get you the most (best) help we can.

Research before buying a boat is great. Lots of topics w some, little or no info about the boat you're asking about, and seemingly different info depending on what topic or subject gets confusing


If YOU want seperate topics, you can start as many different subject topics as you'd like. But it gets more difficult for members to help when incomplete info is given. I doubt you are trying not to provide as mich info as you can, this is just a new outlet for you to asl questions. You may not even know which questions to ask yet or why you should ask them.

If you had posted a

2001 Maxum 1800SR 3.0L topic

in the Resto forum w pix you could ask about a 3.0 to 4.3L and members would suggest you start a motor topic over in the correct I/O forum to ask about the MOTORS and I/O specifically, but the fab and glass work about that swap would be in the Resto topic. Same for the gelcoat and carpet discussion. Resto forum.

But because you apparently havent fully committed (ie paid for) yet, again research pre-pre-purchase is great, a lot of the topics so far could all be in 1 topic as a pre-purchase discussion. If you lokk thru your topics, it looks like a lot of the same members are posting to more then 1 of them.

All in 1 pre-purchase, IMO, would be helpful to you, and get the most (best?) help from the all the members.

When donyou expect to ne dragging the new to you boat home. You've agreed to buy it, correct?

What is it?

 

[Rookster]

Makes total sense - yup, all true statements and could have/would have been better off having almost if not everything I've posted under a single pre-purchase thread.

Boat is a 2000, 3.0 Crownline 18ft Bowrider.

Thanks for the guidance!

 

[jbcurt00]

Hmmmm

Did you say the Crownline's deck (floor) WAS tabbed to the hull just not fully glassed prior to glue and carpet?

I'm surprise, I'd have thought a 2000 Crownline would have had a glassed in deck. Tabs and plywood seams at a minimum, but as more then a base model, among other base models, it seems more well made then some, even w out snap in, I'd expect a fully glassed deck.