Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

[Mark42]

Im taking about the floor in my 1985 Bayliner. The floors are dry 5/8" ply with a thin layer of what looks to be chopper gun fiberglass then white gel coat. Carpet covers everything. There is a ski locker in the center that doubles as the bilge.


I want to remove the carpet so it can't hold water, and want to put something over the floor that is water proof to protect the floors from rotting and to prevent water from leaking to below floor (outside of the bilge area).

I was originally thinking of just pulling the carpet, cleaning up any glue, and adding a layer or two of glass matt and vinylester resin. Wrap it down and under the ski locker opening and up the hull, seat bases, etc a foot or so. Then follow up with a few coats of gel coat applied with a 4" roller to give a little grip texture without being rough on the feet.

I boat on a bay most of the time and that means sand and shells and salt water will be getting all over the floor. I may want to hose it all out into the ski locker/bilge and flush it out the transom drain plug.

So now I'm wondering if glass/resin is the best solution. Maybe a floor covering like Nautolex, but then how do the seams get sealed where it has to wrap up seat bases and the like?

Any suggestions?

 

[sdunt]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

I'll respond to your original question because I think is sums up things better: "Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?"

Simple, keep the wood dry !!!

As a carpenter, and now boat owner, you keep all wood from rotting my keeping it dry.

And people are screaming, its a boat, in the water.... Yes it is, but I believe that coating both sides of a piece of wood, and thus locking the water inside causes more problems than it solves. Leaving the underside uncoated and ventilating the bilge will help keep water out of the floor. Yes, you should coat and seal the floor to water proof it and bed all screws with 5200 or 4200.

IMHO there is NO WAY to keep 100% of the water out of the floor, you have to leave it a place to go and encourage the water to migrate there..

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

well, i can tell you that if the floor is good, keep it dry, if you want to just lay something down to protect it, then get a paint that is epoxy based or something like it and lay it down with some white sand to give it a non slip texture. But like said above to keep it from rotting keep it dry, thats wy i let my old bayliner go. Floor was going and boat wasnt worth keeping to replace it.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

in 40 years of construction, i have replace more wood, because of lack of paint, sealer, and no place for the water to go. i'm in agreement with sdunt. use a primer sealer on the bottom side and glass the heck out of the top and seams, the add what ever you want for a finished floor. stress and flex, you are not going to keep all the water out.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

I can tell you that after a week of boating the carpet is soaked. Kids climbing in and out via the swim platform, standing soaking wet and dripping on the carpet while they dry off. It is a complete soggy mess. I have picked up the corner on the port side and pulled it way back to see that the glue is not holding to the glass/gel on the floor. But the glass/gel job is not real thick more than about 18 inches from the transom. So I am definatelly going to pull all the carpet and do a full glass job. Then probably do a vinyl covering on top of that so it looks nice (aka Boomyal's boat).

I really believe the only reason this boat is not rotten after 22 years is that they took it to the river for a day of boating, then back to the garage where the carpet dried. It was never used for days on end with soaked carpets. Plus there is no under floor foam to hold water. I think I lucked out a second time with my second boat!

 

[ParallaxBill]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

How about one of the waterproof rubberized floor coatings on top of the sealed and glassed in floors? Seems like that would be as waterproof as you can get a wood stringered floored boat.

That's what my plan is for my Glassmaster if and when I ever re-floor it. I'm definitely not recarpeting it unless I put in stainless snaps for snap-in sections.

Good option?

 

[penst8grad]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

Here's my plan http://www.grizzlygrip.com/colors.asp

I'm replacing floors/stringers right now. I'm not sure if I'll glass over the new floor or just seal with epoxy and apply this in the color that I want (liberty blue)

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

Just a thought, but I have seen a few boats with snap in carpeting. Unsnap it when it gets wet and hang it up to dry.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

my Chris Craft deckboat has the snap in carpet. it was in the boat when delivered, we took it out, and it has been in the garage attic ever since. also the snap in carpet is a far better grade of carpet than the glue down. i just don't have carpet in my boats or my home. the nastiest stuff on earth.

 

[sand sailor]

Re: Whats the best way to protect good floor against rot?

that spray in urethane bed liner works great i did my bass boat with it then sifted silica over the top but i used a roller to apply it (and when you drop your beer bottle on it it dont break)