New Floor questions?

[Phazer230]

Hi I am replacing a floor in a 23' cuddy cabin. I hope I did not over do it but I already have more than $500 in the floor, I purchased 3/4 marine plywood. 4-sheets $314.00 , carpet $225.00 and the carpet glue. I have the old floor almost all ripped out, it was nasty! My question is how should the floor be properly laid down from here? Should the wood require any other treatment? What should I use to fasten the wood down? Stainless screws or nails? The old floor had some kind of fiberglass coating over it, does this need to be done? or is this just because exterior plywood was used??? If I need to fiberglass the floor exactely what should be used and where can I get it? remember I am using carpet so it will be glued down after the wood is installed. Any advise would be greatly appriciated. Thanks

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: New Floor questions?

Welcome Aboard Phazer...
If you go to the top toolbar where it says "SEARCH"
You can search this forum by typing key words as "deck Replacement"

You will be rewarded with tons..I mean tons of info that you can read through regarding everything you'll need to do to replace your deck..Including how to properly resin and glass your wood.

Best of luck to you

 

[Phazer230]

Re: New Floor questions?

Thank you Cheapboatkey, I have read alot on deck replacment but some of my questions are still unaswered. 1 do I need to fiberglass my floor since I am using marine plywood? Everyone one else I read about is always doing different like using outddor plywood and ect. I kindove felt that if I have to fiberglass over the wood anyway, didnt I kindove waste my money on marine board when I could have just used outdoor plywood instead, I mean heck if I'm going to use fiberglass what is the use of that "fir" smooth finish on the marine board since I am laying down carpet anyways. I spent $314.00 on 4 pieces of plywood, if it is not worth it I can return it and get my money back??? I guess I dont understand what the purpose of the marine board is for if it gets fiberglassed and wont get wet anyway???? I do however want this floor to last a very long time. If I do use the "Marine" board do I still need any other chemicals to add to it or anything? epoxy ect? Any advise will be graetly apriciated Thanks

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: New Floor questions?

You dont need marine grade ply for a floor m8..( stringers yes ).

You do need to treat the bottom with resin coats.. and yes I would Glass the top then carpet. .. I will upload a fuel tank floor that I did.

I used treated deck screws. ( no nails in boats )

 

[Phazer230]

Re: New Floor questions?

Thank you Cheapboatkey, I have read alot on deck replacment but some of my questions are still unaswered. 1 do I need to fiberglass my floor since I am using marine plywood? Everyone one else I read about is always doing different like using outddor plywood and ect. I kindove felt that if I have to fiberglass over the wood anyway, didnt I kindove waste my money on marine board when I could have just used outdoor plywood instead, I mean heck if I'm going to use fiberglass what is the use of that "fir" smooth finish on the marine board since I am laying down carpet anyways. I spent $314.00 on 4 pieces of plywood, if it is not worth it I can return it and get my money back??? I guess I dont understand what the purpose of the marine board is for if it gets fiberglassed and wont get wet anyway???? I do however want this floor to last a very long time. If I do use the "Marine" board do I still need any other chemicals to add to it or anything? epoxy ect? Any advise will be graetly apriciated Thanks

 

[ondarvr]

Re: New Floor questions?

You dont need marine grade ply for a floor m8..( stringers yes ).

You do need to treat the bottom with resin coats.. and yes I would Glass the top then carpet. .. I will upload a fuel tank floor that I did.

I used treated deck screws. ( no nails in boats )

Why CDX foor the floor and Marine for the stringers, what would the difference be?

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: New Floor questions?

Are you asking me because you dont know ?

or are you asking to see if I do ?

Did I say CDX ? no...you did.. what about OSD ??

If your going to replace your DIY stringers then by all means use CDX or OSD or hardwood or Marine grade..hello..your glass over it will prob make it last for years done properly.

However..I Am a prof. in repair..I only use what comes out of the thing or better. I only suggest what I do for a living ( I dont buy boats..rebuild them..and use or flip it ).

I consider myself as the best..and at $100/hr at my workplace, its a matter of 30-40 bucks a sheet or 80 bucks for the good marine ply. At $100/hr thats just small pennies of the larger cost for a stringer system that goes into a $700,000 yacht m8.

I say what I say for a reason.. Please post as a suggestion for another way for help..or GET off my back m8..You and I both know your not inept. Neither am I. ( I know you didnt mean to put it that way..but I had a bad day.. peace)

YD.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: New Floor questions?

You dont need marine grade ply for a floor m8..( stringers yes ).




I shouldn't have said CDX, I was just curious as to why you suggested possibly two different products.

I don't get into the plywood wars, but I do like to ask questions and see how and why people do things, never know when you can learn something. I typically use Greenwood XL boat panels when I need wood, but I'll normally use something else.

The other caution is about only resin coating the bottom side of the wood, polyester won't hold up long term without glass. The majority of the time it starts cracking after a few heating and cooling cycles.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: New Floor questions?

What do you guys reccomend on the foam in my boat? When I removed the floor it was like you guys say " a big sponge! Can I remove all the foam and leave it out? Is there any downfall on a 23' boat? It seems to me the bottom of my boat would stay alot drier I could see that foam holding in the moisture. I think that is how the floor rotted out before. This boat seemed to not hold any water when on the lake, even overnight I hardly ever had to run the bildge, at least no water made it to the bildge.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: New Floor questions?

Another hot topic that gets fairly heated around here is the foam or no foam question....I say No, you dont have to replace the foam..If you will sleep better at night with it, then do some searching in this forum as well...

All that wet foam is incredibly heavy, btw..You can easily have a few hundred pounds of it as dead weight..The question is "Why is it wet?" Perhaps water never got to the bilge because that foam sucked it up and is now waterlogged..

 

[Phazer230]

Re: New Floor questions?

Another hot topic that gets fairly heated around here is the foam or no foam question....I say No, you dont have to replace the foam..If you will sleep better at night with it, then do some searching in this forum as well...

All that wet foam is incredibly heavy, btw..You can easily have a few hundred pounds of it as dead weight..The question is "Why is it wet?" Perhaps water never got to the bilge because that foam sucked it up and is now waterlogged..

Yeah, that is what I was getting at, I think the stuff sucks up all the water before it reaches the bildge, I think that is why my floor rotted out to begin with. The way my boat was made is pretty weird acually you guys say the stringers are plywood mine seem to be thicker wood boards cant tell for sure what condition they are in untill I remove all the foam, I think I am going to do without the foam cause I think it is causing all my rotting problems. I would rather see it empty with alot of room for airflow and I think all my problems will dissapear! I also found somthing I really didnt want to deal with!!! The other day I noticed the starter on my engine is now resting on the engine perch uh ohhhh. I am not completely sure what I am gonna do to fix that? I read on here some times you can cut off the top and pull out all the rotted wood and replace the wood and put the top back on??? What is this all about? Is this thing like a plywood box that is fiberglassed on the outside? I am afraid to start cutting on something I dont know much about, Almost looks to me like I could just put a piece of marine board on top of it and fiberglass it and adjust the adjusting nut to make up for the 3/4" marine board???? I cant tell how much of it is rotted cause it is all fiberglassed right now, looks to me the top part right where the engine mount is bolted to is sagging there is a crack in the fiberglass also from the starter. I know there is alot to read on here about replacing these, can someone aim me in the right direction? I looked at a deck boat today at work and I liked the way it's engine perches were! They were metal angle brakets with gussets welded in place and the brakets were just bolted to the engine compartments side walls, this looked alot simpler it was a V6 though and mine is a 351 but I almost wish mine was like that instead. I think I could do that alot easier. This boat I was looking at was a 1998 deck boat and I didnt even see any fiberglass back there by the engine? It just looked like painted wood and that was it, The engine perch brakets were bolted to the side walls, looks like redoing mine the way it is will be alot more complicated, but I want it done right! So will you guys aim me in the right direction and give me your 2 cents please. I hate to remove my motor to do this, as matter a fact I would like to just replace the wood I have to replace, do the floor and use the boat for the summer and do the perch work in the fall, what you guys think? Is it that much harder to replace the perches with the floor installed? I just dont know what to do, but would like this thing on the water this year I have owned the boat for 9 years now and really enjoy it.

 

[Phazer230]

Re: New Floor questions?

Well, I went back out and looked at it again, the engine perches or what ever you guys call them dont really look that bad but all you see is the fiberglass, I am wondering what is going on inside? How would a person know without cutting on them? I do know something is going on though because I know that starter was not resting on them years ago because I have replaced the starter. It would be pretty hard to replace it now with it resting on the corner of the perch. It really dosnt look like it is sagging much, maybe a little right where the mount is bolted but it feels solid otherwise. I pushed down on the motor and you cant feel it giving or anything feels solid but I dont trust it. I will take some photos later and let you guys know more about what I am looking at, but I would think a person could get away with just replacing the top piece of the perch in this situation. I dont know how it would have roted away in the first place, It sure isnt hardly ever getting water on top of it, thats for sure so I wonder why it seems like it is sunken in just a little? I knock on it with my hand and it dosnt sound very thick. I just dont know what is going on, I will just have to get some good photos tonight and show you guys, but I am real worried bout this, I dont want my boat to go to waste, and I dont want it to break or bind something up. I have no idea how long it has been like this but I use my boat all the time. So I would like to fix it now since the floor is all ripped out of it if it is in need of repair.