marine flooring

[pebbles45771]

I was wondering if anyone knows where i can find a flooring for my houseboat.What i was looking for is plywood covered with a plastic on both sides but dont know what it is called or where to get it.

 

[MarcG007]

Re: marine flooring

I know their is wood called " marine plywood ". One of its uses is for rebuilding floors. Not sure where to get it , yet, i myself am quite new to owning a boat.

 

[Solittle]

Re: marine flooring

I have neve seen plywood with plastic on both sides. I suppose you could lay down formica like a countertop which would be a form of plastic. Were it mine I think I would put a coat of epoxy resin on both sides to seal from water and cover with a flexible floor tile.

 

[nightstalker]

Re: marine flooring

Go with the epoxy. It will last a long time and provide you with a waterproof seal. If you put the epoxy over marine plywood, it will last vertually forever. They do make several different kinds of floor coverings for vessels ranging from plastic vaneer to wood. Some of it can get very expensive. I saw a 4X6 sheet of marine oak that went for $146.
Making it water tight is the key.
Nightstalker

 

[Texasmark]

Re: marine flooring

I have seen treated 4x8 sheet plywood at Home Depot. I put down an 3/4" plywood floor in my house that was tongue and groove. It may have been indoor/outdoor plywood also. Or it was wafer board; don't remember. Might check it out and ask some questions.

Marine plywood is regular pine, of probably cabinet quality, with lots of thin laminations for it's thickness, with a waterproof glue to bind it all together. Very strong for it's thickness vs regular plywood; so you get the strength and not the weight.

You still have pine wood, but you could treat it with a penetrating treatment to preserve it. I like to use 50-50 linseed oil (like is in oil based paint) and turpentine as a vehicle to thin it enough to be absorbed into the wood. I personally don't use the commonly advertised treatment products as I want more oil in the mix. Mixing it yourself, you can make it as thick as you want.

Solid coatings can crack, allowing moisture into the area between the wood and the coating and I personally wouldn't use them. Now if you had one that stayed pliable so that as the wood moved about it followed it, then that should work ok.

Mark

 

[JB]

Re: marine flooring

Deck, decking, deck material. Floors go in houses.

 

[JCF350]

Re: marine flooring

Marine plywood is regular pine, of probably cabinet quality, with lots of thin laminations for it's thickness, with a waterproof glue to bind it all together. Very strong for it's thickness vs regular plywood; so you get the strength and not the weight.
Mark

Never seen or heard of "pine" marine plywood before but I guess they will try to pawn off anything these days. And marine plywood is definitely heavier because of all the glue.

Pebbles45771
You can start here in looking for marine plywood.

"http://marine-plywood.us/"

Possibly you might be describing "hydro-tek" plywood?

 

[Nandy]

Re: marine flooring

Deck, decking, deck material. Floors go in houses.

What took you so long JB!!

Coating the wood seems to work IF you coat both sides...

 

[Hashi]

Re: marine flooring

Not sure where you're located but have you tried your local lumber yards for marine plywood? If they don't have it, I'm sure they can order it for you.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: marine flooring

The plywood I used for the floor in my 18' Starcraft Holiday restoration was definitely pine. I bought and used enough wood in my day to know woods.

I bought it from a regular lumber yard in Dallas, TX. on Harry Hines Blvd. who just happened to have specialty woods including ash, birch, oak, walnut, mahogany, birdseye maple, teak, and other furniture and trophy constructing woods and oh yes, marine plywood. I used 3/8" which had 5 plies and treated it as I said then covered it with outdoor carpet. Plenty strong for the decking in the boat.

Like I said on this flooring I saw, I never saw it before, at any lumber yard, but it was definitely marketed toward the outdoor user. Now, where you draw the line between outdoor use and marine use is up to you. Like I said, ask questions and if you don't know the answer, ask more questions or look some more.

Mark

 

[mymako21]

Re: marine flooring

when you speak of flooring do you mean you will completly replace your houseboats flooring or are you looking to do an overlay of your curent floor? If you are repacing your boat floor completely go with marine grade plywood. The problem is if your flooring wasnt already plywood you may find adding playwood will add significant weight to your boat, you need to take that into consideration. Depending on your sub floor strut system 1/2 -5/8 thick plywood should be OK. But you'll have to finish it so it will last, with fiberglass cloth and resin or use 1/4 thick sheets of PVC or star board, something of that nature, if not then you should sand it, seal it, stain and varnich or paint with marine grade paint. Hard to say without knowing exactly what your trying to do. In any case if your going through the trouble to refinish your boat, spend the extra money to do it right, so you dont have to revist at a later date