boat repair and PT wood

[RCamburn]

The more I research I do, the more confused I get. I have spent the last 2 days re decking the floor and storage compartments of my 15' aluminum boat with pt wood. I am now reading that using PT is bad for the Alum. and also bad for human contact b/c of the chemicals in it. Any suggestions? Do I start from scratch with reg plywood and seal it, seal the PT and hope I'm ok or try and seperate the wood and alum with something before screwing down?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: boat repair and PT wood

Welcome to iBoats!!!

Yep, the chemicals in the PT wood with Eat your aluminum boat. I'd get it out ASAP!!! Would not use it at all!!!! Use regular ACX Ext. Grade Plywood and seal it. Various ways of doing that. Best way is with 2-4 coats of Epoxy. Other ways are Marine Varnish, Oil Paint, etc... All depends on the level of care you will be giving her.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: boat repair and PT wood

Depends on what type of treated wood you used. Cheap - green colored - Home Depot - ACQ treated plywood will eat your boat apart and the easiest thing to do would be to start over again.

CCA treated plywood is aluminum safe and you would be OK with that, but it's very hard to get a hold of, so I doubt that's what you used.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: boat repair and PT wood

The good news is hopefully you did a good job fitting the PT parts & pieces together, so you've got the figuring it out & cutting it to fit parts done.

Use the PT pieces as a template for new pieces made from non-PT lumber & seal it in 1 of the ways WOG suggests.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: boat repair and PT wood

Yep, big mistake.

It's best to take that stuff out of there and buy new exterior grade plywood.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: boat repair and PT wood

+1. PT wood is a no-no in aluminum boats. Best to get some good exterior grade, non-pt plywood and seal it with epoxy or spar urethane. Be sure to mount it to the hull using stainless steel hardware and/or aluminum rivets.

 

[RCamburn]

Re: boat repair and PT wood

Thanks guys. That's what I thought. A little dis heartening but already went out and got some new material. Will def. use the cut pieces as a template.
If I plan on painting with some skid resistant paint still use epoxy or poly? or will primer be good. or a water sealer/clear stain?
What about recarpeting? With that I worry wood will rot quicker. Will it last a few years atleast? Great advice on this site.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: boat repair and PT wood

Howdy Camburn,
For a finish you have a myriad of choices...
Depending on your budget and the life expectancy you want out of the new deck...
One of the top choices is Durabak...it is similar to truck bedliner, but is formulated for the marine environment...
One of the members just recently used the deck paint from Home depot and seems really pleased with both the cost and performance...
Carpet is not really the first choice for the same reason you mentioned, it tends to hold water, plus clean up can be a chore...
Another alternative is what JnG used, Nautolex...really nice stuff
You could however do it inexpensively and seal up the wood with your choice of spar urethane varnish, 3-4 good coats, then top it off with some decent exterior grade paint and throw some sand on it for traction...
Keep in mind that good money spent now, will lead to a long lasting life for the wood you are going to install...
Have Fun!
GT1M

 

[kfa4303]

Re: boat repair and PT wood

Those are all great choices. I even used several coats of old school Rustoleum Professional Oil Based Enamel paint and it has held up nicely for several years now, but it does get slick. If you go the paint route, be sure to thin the first couple layers with some acetone. That will allow the paint to penetrate more deeply into the wood and you can use it to clean up with afterwards.