Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

[Mark42]

The two most popular deck vinyl's seem to be Nautolex and Marideck. Nautolex is about $7 more than Marideck, but is actually a lighter product per square yard (24.3 oz vs 30 oz). (Although I'm not 100% sure the Marideck spec is per square yard like the Nautolex spec.)

I remember Boomyal used Nautolex on his boat and was very happy. I was wondering if anyone has used the Marideck product and how it compares.

The boat doesn't have a large area to cover, so $12/yd for Marideck vs $19 for Nautolex is not a big factor.

Marideck:
http://www.marideck.net/

Nautolex:
http://omnova.com/products/marineOEMUpholstery/marineflooring.aspx

 

[gcboat]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

I'm thinking for that small of a difference in price I'd go with the Nautolex myself. At least it is a definate brand name that has been out for awhile.
You going to glue this down or install some snap fasteners?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

You would think that Nautolex is the better produce, but Mairdeck is made by Deckrite who has been making outdoor patio and wood deck vinyl flooring for many years. Their outdoor vinyl for pattio floors is 40oz a sq yard!

Marideck is mailing me some samples. I need to get a hold of a Nautolex retailer to get some samples. I especially like the Deco Dot pattern.

 

[oops!]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

gellcoat that puppie

 

[gcboat]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

Hey Mark,

Here's a link to a company that I've dealt with a couple of times. Fair enough folks - . http://www.garysupholstery.com/boltaflex.html?source=google
Thanks for the heads up on the Marideck -

 

[Mark42]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

gellcoat that puppie

I'm thinking of covering the hard top with deco dot. Whaddya think?

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

I'm using Marideck in my project and really like it,,, well at least I think it's Marideck. The Ebay seller didn't say which product it is, but I'm pretty sure it's Marideck as he also had some olive green which is only available through Marideck.

Anywho, it's pretty nice, but you have to make sure it goes down 100% flat. I got a bulge in the hull side and tried to work it in,,, but after sitting a few days I can see it. I'm kind of anal about it being perfect and though no one else can see it, but I know it's there . I found the easiest way to apply it was to lay the vinyl flat, coat it with spray contact cement (wood too), align the wood part over the flat vinyl, set the wood in place, press wood onto vinyl to stick them together, flip, roll out and finish off edges. Couldn't do that with the 3'x19' hull side though

The Deco-Dot is pretty cool looking, but I've heard it's much thinner and very uniform in appearance. This means imperfections in the part being covered will be more noticeable than with the craggy looking marine floor vinyl. Some of the plywood imperfections I covered with the Marideck would probably be quite noticeable with the Deco-Dot.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

Whatever you buy, the application is important.

I put nautolex (shark gray) on my deck, and I have regretted it since. It collects small pieces of dirt in the ridges, doesn't hose off without a ton of work, and the color flecks wash off if you happen to spill acetone on them, leaving you with an off-white patch in your deck.

I'm sure for different uses than mine it'd be ok, but next time I'm going to gelcoat or use bed liner on the deck.

Erik

 

[Mark42]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

Whatever you buy, the application is important.

I put nautolex (shark gray) on my deck, and I have regretted it since. It collects small pieces of dirt in the ridges, doesn't hose off without a ton of work, and the color flecks wash off if you happen to spill acetone on them, leaving you with an off-white patch in your deck.

I'm sure for different uses than mine it'd be ok, but next time I'm going to gelcoat or use bed liner on the deck.

Erik

Wow. Thats not a very glowing report. When you say it collects dirt in the ridges, do you mean the embossed grain in the surface or where there are seams?

And the flaking issue doesn't sound too good either. Nautolex is supposed to have a clear layer on top. Did the acetone melt that off exposing the color layer below?

The Deco-Dot is pretty cool looking, but I've heard it's much thinner and very uniform in appearance. This means imperfections in the part being covered will be more noticeable than with the craggy looking marine floor vinyl. Some of the plywood imperfections I covered with the Marideck would probably be quite noticeable with the Deco-Dot.

The carpet will have to be removed before I can put down any vinyl. It sounds like the deco dot will require a lot of prep work to get a smooth install. Might have to go with a grained vinyl to hide plywood imperfections.

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

You would think that Nautolex is the better produce, but Mairdeck is made by Deckrite who has been making outdoor patio and wood deck vinyl flooring for many years. Their outdoor vinyl for pattio floors is 40oz a sq yard!

Marideck is mailing me some samples. I need to get a hold of a Nautolex retailer to get some samples. I especially like the Deco Dot pattern.

If they don't send you one I have a sample of that deco dot in the same color as above I can send. It looks like good, well made stuff.

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

You would think that Nautolex is the better produce, but Mairdeck is made by Deckrite who has been making outdoor patio and wood deck vinyl flooring for many years. Their outdoor vinyl for pattio floors is 40oz a sq yard!

Marideck is mailing me some samples. I need to get a hold of a Nautolex retailer to get some samples. I especially like the Deco Dot pattern.

Hay Mark did you try ebay ??? John

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

the color flecks wash off if you happen to spill acetone on them, leaving you with an off-white patch in your deck.

I had a mis-hap on the starboard side while installing the vinyl... Cup gun full of contact cement that was hanging from the ceiling, tipped and vented a huge splooge of glue on the vinyl. Of course I was inside catching a snack and it took me 30 minutes to noticed the the mess

I soaked it in tolulene and lacquer thinner, then scrubbed with a stiff brush for 10 minutes. It looks a bit faded, but other than that it's OK. I was surprised at how well it handled chemicals and being scrubbed. Luckily this area is going to be hidden

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

At first i thought old Boom something had boomed me.....One season of use...pressure washer and its just like new. As to chemicals dunno that i do not allow them in the boat....well maybe burbon...good stuff Mark im happy...

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Which Marine Deck Vinyl is better?

I did my Duo interior with Nautolex blue about 4 years ago, the boat got used only a few times then sat for two years in the garage till I sold it.
The Nautolex got a mildew look to it and wouldn't come clean. Scrubbing took away color, it almost turned white before I got rid of the dark mildew in the little grooves. I bought mine from a local WM store. They advertised it as Nautolex. I also had problems getting it to stick to the sides where the hull wasn't really smooth. I ended up running a bead of 5200 up under the gunwale to keep it adhered at the top.

While I'm not a fan of any of the marine vinyl with the cracks and grooves, the Deco-dot and other various vinyl floor coverings are a lot nicer to deal with and clean up. There's still nothing like a good gel coated floor when it comes to clean up.

I am currently debating on what to do on one of my current projects, the choice is between Deco dot, epoxy, or gel coat. I am leaning towards a heavy epoxy coating to seal the floor with some traction grit added.