Interior Refinishing (Newbie needs help!)

Michael Davis · Dec 2, 2020

If you plan to insulate you need to make room for the insulation. I used 1/2x3/4 in. fir for spacers at 16 in.spaces. then insulated between them and covered with t&g cedar. Covering with a headliner material covers a lot of bumps and rough spots as will the original foam backed vinyl.

Under construction

Head liner installed. I did this first in what I call my tool room and will make some changes in the next part. Everything is a learning experience.

dlochner · Dec 2, 2020

In the world of boating, common words often have very different meanings. As you note, the "walls" in a boat are either bulkheads or ceilings and the floors are not the thing you are standing on, which is the sole, but the timbers (or frames) that hold up the sole. Anyway, I digress.

@Michael Davis is guiding you in the right direction. It is possible to sand the bare fiberglass a little to remove some of the roughest points and then paint with several coats of high build epoxy primer and then cover with some sort of fabric or carpet. Whether the underlying fiberglass prints through the covering will depend on the covering, a thin vinyl will probably print through a lot, carpet, not as much.

A more elegant approach is basically the approach Michael used. Clean up the fiberglass and glue furring strips to the ceilings with a few gobs of very thickened epoxy (peanut butter consistency). Align the strips so the surface is fair.this will provide space to add insulation. This approach will provide a several finishing options. Cover everything with ¼" door skin plywood and cover the plywood with vinyl, or use 1" x ½" wood strips of the wood of your choice. Secure the strips with bronze screws. Or use bead board from the local big box HW store. There probably other creative ways to accomplish this.

To control the mildew look for the articles on this in Practical Sailor. Forumla B is a good preventative and environmentally friendly. Air circulation is also important which the furring strips can help provide.

Good Luck! Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Justin_NSA · Dec 2, 2020

Welcome! Congrats on the new boat. It's a good time to get some projects done before the next season.

Justin_NSA · Dec 2, 2020

Be sure to get the leaks fixed before you start on the interior so they don't ruin your new work

Justin_NSA · Dec 2, 2020

Justin_NSA said:
Welcome! Congrats on the new boat. It's a good time to get some projects done before the next season.

You are in Florida. You only have one season

DArcy · Dec 2, 2020

against.the.wind. said:
Thanks, yea we’re getting there now that rainy season is done here. That last tropical storm we had was a blessing in disguise, showing us all the spots we may have not found til next summer.

Ha, that's what happened to me. I thought I had the leaks sorted... and then it rained. I'll be going through this same effort soon, replacing the foam backed vinyl liner. I plan on using white bead board over epoxied in battens and foam insulation similar to what @dlochner described

PaulK · Dec 2, 2020

One caveat: covering the inside of the hull with sheets of beadboard or doorskins will be really tricky, because the sheets only want to bend in one plane, and the hull is curved in two directions at once. That is why ceiling (the covering on the inside of the hull) is usually made of strips, as has been suggested. It would be smart to varnish the strips before screwing them into place. The finish will be less likely to have sags and drips, and you will probably have better light doing the brushwork outside of the boat so you can see what you're doing. The overhead can be done the same way, perhaps painted white instead of varnished, or with wider strips. Plywood might work on the overhead because the bends aren't generally as pronounced.

Michael Davis · Dec 2, 2020

PaulK said:
Plywood might work on the overhead because the bends aren't generally as pronounced.

I used 1/4x 3 t&g in the aft state room where the compound curves are the worst. In the V-berth I used 1/8in. plywood as the curves are less. I spent some time in the boat with a bunch of cardboard and a box cutter to make a template then cut the wood at home. That worked out pretty well as I only had to do minor adjustments with a hand plane. Will be doing some more this winter.

Capt Robbie · Dec 2, 2020

Welcome and cod grats

how much insulation are you looking for and why? Your profile shows you are in Fl. Are you looking to aircondition the space? A cheap method to insulate is 20 foot roles of foil heat shield. It's is bubble wrap with a layer of foil on both sides. Looks like the same material that is used on car windshield shades.

Easy to install with spray adhesive and conforms to just about any shape. Great stuff and reflects a lot of heat.

Hope this helps

dlochner · Dec 3, 2020

against.the.wind. said:
The more I thought of it the more questions I had. I think the bubble insulation is a great idea, seems simple but effective. Has anyone used something more dense? My boyfriend keeps bringing up rubber padding as an insulator (much like a yoga mat material) mainly for cushion, although I don’t think we need it. I know air space is key to insulating, was just curious if anyone had any thoughts or if they have tried it?

First, bubble wrap, the packing kind and the kind we all like to pop is not the insulation you want to use. The brand to look for is Reflective (see link below). This has both air pockets and a silver coating to reflect heat. It comes in different sizes. Another advantage is its smooth surface. Mold and mildew seem to like coarser surfaces over smooth surfaces. Could be why the grout in the shower gets mold before the tiles.

I suppose a yoga mat would work, however, if it is an open cell foam, it will absorb moisture which is not what you want. Even if it is closed cell, cutting the foam to fit will open up cells. Nice homes for moisture and mold/mildew.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Reflectix-R-21-50-sq-ft-Unfaced-Reflective-Roll-Insulation-24-in-W-x-25-ft-L/3011904

Justin_NSA · Dec 3, 2020

On a side note. We probably get just as hot, although not as humid as FL. The best addition to Bella was a full deck, minus cockpit, cover. It keeps the sun off of the deck and has an airgap for circulation. It makes a significant difference on the temps below when we are in the slip. Also protects the 'glas, windows, and lines.
Don't look at it like a Band-Aid though. You should still fix the leaks.

jmce1587 · Dec 3, 2020

Below is a you tube video of a couple that insulated their old boat

for hatch covers, companionway covers you might want to look at incorporating this material into your covers. From Lowe’s.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Reflectix-R-21-100-sq-ft-Unfaced-Reflective-Roll-Insulation-48-in-W-x-25-ft-L/3011906

finally for full boat covers to keep the heat down and not have your AC work as hard look into these sun shades.

Amazon.com : Shade Sails

DArcy · Dec 3, 2020

jmce1587 said:
Below is a you tube video of a couple that insulated their old boat

for hatch covers, companionway covers you might want to look at incorporating this material into your covers. From Lowe’s.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Reflectix-R-21-100-sq-ft-Unfaced-Reflective-Roll-Insulation-48-in-W-x-25-ft-L/3011906

finally for full boat covers to keep the heat down and not have your AC work as hard look into these sun shades.

Amazon.com : Shade Sails

That's a good example of poor material selection. The "gym mat" stuff they used is poor insulation and more expensive than the Reflectix foil backed bubble roll that Dave linked above and will likely hold mildew much better. The one advantage to it is it is it is fairly durable and could be left uncovered, although not an attractive finish.