Questions for fish house builders

[Gofishleech]

A couple questions for you fish house builders. What is the preferred flooring used & why ? How are you fastening the floor to the steel frame weather tube or angle? How are you fastening the stud walls to the floor? Don’t be afraid to be descriptive please, and thanks in advance.

I have built some houses over the year but have not started with a drop down steel frame before.

[38bill]

Floor: 3/4" treated plywood (kiln dried?) rated for full immersion water use. Not the Menards wet green treated.

Floor fasteners: SS self tapping hex head sheet metal screws. Torx head would work great too.

Wall to floor fasteners: SS self tapping sheet metal screws that are long enough to go through the bottom plate, plywood floor and then into the metal frame. I also use a construction adhesive between the floor and the bottom plate to seal the joint and make it that much tighter.

[Bull Herbie]

I just purchased a frame from Miltona, great guy to work with haven't heard anything bad about their frames.

My plan is to weld bolts to the frame and have them go through the floor and lower plate and attach with big washers, lock washers and lock nuts. Might even put locktite on since I wont ever be able to get back in.

My floor is going to be advantech or the other big box's equivalent, with durabac paint.

Looking forward to my summer project. Finding LOTS of info here and lots of helpful people. Good Luck with your build.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I've used Advantech. Marine grade plywood would also be fine. As mentioned, secure the floor down with self tappers. I also glued mine with PL Premium.

For the self tappers on the floor, I used Fastenal part # 1132089. If I remember correctly, I used almost all of the 250 I bought. Use a good corded drill, and have plenty of bits. You'll need them.

Fastenal also has some that work for securing the walls, along the lines of part # 0120605. It's been awhile since I built a wood frame, so I don't remember exactly what I used, but that is pretty close. You can use a sill sealer between the floor and bottom plate.

[eagle_3464]

I also used the AdvanTech and screwed it down with self-drilling/self tapping screws. Those I used were similar to those used by LRG, but a bit heavier duty and with the star (torx) drive. I ordered them from the big box store, item 09739. They were a bit longer than necessary but shortest they offered in this size.

The AdvanTech was highly recommended and the place of purchase threw a piece tied off with a rope into a lake. After a month of being in the lake there was still no swelling of the product. It is a bit heavier than kiln dried treated plywood but it is smoother and flatter with virtually no warping, making it very easy to work with.

I used the same style only longer for the wall plates. I counterbored the holes about 3/8" to get a little more length into the frame. These are item 09741.

At the same time ordering these, I also order SS screws item 05118 to attach the aluminum treadbrite trim.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

^^^ If you can find them with a torx drive, do it!

[LindellProStaf]

If you use hex head bolts grind down the edge of your socket so it is sharper. It will drive them down into the wood flush easier.

[Gofishleech]

Thanks for all the replies guys, they are very helpful