New boat floor - need waterproof rivets

[Uncle Grump]

Hi all

The floor in my boat is bad and getting worse, so it looks like its time for a new one. This is the first step towards a new boat interior.

I have two bench (foam filled)seats , which sit on top of the floor - looks to me like they will have to come out first. They are riveted in place (to the sides of the hull) w/ the old fashioned round head rivet.

I've called around to Fastenal looking for
waterproof pop rivets - they stay there is
no such animal. They referred me to a boat repair shop - I was told that they used pop rivets and put a little dab of silicon on/in them so that they were sealed.

Also - if my high school science serves me correctly - seems to me I've got to be careful of using disimilar metals together - as galvanic action could take place.

Any suggestions as to what I might use?

Thanks

UG

[uffdapete]

I'd recommend coating it with Herculiner. You can buy it at Menards or probably Fleet Farm too. Wal-Mart has their own brand - no idea how good it is.

I had the same problem a year ago and Gull Guide advised me to try this. I did and the boat is dry on the inside now and it was fairly easy to do.

Here's a link to a previous post about it:

http://fishingminnesota.com/ubb/Forum9/HTML/000552.html

[Surface Tension]

Just buy aluminum rivets. Center punch the heads and drill out the old ones.
Use a heavy iron bar to back the new rivet. Hold the bar firmly against the rivet and have a buddy peen the end of the rivet.
It will be water tight. Ive seen mention of the bedliner before. No disrespect pete. Would any one buy a boat with that stuff smeared on it? I wouldnt.

[Valv]

U.G.

Beware if you use silicon on the outside, you won't be able to paint over it for a long, long time. I made the mistake myself and I had a "chicken-pox" boat

[Surface Tension]

uffdapete The biggest problem with leaky rivets is there always under a bench seat and hard to get at without removing the seat.
If your going to keep the boat and are happy with the bedliner than it isnt an issue.
I could have used a nicer word then "smeared".

I would be concerned that with normal vibration the rivet fixed with the bedliner would start leaking again. Also how does the rivet get sealed if its through a rib? Do you have to plug the center rib drains to make it all water tight? I have an old steel pontoon that beliner would work great on.
UG was asking what kind of rivets to replace his old with. If its in straight and tight no additional sealant should be required.

[uffdapete]

thought it would be easiest to copy, paste and answer each point

uffdapete The biggest problem with leaky rivets is there always under a bench seat and hard to get at without removing the seat.

- That makes sense. Didn't realize that a year ago - learned something today!!

If your going to keep the boat and are happy with the bedliner than it isnt an issue.
I could have used a nicer word then "smeared".

- No offense - I'm a big boy I can take it.

I would be concerned that with normal vibration the rivet fixed with the bedliner would start leaking again.

- That was a question I had too, but the guy who gave me the advice was still using his for duck hunting 5 years later with no problems so we'll see.

Also how does the rivet get sealed if its through a rib? Do you have to plug the center rib drains to make it all water tight?

- the stuff is more liquid than you'd think. I coated everything and then cleaned our those drain slots some while the stuff was still wet so they would still work, but they did become more restricted.

I have an old steel pontoon that beliner would work great on.
UG was asking what kind of rivets to replace his old with. If its in straight and tight no additional sealant should be required.

[uffdapete]

Surface Tension - I didn't buy the boat with the Herculiner on it. I applied it after considering other options and am glad I did. I don't necessarily plan on selling it and it works just fine for me. A new floor was put in for 2 reasons - for the flat surface and to cover up the black coating to make it cooler in the summer. It stays dry now, so that's all I was looking for.

It was difficult to tell which rivets were leaking and there'd be a lot to replace if I were to do them all.