# Boat floor material



## JasonL (May 17, 2011)

I need to do some repair work on my boat's floor and was wanting to find a water resistant flooring material that is fairly light. I was thinking about trying to find some sort of PVC material in sheets from 1/2 to 3/4 inches in thickness.

Anyone see any reason why this wouldn't work? Also, does anyone know where in the area I could find a material like this?


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## GWally (May 16, 2009)

Probably not what you are looking for, but I needed to replace 2 decent size deck areas in my "project". It is not light, but I don't know of any poly that would have held up without using stiffeners. I picked up some of the 3/4 cabinet plywood at HD. They have it at a very reasonable price and it has exterior glue. After seeing some epoxy coated exterior stuff peel and doing some reading, I decided on the best exterior latex I could find. This stuff holds up over 6 years of testing and I remember having some wood siding still looking good after like 15 years. The research I did which was about guys using this stuff on boats, including hulls, indicates that the advantage is that the main ingredients (don't remember the technical term) being water based, will actually absord into the wood where other solvents will not. One of the posters discovered that when he was trying to strip part of an old boat that had been painted with latex, he couldn't get it all, it had soaked into the wood.
I used recent Consumer Reports testing and decided on the Behr Ultra Supreme (something like that) exterior latex which is also a primer. I have been impressed with how it holds up. 
Just a thought. The thing I like about it is if it gets scuffed up, just roll or brush some more on.
I had painted our front porch with marine Polyurethane and some places it just didn't do that well. I redid it with the Behr and it is holding up to foot traffic and washes off.
Sorry to be so long. Just a thought.
If you do go this way, I have put several coats on the edges to ensure they are well sealed.
Starboard would probably do a good job for you, but can be really pricey.


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## JasonL (May 17, 2011)

GWally said:


> Probably not what you are looking for, but I needed to replace 2 decent size deck areas in my "project". It is not light, but I don't know of any poly that would have held up without using stiffeners. I picked up some of the 3/4 cabinet plywood at HD. They have it at a very reasonable price and it has exterior glue. After seeing some epoxy coated exterior stuff peel and doing some reading, I decided on the best exterior latex I could find. This stuff holds up over 6 years of testing and I remember having some wood siding still looking good after like 15 years. The research I did which was about guys using this stuff on boats, including hulls, indicates that the advantage is that the main ingredients (don't remember the technical term) being water based, will actually absord into the wood where other solvents will not. One of the posters discovered that when he was trying to strip part of an old boat that had been painted with latex, he couldn't get it all, it had soaked into the wood.
> I used recent Consumer Reports testing and decided on the Behr Ultra Supreme (something like that) exterior latex which is also a primer. I have been impressed with how it holds up.
> Just a thought. The thing I like about it is if it gets scuffed up, just roll or brush some more on.
> I had painted our front porch with marine Polyurethane and some places it just didn't do that well. I redid it with the Behr and it is holding up to foot traffic and washes off.
> ...



Thanks for all of the info. Are there any retail outlets for Starboard in Pensacola?


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Starboard isn't light and definitely not cheap. Are you trying to put the stuff down to create a floor?


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## JasonL (May 17, 2011)

kanaka said:


> Starboard isn't light and definitely not cheap. Are you trying to put the stuff down to create a floor?


 I'm not trying to redo the whole floor as I was advised against it by a boat mechanic. The floor has a little sponge to it near the back and I'm trying to sure it up a bit by maybe laying a solid floor on top of a portion on the back of the boat.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Gotcha on fix. Short of spending an obscene ammount of $$ on starboard or marine grade plywood (NOT TREATED STUFF!) if you go Lowes or Home Depot and look at the cabinet grade plywood in whatever thickness they carry, if you can find a sheet that is blemished, offer them 1/2 the going price. 
It's gonna be the closest to marine grade ply you can find. Seal it using epoxy or resin, mount it.

This might help. http://www.westsystem.com/ss/fiberglass-boat-repair-and-restoration/


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> I picked up some of the 3/4 cabinet plywood at HD


That is a mistake to use and I'm sure you paid a fair amount for it. It will delaminate.

Merridiths has A-B Fir Marine plywood and at the best price on the Gulf coast I might add.

As to using a PVC board. Such as NidaCore...It will not hold screws. Provisions must be made to fasten things like a console.



> I'm not trying to redo the whole floor as I was advised against it by a boat mechanic. The floor has a little sponge to it near the back and I'm trying to sure it up a bit by maybe laying a solid floor on top of a portion on the back of the boat.


Another mistake laying a floor over a floor. Your just adding weight...How you gonna get it to drain, when the aft floor is higher than the front?


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

It won't delaminate if its encapsulated.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Still...Using Cabinet grade material in a boat is NOT what you want. Have you ever done a Freeze/Boil test on it....Do you know what that is?

I have and it will come apart. The A-B Fir Marine will not. Cabinet grade plywood is not inexpensive.

Freeze /boil test- A 3in square of the material is boiled for 3mi. Then put in the freezer for 1 hr..Then boil, then freeze. then boil, then freeze....If it pass's that test it is worthy of a boat building material.

Might want to read the book...........

http://www.amazon.com/Boatbuilding-With-Plywood-Glen-Witt/dp/0939070073/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372948366&sr=8-2&keywords=Building+plywood+boats


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

I believe you're missing the whole point. The OP is obviously not wanting to rip out the floor for the repair and is doing a quick fix.
If he finds the wood at 1/2 price, it's the same price as exterior grade wood. 
And that A-B fir marine isn't inexpensive either. 
Even MDF properly encapsulated will hold up.
Of course, if you're working on something you plan on keeping forever, spend the $$$ and do it correctly.

I have this book.....
http://www.amazon.com/Gougeon-Brothers-Boat-Construction-Materials/dp/1878207504


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## oldflathead (Oct 3, 2007)

*How long are you going to keep it?*



JasonL said:


> I need to do some repair work on my boat's floor and was wanting to find a water resistant flooring material that is fairly light. I was thinking about trying to find some sort of PVC material in sheets from 1/2 to 3/4 inches in thickness.
> 
> Anyone see any reason why this wouldn't work? Also, does anyone know where in the area I could find a material like this?


Nida-core is a honeycomb plastic available in several thicknesses. You may apply a layer of bi or tri-axial cloth on the bottom side, dry fit, shape, place and apply another layer of cloth on the top with more epoxy. I have witnessed a fat boy jumping up and down on a 4' X 8' piece of nida-core that had a bi-axial epoxied on each side. It was suspended between two saw horses near the end - tough stuff and you can carry a piece that size with one hand.

Bobby, "X-Shark" is right, you must prepare hard spots for fittings or glassing in stainless nuts, called "sex nuts" by some.

We just found a new place for nida - core over by Elberta, AL, south of 98
BMG Direct, INC, phone 1-888-321-3752, website www.bmgdirectinc.com

Layering should not be an option, IMHO, remove and replace.
If weight is not a factor, then you could use plywood. I used treated plywood that I aged/dried inside for a year, then epoxied and used as the deck on my fiberglass pontoon type boat. The builder had used this in the original floor, 1990 to 2012, or 22 years. Since I am 75 YO, it will probably outlast me 

Call if I can be of assistance. I have been doing fiberglass repair since 1962, but not now - too old and too tired.
Tom 572 1225 call 0800 to 1200 only


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

Tom aka oldflathead knows his stuff.


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## GoneCoastal (May 1, 2008)

Piece of aluminum sheet?


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## T-Blaze (Aug 10, 2009)

The best material to use replacing floors or any plywood is Penske or Coosa board. It is 100% composite, light, compress foam with fiberglass impregnated in it so it bonds easily with polyester resins. It comes in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" for transoms. You can get it from Advanced Plastics in Elberta 251-327-6136


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> It comes in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" for transoms.


Coosa also comes in 1 1/2in 26lb density. But there is a problem with these. Screws just don't hold in high stress area's .....Such as T-Top's or seat pedestals.


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## TheMasterBaiter (Jun 4, 2012)

So what ended up happening??


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