Boat Flooring over existing carpet suggestions?

[JimBuck]

I bought a new boat last fall and have been looking into options for protecting the carpet from wear and tear. I accumulate a fair amount of mud and sand in the boat on most trips and I'm looking for a better way to manage it. Taking the carpet out is not an option for me unfortunately so I'm interested in some kind of matting that can lay on top.

So far I really like the interlocking perforated tiles they use poolside and for slippery areas.

I like these because they still breath and won't trap moisture between the mat and the carpet. The stuff that falls through stays on the surface of the carpet and will be a breeze to clean out (in theory). Only issue is they are not cheap. The other options are things like anti-fatigue mats

gym flooring (EVA and Rubber)

as well as garage tiling.

With so many options out there, I'm a bit lost now that I've done some research. I'm curious if anyone else has done something similar and what they might recommend for a material? Ideally I'd like to stay under $2 bucks a foot for materials if possible. Any insight is appreciated.

[Walleye Guy]

Have you thought about just cutting another piece of carpet to fit and laying it over the top of the existing carpet? It would be easy to remove to dry or to shake the dirt out of. It would let the heavy moisture through just like the tiles. After each outing all you need to do is take the carpet it and let it dry somewhere. Plus it will be a lot easier than putting the jig saw puzzle back in. The carpet can also be cut so you can easily access live wells or storage ares that you may have in the boat.

The carpet is probably lighter than the tiles too and if you do it right, most people won't even know its there.

[Tom7227]

Aren't you just going to end up with a stinky moldy mess? Whatever you put down won't keep the original carpet from getting wet. Add even a small bit of mud or sand and you are in trouble. How about just letting it go and replacing the original carpet when it is necessary.

[JimBuck]

I've considered carpet as well. The fact that it's one piece would make it real nice to take in and out after a trip. Mold is a concern with a lot of these which is why I thought the perforated tiles might be a good fit. They allow airflow but will trap most mud and sand on the surface of the carpet instead of grinding it in. I think most of the other materials I'd probably remove after each trip to dry. I'm not really concerned with the original carpet getting wet, I'm just hoping to curb the clean up time and keep the carpet looking halfway decent a few years down the road.

[TruthWalleyes]

I'll tell ya what. i put a lot of mud and sand in my boat. let it dry and use a shop vac often.

[traveler]

I'll tell ya what. i put a lot of mud and sand in my boat. let it dry and use a shop vac often.

yup. I'm a carpet guy by trade....have done lots of boats. But my boat is carpet free, as will be any boat I ever own.

Use/abuse the carpet thats in there and make it last as best you can. I believe any of the things you mention will just trap moisture, grit, etc...and wear the carpet out faster, and possibly give you less stable footing as well. Carpet over carpet...ditto.

When your carpets worn out, get rid of it and go to rubber or vinyl, my .02

[TruthWalleyes]

yep, eventually go vinyl or aluminum. i use the shop vac and basically scrub the carpet with the hose. i put new carpet in my boat at the beginning of last year and filled it with mud everytime i fished the mn river and filled it with sand every time i fished the st croix. full of fish blood and river mud. coffee will leave a stain, mud wont. you will eventually wear down the carpet from high usage...boat-bust out another thousand. when your ready, rubber or vinyl. till then, i sure wouldnt advise any of the things you mentioned...but its your boat, do as you wish.

[magnum mike]

My last boat had a carpeted floor. It was nice on a hot day as it stayed relatively cool. It got coated with fish slime, crawler dirt, mud & sand from shoes, duck blood and the worst was 100's of fresh water shrimp ground in after a duck trip to Devil's Lake. A small pressure washer would blow ALL that stuff out and fluff up the nap of the carpet. The fine dust would rise to the surface when dry and could easily be vacuumed easily. It truly looked like new when it was all done. It was a pain to clean properly but the pressure washer did a fantastic job.

That said, the new Alaskan has a vinyl floor and I would never have carpet in a boat again.

[JimBuck]

I appreciate the input guys. It sounds like a matting solution might be more hassle than it's worth. I'm going to live with the carpet issue and look for a boat without carpet the next time around.

[Alagnak]

Good call. I think you'd have extra weight, mess, and bee S with any other option you were looking at there. I don't know why they put carpet in any boat besides pontoons. I guess those snap in carpet pc's would be cool on top of vinyl though- for little kids' bare feet or something maybe.

[TruthWalleyes]

I weighed carpet vs vinyl last year and decided i didn't trust the durability of the vinyl based on customer reviews. I also don't mind kicking the shoes off, not to mention i sleep in my boat several weekends a year. However, vinyl is probably the way to go for longevity if you are careful not to cut it.

[JimBuck]

I can see how some people might find carpet to be cozy, but man what a pain it is to maintain. I'd love to have one of those onboard washdown systems that seem popular on the coasts. Hose the boat down just before leaving for home and have it dry and ready to go for the next trip. Someday. Thanks again guys.

[TruthWalleyes]

That's just a simple bilge pump with a nozzle, can be easily installed and are not very expensive either.