# Putting new floor in boat



## sleepyluke (May 28, 2008)

Alright, I figure this is about as good as I am going to get in one place so here goes. I have a 1988 Supra ski boat that I love and runs fantastic. My problem is that I am starting to get a few soft spots in the floor. Now I know the BEST thing to do is completely gut it and redo stringers up, but I don't have the capabilities/facilities to do that right now, and to have it done is going to be roughly $5,000. My thought is to basically place a new floor on top of the existing one. This would basically be a 3/4 treated plywood base covered with new carpet flushed up around all edges, and then put a little piece of quarter round around the edges for a cleaner look. These would be fiberglassed before carpeting. Now keep in mind that we are at 21 years old now, so even 10 years puts me at a 30 year old equipment. Underneath the existing floor is open so it will have some ventilation from underneath, so I am not sure I am adding a lot of extra "rot increaser" to the boat, but not comepletely sure. I am capable of doing the job and making it look good, I just don't want to do it and then find out I have basically cut down the life of the boat or something like that. 


Am I crazy to think this will work? Any suggestions on how to do this or other thoughts that would or have worked better for you guys? Thanks


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## unibober (Apr 6, 2009)

Just some quick advice. If you are going to cover the floor, dont use treated plywood. Epoxy wont stick for long plus you dont need it to be treated if you encapsulate it in resin. Outdoor ply will actually work better. Best would be marine ply but it is expensive and probably not available locally. Just a quick note.


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

First of all, pressure treated wood can be used and actually might be a good option in your case. If you are trying to do this cheap, you will probably want to use polyester resin anyways (i think you can use epoxy on PT wood but I'd research it). If your deck is soft, you will probably have some degree of rot in the stringers. My concern with your method is that the new deck screws might not be able to grab solid wood. If you have rotten stringers, the deck might not have strong wood to attach to. You can drill through your deck and into the stringers to find out. Otherwise, you will not know until you rip out the deck. If you ignore the rot under the deck, be prepared for the consequences. You will be able to enjoy your boat a little longer but before too long you will have a cracked up hull worth nothing; it sounds like you have already realized that.


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## sleepyluke (May 28, 2008)

> *pb&jellyfish (8/10/2009)*You will be able to enjoy your boat a little longer but before too long you will have a cracked up hull worth nothing; it sounds like you have already realized that.


This is one of the main reasons I asked, had not really thought about the consequences to the hull. Might have to reconsider already....

Thanks


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

I re-read you post, and noticed your'e putting a new deck over the old, instead of replacing it. Unless you build it so that water can be trapped between the deck layers, I don't think that it will make things worse. The rot is working from the inside out, so adding a layer to the outside isn't going to affect that. You might be able to add inspection ports too allow ventilation when you aren't using it. This is assuming you keep it covered, which is always a good idea. Not taking care of the rot is sending the boat to it's death, so just remember that.


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

> *sleepyluke (8/10/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *pb&jellyfish (8/10/2009)*You will be able to enjoy your boat a little longer but before too long you will have a cracked up hull worth nothing; it sounds like you have already realized that.
> ...




So I guess you do want your boat to be around for awhile. The only way to really know what is going on down there is to rip up the deck and take a look. You might be able to inspect the bilge area or any opening in the deck and take a look at the condition of the stringers. Basically, if your stringers are not solid, the hull will flex more than it's allowed to causing the shell to break down over a period of time. There is a chance that the stringers are good, and the deck wasn't sealed well underneath, but honestly its probably worse than that. You might be able to cut out holes big enough to put a small hammer in so you can tap the stringers to test them. If they are okay, you can cover the holes with inspection ports and put it off a little longer. Just an idea.


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