Is carpet the best thing to put on a fish house floor?

[heyguy]

Hello All! I'm trying to decide if I should put carpet (or something like it) down on my floor, or if I should paint it? Does carpet help keep the heat in better?

[Eric Wettschreck]

Upside- Carpet keeps heat in better and is just more comfortable feeling on your feet if it's dry. Carpet also stops the floor from being slippery.

Downside- Carpet gets wet. If your heat/vents can't dry it out it's rather uncomfortable. It can also get that "Fishy smell" in it if you're doing things right. Myself, I say it's a fish house and should smell like fish and stale beer.

It's really your call but I like having carpet in my shack.

[Walleye Guy]

Carpeting is allot quiter than a painted floor as well.

[Walleye Guy]

Carpeting is alot quieter than a painted floor as well.

[Rick G]

Carpet does indeed hold in heat a little better. Like Eric said it does get wet and smelly over the years though. If you do decide on the carpet be sure to get the loopless stuff, like in the boat. It makes it much easier to get hooks out

[heyguy]

anyone ever use something soft besides carpet? foam padding or something similar to that?

[Eric Wettschreck]

I re-carpeted my upstairs about 10 years ago. Took the old carpet out and that's what I put in the fish house. It's still holding up pretty good.

A little smelly but nothing a dab of fabreeze at the begining of the season doesn't cure.

[BartmanMN]

Commercial carpet squares would be nice. You could pattern it if you wanted and if one gets damaged or stained beyond your liking you just pull it out.

[hovermn]

Menards sells indoor/outdoor loopless carpet in both green and tan/black. I don't know how long it'll hold up, but it's cheap and hooks don't get caught in it. I believe I've seen the same stuff used in Ice Castle houses.

[Iambjm]

Just don't put a dark color in, I did navy blue and it always looks bad. I am ripping it out and going a little lighter this year.

[Bryce]

We went with a soft linoleum and rugs. Fairly slip proof when wet. We can dry up floor very easily at any time while on the lake and wash rugs after every trip. No fish smell in this shack after 3 years of use. Bed liner would be another option but wouldn't have matched the rest of the interior for us.

[Ron Vroom]

I installed 2'x2 foam interlocking 1/2" foam fatigue flooring tiles last season which worked very well. Added warmth and comfort, dries quickly and does not snag fish hooks like carpet. They are inexpensive and can be installed with a spray adhesive compatible with foam or double sides carpet tape. It was a good improvement over the non-skid painted floor I previously had.

[heyguy]

do you recall where you got the foam squares?

[Wes Ellis]

I have a wheel house, I would not put carpet in it!! I put 2 coats of enamel on it. (Make sure it dryes good before the 2nd coat) Then i put rugs down. That way I can wash them, or change them out at night so you dont have a wet floor. (When you get as old as me you have to get up and pee a lot. You will appericate not getting your feet wet) Just Saying!!

[heyguy]

I installed 2'x2 foam interlocking 1/2" foam fatigue flooring tiles last season which worked very well. Added warmth and comfort, dries quickly and does not snag fish hooks like carpet. They are inexpensive and can be installed with a spray adhesive compatible with foam or double sides carpet tape. It was a good improvement over the non-skid painted floor I previously had.

do you recall where you got the foam squares?

[Gus]

I put the foam tiles in my skid house. They work well. Got them at Fleet farm or menards has them also.

Cut them a little short for expansion as they will expand and contract when heated. I never glued mine down. I just take them out at the end of the season and spray them off, then let the floor stay open all summer to dry out any moisture that may have gotten in there during the hardwater season.

Downsides, they do let some water down between the mats eventually and you'll get some moisture between the foam and the wood floor. They also can dent or cut if you use a chair with sharp feet. Not really a big deal, but they won't look new after that happens.

Overall, easy and cheap alternative to insulating the floor and adding some other type of flooring.

[Lucky Dogg]

I put carpet in mine and change it out ever 3-4yrs. I also have a wood stove in mine and the floor in almost never wet. Most of the time my son doesn't even where shoe's because the floor is so dry. The way I look at it is that any frre carpet is fine with me!

[heyguy]

thanks for all the opinions, guys!! I'm thinking carpet looks like the way to go. Anyone have any tips on installing it?

[Eric Wettschreck]

I just put mine down, cut to size, and stapled it. No need to get fancy.

[smeese]

I painted a couple coats of an oil based paint and then did the carpet squares like stated above. Put a rug down where you typically can put the fish to avoid slime soaking into the carpet.

[Stick in Mud]

As Eric said, there's no need to go fancy. A few staples worked perfectly fine for us.