Was in the Home Depot today & happened to pass by the laminate flooring section. This got me to thinking that snap-to, laminate, & plastic flooring were not really available 30 years ago when my h27 was built. I took a look at all 3 options & they all look very good....especially the plastic wood look alike flooring which usually costs more than wood & should stand up to salt water like a champ. Anyway just wanted to get your thoughts/opinions on this. Has anyone done this..? Pictures would be great..
Flooring/Cabin Sole Ideas
- Thread starter miamibmw
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My cabin sole teak/holly veneer was still in good enough condition last year to strip and refinish. But if it hadn't been, I also would have considered the Home Depot floor isle for alternative ideas. In particular, they now have a vinyl product now in several wood grain shades/patterns that comes in longer strips that interlock together (like the laminate). This vinyl would I think would work better for a boat's cabin floor than the more rigid laminate flooring because it is very flexible and will conform to the curved sections right over the existing floor.
I looked at this earlier. Here are two links giving information. One on Allure from Home Depot. And another from Konecto Products who have a teak product that may be of interest.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/hard-flooring/trafficmaster-allure-vinyl-flooring-019078
http://www.konectousa.com/products_plank.html?productTitle=addison&collection=Addison Collection
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/hard-flooring/trafficmaster-allure-vinyl-flooring-019078
http://www.konectousa.com/products_plank.html?productTitle=addison&collection=Addison Collection
My household experience with laminate floors is that they do not stand up to water intrusion.
I would be very hesitant to use one of these on the cabin sole. The insides of boats do get wet. Galley spills do occur and we all know that damn mast partner leaks. Rain drives under the dodger if at dock and the companionway is open and people do spill their wine and beer.
If the product is not recommended for household bathrooms, don't use it on a boat.
I would be very hesitant to use one of these on the cabin sole. The insides of boats do get wet. Galley spills do occur and we all know that damn mast partner leaks. Rain drives under the dodger if at dock and the companionway is open and people do spill their wine and beer.
If the product is not recommended for household bathrooms, don't use it on a boat.
I've tried the solid vinyl strip flooring
Last Spring I took ownership of an old H-30. The flooring inserts in the v-birth, head and the small passageway in front of the head had a rubber trex like flooring that was dirty ripped and pealing off. I purchased the solid vinyl flooring called TrafficMaster from Home Depot. It comes in strips about 3 feet long and 9 inches wide. Each piece has tabs on 2 sides which stick to the bottom and side of the next piece. Once you put them together they stick like nothing else. I made up sections slightly larger than necessary and used the old rubber like mats as a template. It was hard to cut so I used a very sharp utility knife and for the sharper corners used a tin snip. I used some sand paper to smooth some of the edges.
The TrafficMaster is pretty heavy but I didn't want it to move around so I used dabs silicone under the edges and a few in the center to hold it in place. That way I can remove them if necessary.
I used the cherry color which is a drop to dark. I wish it was just a little lighter. But it was not too expensive so I can change it if I feel like it. Is has a good grain texture so slipping isn't a problem. I haven't gotten to the salon floor yet which is still the teak plywood. It's pretty beaten up but I may try to refinish it or maybe I'll bag it and use the Traffic Master. I just wish they made the TrafficMaster in the traditional yacht pattern and color.
Last Spring I took ownership of an old H-30. The flooring inserts in the v-birth, head and the small passageway in front of the head had a rubber trex like flooring that was dirty ripped and pealing off. I purchased the solid vinyl flooring called TrafficMaster from Home Depot. It comes in strips about 3 feet long and 9 inches wide. Each piece has tabs on 2 sides which stick to the bottom and side of the next piece. Once you put them together they stick like nothing else. I made up sections slightly larger than necessary and used the old rubber like mats as a template. It was hard to cut so I used a very sharp utility knife and for the sharper corners used a tin snip. I used some sand paper to smooth some of the edges.
The TrafficMaster is pretty heavy but I didn't want it to move around so I used dabs silicone under the edges and a few in the center to hold it in place. That way I can remove them if necessary.
I used the cherry color which is a drop to dark. I wish it was just a little lighter. But it was not too expensive so I can change it if I feel like it. Is has a good grain texture so slipping isn't a problem. I haven't gotten to the salon floor yet which is still the teak plywood. It's pretty beaten up but I may try to refinish it or maybe I'll bag it and use the Traffic Master. I just wish they made the TrafficMaster in the traditional yacht pattern and color.
Re: I've tried the solid vinyl strip flooring
Check out the posting on Page Two of this Forum, Hunter 37 C Cabin Sole.
Check out the posting on Page Two of this Forum, Hunter 37 C Cabin Sole.
Keep water out from under it by sealing it permanently to the sole, or you are inviting rot on a very serious scale. If you want to cover up the old plywood or teak / holly plywood I would have to wonder why. If it's because it's going bad / waterstained / delaminating / rotting, then putting something over it (even carpet) will only exacerbate the existing problem.
I redid my cabin sole with painted fir plywood, epoxied on back and done with Brightside and non-skid on top. When I install this I can share pics.
I redid my cabin sole with painted fir plywood, epoxied on back and done with Brightside and non-skid on top. When I install this I can share pics.
You might want to consider "PlasTEAK" flooring. It's essentially a rolled up sheet of vinyl flooring which you "pattern" on your existing floorboards, then cut and glue on top of the existing flooring. The link is: http://plasteak.com/osc/index.php?cPath=1_30_75
If the link doesn't work just go to www.plasteak.com and follow the links to "marine".
Looks like the real thing, is extremely easy to install, and lasts forever. Actually, I understand that some production manufacturers are using it as original flooring right out of the factory for it's lack of maintenance required and durability.
I looked into it at one point for my '81 H33 and I think the delivered cost for the square footage required was about $650, including the can of glue...
If the link doesn't work just go to www.plasteak.com and follow the links to "marine".
Looks like the real thing, is extremely easy to install, and lasts forever. Actually, I understand that some production manufacturers are using it as original flooring right out of the factory for it's lack of maintenance required and durability.
I looked into it at one point for my '81 H33 and I think the delivered cost for the square footage required was about $650, including the can of glue...
I installed the Allure product from Hoem Depot. It was very easy to put down and held up very well. It is designed for use in wet areas as it has a rubber back. As ststed earlier it comes in 3 ft planks. When you install it stagger the pattern to give it a good look. I did order some samples from a marine vunyl teak company and honestly when laid next to a samle of the Home Depot Allure you could not tell the difference except it was almost 6x the price.
The boat I put it in was a Macregro 26S and it only used 1 box, about $60 bucks. It took me about 2 hours but I was very particular with the cuts.
All it took to put it down was a sharp cutting blade and a rubber mallet to setr the seals. There is no glue required. I agree that if you wanted to tie it in you could use silicone to seal the edges but I did not and it worked fine.
Good luck.
Tim
The boat I put it in was a Macregro 26S and it only used 1 box, about $60 bucks. It took me about 2 hours but I was very particular with the cuts.
All it took to put it down was a sharp cutting blade and a rubber mallet to setr the seals. There is no glue required. I agree that if you wanted to tie it in you could use silicone to seal the edges but I did not and it worked fine.
Good luck.
Tim
Another caution about DIY home-quality flooring applications
Tim, as I have said several times before in these boards, home-quality flooring materials are patently unsuitable for boats; so I will worry about the plywood underneath what you put down. Maybe the rubber won't trap moisture between it and the flooring material, but it will between it and the plywood below. This moisture will then rot out the plywood. This isn't an 'if', it's a 'when' (and will be much sooner if your boat is kept where it's warm and/or humid). The only possible way to reduce this likelihood is to have put down the flooring material, whatever its included backing, with a marine-quality bedding compound like 5200 (or West Marine's new '8200') or else WEST-type epoxy. And as I always say, silicone is NOT an adhesive and doesn't keep out water from joints in boats, only drafts of air under sash windows. ('Silicone has no place in the marine environment-- only the bathtub environment' --Dave Cherubini.)
I really hope you will watch this over the coming years. I'm sure a lot of people will claim, 'Well, that's the next guy's problem', but with VERY few exceptions we Cherubini Hunter owners are all the 'next guys' of our current boats and we know what we've had to deal with from POs. My whole cabin sole was rotted and that was because the FACTORY sealed marine plywood with polyester resin, which does as I have said-- traps moisture between it and plywood that's otherwise prone to become damp. The result was a lot of grinding and 'glassing and installing of new wood with-- you guessed it-- WEST epoxy. If the original cabin sole lasted 25 years till it came apart like wet soggy cardboard in my hands, the new floor (which is not even marine-grade) should last about twice that. There will very likely be NO 'next guy' for this boat, and I certainly won't be around to care by AD 2049.
I mean this sincerely-- good luck.
JC 2
Tim, as I have said several times before in these boards, home-quality flooring materials are patently unsuitable for boats; so I will worry about the plywood underneath what you put down. Maybe the rubber won't trap moisture between it and the flooring material, but it will between it and the plywood below. This moisture will then rot out the plywood. This isn't an 'if', it's a 'when' (and will be much sooner if your boat is kept where it's warm and/or humid). The only possible way to reduce this likelihood is to have put down the flooring material, whatever its included backing, with a marine-quality bedding compound like 5200 (or West Marine's new '8200') or else WEST-type epoxy. And as I always say, silicone is NOT an adhesive and doesn't keep out water from joints in boats, only drafts of air under sash windows. ('Silicone has no place in the marine environment-- only the bathtub environment' --Dave Cherubini.)
I really hope you will watch this over the coming years. I'm sure a lot of people will claim, 'Well, that's the next guy's problem', but with VERY few exceptions we Cherubini Hunter owners are all the 'next guys' of our current boats and we know what we've had to deal with from POs. My whole cabin sole was rotted and that was because the FACTORY sealed marine plywood with polyester resin, which does as I have said-- traps moisture between it and plywood that's otherwise prone to become damp. The result was a lot of grinding and 'glassing and installing of new wood with-- you guessed it-- WEST epoxy. If the original cabin sole lasted 25 years till it came apart like wet soggy cardboard in my hands, the new floor (which is not even marine-grade) should last about twice that. There will very likely be NO 'next guy' for this boat, and I certainly won't be around to care by AD 2049.
I mean this sincerely-- good luck.
JC 2
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