Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

[vampirefish]

Hello all. Well, I just peeled back my carpet and saw that about 3" x 3" the plywood was soft so I cut out this part (about 4"x4"). The damaged area is right in the corner of my engine (right rear seat) -- the place where everyone gets in and out of the boat (from the ladder). I can see one stringer, so my quesiton is: How far apart are the stringers? Is there a standard? I'm hoping I don't have to cut out a much larger section to use a second stringer? Can I repair this without attaching to another stringer? If so, how? Thanks.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

No standard to stinger width..... however this will not be the first bayliner done here. With any luck you will find someone who has done the exact boat.

 

[Plainsman]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

I cut a 8"x8" piece out of my floor to repair a crack in the hull. I just cut the floor at a 20 degree angle. When I put the piece back in I mixed up some fiberglass strands with gorilla glue (it expands) and put that on the 20 degree edges. After it dried for a day I put a layer of mat fiberglass over it then 2 layers of roven fiberglass.

Just a thought.

 

[vampirefish]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

Hey, that's a good idea Commander, thanks. What kind of saw did you use that would do that (cutting the floor)?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

before you do that, cut some pieces as under layment, strips, and screw them in around the cut out , to the existing opening of the floor, then apply the patch, adds additional support for the patch. then screw the patch to the supports, just like patching drywall. it has to have support, or the 3rd time out after getting wet, someone is going to falll thru.

if you don't you're only depending on the top layers of plywood.

 

[Plainsman]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

Circlar saw, cleaned up the corners with a saw-all.

 

[vampirefish]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

Admiral (or anyone else), I have some questions for ya:

1. I'm guessing I should fiberglass the (support) strips to make them stronger? Would you recommend me using plywood for this? I'm thinking maybe I should use something different but not sure what.

2. The screws I use should be stainless.... and flat (countersunk)... any suggestions if this is not correct?

3. I plan on then sealing around the screws. What would be the best thing to use for this (high traffic area)? I have some 3M marine grade sealant but just not sure if this is durable enough.

4. I investigated (as much as I could) the foam under the damaged area and everything felt really dry. The foam is thick... should I dig through it to further investigate or...?

Thanks!

***I want to do this right, especially since it's a high traffic area.... it's scary! My wife freaked when she heard my saw (cutting out the wood)! :devil:

 

[tmh]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

No expert, but I just finished a floor replacement job....here's my take.

1. I don't think you need to fiberglass the support strips, juts coat them with resin and then screw them in. They'll bond to the existing floor just fine.

2. Stainless screws screwed down into the wood a tad bit.

3. Resin and glass over the top. That will seal it all in fine. Very strong also.

4. From my experience and much reading, the foam is typically wet only near the bottom. The top of mine was dry as a bone, I thought I was safe. Then I dug into it and the bottom 1" or so was soaked and very heavy!

Some say drill in to take a core. I'm not sure how you get to the bottom doing that without worrying about damaging the hull. Anyhow, even if you have some wet foam at the bottom, are you prepared to tear the floor apart a lot more to fix it?

The job you are doing is not tough at all. With supports underneath and glass/resin on top it will be as strong as the surrounding floor, no problem.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

One tip on putting in your "cleats" pilot your holes m8.

The holes in your deck should be over sized ( meaning if your gonna put some #10 screws to fasten your cleats, make sure your deck pilot holes are bigger then your STAINLESS screws. that way you wont push your cleats down when sunk home.

and after you resin coat your cleats as TMH suggested.. and after they cured .. put some 4200 on the mating surfaces. ( have all your ducks in a row and screw and glue your cleats deck and panel back.

after that..you dont really need to glass strip the seams on the deck side..if you dont want to...

YD.

 

[Robj]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

Hello there,

If your floor was soft, is it possible that water leaked through the softspot down into the hull? I would cut a section of foam out to see if there is any water at the bottom. If there is, then you probably have a larger repair, or you can shop vac the water, let it dry for a while and then complete your patch job, knowing that it most likely will require more attention in the future.

Have a great day,

Rob.

 

[vampirefish]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

Thanks, I think I will further investigate to see if there is any water below...

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: Repairing soft spot in floor - stringer spacing..?

You can grind a edge on a piece of PVC pipe (like a leather punch) pound it in till you hit bottom and get a foam core sample.