installing a new floor

[picksbigwagon]

How would a guy go about installing a floor into a boat that originally had three benches.......any help would be greatly appreciated....

[only-eyes]

use thicker 1/2-3/4" treated plywood for the flooring, (thinner wood will warp over time)with treated 2x4s under for your supports. you obviously have to do a little custom cutting. run your supports from side to side not front to back to avoid the floor conturing to the hull. side to side with 2x4s will also alow you to run live well hoses under the supports. add whatever storage set up you want and staple the outdoor carpet down.

[Rick]

Moving to equipment forum.

[CrappieJohn]

The suggestion of using treated wood was a solid one. I'll take it a bit further and suggest that the actual flooring be cut from "marine grade"plywood and seal all of the cut and fitted pieces ( including the 2+4's) with spar varnish PRIOR to fastening or attaching. That means all of the sides and edges get the varnish. And be sure to use stainless steel fasteners!

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[Valv]

Marine plywood is worthless, very expensive, and tough to find.

Best material is regular plywood (not treated) and coated completely with epoxy or fiberglass resin (just resin not glass), just brush it on all the edges and especially to surface, and you'll be set.

Steve Bakken is the expert on this matter.

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Val Vignati

www.kvesurplus.com
[email protected]

[DavidH]

Valv,

How much weight would add using resin? Would it be considerable and if so, be worth it?

[Guest]

I would agree with Tom on the marine plywood. Its not as worthless as 1 would think, it does last longer than green treated.
To use regular plywood no matter how you treat it? would be a total waste of time in bout 2 years.
And if you carpet it? make sure you use a "marine" glue and cover the entire surface.

[Valv]

FYO regular plywood (not treated) is much lighter, and with resin coat will last longer than your boat, weight won't be much more than a sheet of treated plywood.
The difference between marine grade is that it has no voids (air pockets) between layers, but it is not treated and it will last a lot less than resin coated, that's why yours rotted out.

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Val Vignati

www.kvesurplus.com
[email protected]

[augernaut]

I've been doing alot of research on this, I'm going to put a floor in my 14'er soon. Do not use pressure treated material in your aluminum boat - the aluminum can react badly with the chemicals in the treated wood. VALV is right on - use epoxy encapsulated, BC grade exterior plywood. Marine plywood is a ripoff. For your stringers, use standard 2x4 material, also coated with the epoxy. It is FAR AND AWAY superior to treated materials, won't warp as badly, and will give you a much better overall product.

[Steve Bakken]

Hey, Picks,

Check out the 3 archived threads that I bumped up to the top of this forum for you. They should help you out.

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Steve @ Bakken's Boat Shop www.bakkensboatshop.com

[picksbigwagon]

thanks for all of the help eveyone. I had a friend suggest that I use the half plastic half wood deck boards for the main floor of the boat.....I am still investigating it. and It may come down to me heading to Mr. Bakkens to get it done right I guess. Thanks for all of the help and good luck

[Scupper]

Since reading these posts I have put my floor replacement on hold. I will be using the BC grade plywood and I will be using resin to seal it. I have access to resin that we spike with a catalyst to get it to set up. This process is not for sealing wood.
Does the resin that is applied to the sheet of plywood need a catalyst added or will it eventually set up on it's own?

Thanks Guys...

[Steve Bakken]

The resin that we use is the same as what we use in our fiberglass. It uses a catalyst so that in about an hour it is irreversable. That way if any chemicals such as gasoline or something ever get spilled on the floor, it's not going to wreak havoc with the resin in the wood.

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Steve @ Bakken's Boat Shop www.bakkensboatshop.com

[Scupper]

Thanks for the suggestions and tips.
The floor I'm replacing has lasted 20 years.
The area of concern is the back third where gas can leakage over the years has made way to the pedistal seat mount. If I were to have listened to the experts that surround me I would have a sheet of 3/4" treated plywood installed. The original sheet of plywood is 7/16ths and the question I kept asking my experts was " If this lasted 20 years why do I need to replace it with 3/4"?
I will also be relocating the gas can to a forward storage well. Any thoughts on this.

picksbigwagon, I hope you and the others don't mind me jumping in here for advise
Thanks guys...

[Valv]

Scupper, actually I wouldn't use treated plywood, just regular dried, the reason is the treatment leaves sheet impregnated with treatment, and besides being a lot heavier, after you glass it completely, or as Steve says just top and sides, you will encaplsule the moisture inside the sheet, and it might "rot" sooner in the long run.

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Val Vignati

www.kvesurplus.com
[email protected]

[Surface Tension]

I wouldn't have a problem with treated plywood as long as YOU seal both sides and all joints are screwed down. Warpage would be minimal. Problem there is the treated has to be bone dry and seasoned for a year before you can put a sealer on it. As far as stringers those 2X4s laying in the water will eventually become water logged, even with a sealer. Once your floor and stringers get wet your adding 4X the weight to your boat. Best thing to do for stringers is have a set broke from aluminum. The plastic decking will have cracks where dirt will fall through plus you'll have a very uneven surface and will look like heck with carpet over it.
After you get your stringers set now is the time to run wires, plumbing for livewells and adding flotation. Use a closed cell foam and lay it on top the ribs between the stringers.
This first place you'll see rot starting is under seat pedestals and under gas tanks because these areas don't dry out fast enough. Once you have that new floor in store the boat indoors or covered.
One more thing you'll need to install is a bilge pump.

[This message has been edited by Surface Tension (edited 06-30-2004).]

[Scupper]

Great info guys.
I'm resuming the project. Any suggestions as to a good source for carpet. I am looking for quaility stuff.
Taking on this project has gotten alot easier with the confidence building advice from you folks. Plumbing, wiring, bildge and livewell pumps will be first.
Thank you all.

[83walleye]

Go with sheet aluminum, .080 or even .100 thick. Seems to me that with the bench seats out you should be able to make a pretty accurate template from cardboard. Transfer this to your aluminum sheet and cut it out. Use square aluminum stock(old pontoon railing, for instance...) to create a solid frame underneath the sheet. Use expanding foam insulation under the aluminum sheet to stiffen up the entire floor. Using wood will only add weight, and it's just about impossible to keep it from soaking up water.

I just bought a 5'X10' sheet of .080 aluminum here in Duluth from Jamar, Inc for $175. Worked like a dream in my boat - and no more wood to worry about, ever!!

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Work hard, play hard

[augernaut]

83walleye - how did you fasten your aluminum framework to the boat? I've been kicking around the same idea, just looking for ways other guys have done it.

[Uncle Grump]

'83
I too have a boat which needs a floor replaced - bow section is getting worse by the minute - or so it seems.

I like your idea of the aluminum plate. How did you cut the plate? A power sheet metal sheers would probally have trouble with metal that thick? Sawzall w/ fine tooth blade?

W/ regard to the question of how to fasten plate down to the boat frame - pop rivets...

I'll also add a couple tid-bits that I've learned in my digging around on this topic...

I've been snooping around at Fastenal (fastner supply house), and a local marina.
If you have rivets at or near the waterline to remove like I do (in order to get the existing seats/storage compartments out) - you need special rivets to replace them.

Forget Fastenal, unless you get solid rivets, and are able to peen them over w/ a
ball peen hammer and rivet set. My marina suggestted "Avex" rivets. Ordinary pop rivets are not sealed - don't use them on the outside of your hull. There are some special "closed end sealed" rivets available for pop rivet tools, but only the marina knew about them. Fastenal seems to be oriented towards industrial and commerical items.

Q: Steve Bakken - what rivets do you use in your shop? Any other specialty fasteners? Would you sell them and other goodies like live wells, pumps, etc to us DIY'ers?

Valv and Steve - thanks for your input on these threads.

UG

[Steve Bakken]

We use solid rivets, mainly because that is what the factory used and our objective is to maintain a "factory" appearance when we're done working on them. Occasionally we have to install a rivet in a location where there is absolutely no access to the backside. In these cases, we use the Avex style rivets.
In answer to your other question, of course, we're always more than happy to help you guys out if you need specialty parts and equipment. Just give us a call and if we have it or can get it, we'll be glad to help you out.

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Steve @ Bakken's Boat Shop www.bakkensboatshop.com

[augernaut]

Steve, do you need any special equipment to install the solid rivets? I would be VERY interested in buying some from you! Thanks!

[83walleye]

Had Jamar, Inc shear the .080 sheet into three 20" X 10' pieces, only had to use sawzall to cut front ends of side pieces to follow contour of narrowing bow section. I used stainless steel self-tapping screws to secure sheet to underframe. Expanding foam really tightened up the whole deal, as well as added more floatation...

Ran boat this weekend and it was noticeably lighter, which resulted in a higher top end speed. Of course, it's only a 16' Monark Camp(kind of like a 16' Lund Alaskan), and a 40hp Honda.

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Work hard, play hard

[Steve Bakken]

Augernaut, You can get by with just a hammer and a dolly and a good buddy who owes you a favor. Just install the rivet from the outside, have your buddy hold the dolly as tightly against the rivet as he can, then hammer it from the inside until it flares and seals itself in the hole. The best and most effective way of installing them is by using an air chisel with an end that has a concave divot in it to match the shape of the rivet head. Then you can put the dolly on the inside and with just a couple of zaps of the trigger, it's in and sealed. If you have access to one, the job goes much quicker, but if not, the other method will work just fine too.

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Steve @ Bakken's Boat Shop www.bakkensboatshop.com

[moby1]

Good thread. I think I will be embarking on the same project soon. I work for a construction chemical company so have a lot of options to throw around. I currently have a lund wc-12 that has no floor. I coated the inside 2 years ago with polyurea (similar to spray in bedliner) and coated over it with polyspartic to assure uv color stability. The polyurea once sprayed can be walked on in about 8-45seconds depending on the formulation.It is very chemical (gas/acid/everything...etc resistant. The polyspartic cures in about 20-40minutes. I am hoping to aquire a 14' from a coworker this week. IF I do I will be putting in a floor of plywood coated with polyurea.
Why do fishing boats come with carpeted floors? They seem like a hassle to clean. I notice that the boats down south (florida) generally have fiberglass without carpeting.