Cabin Sole Part 1- Replacement

Mar 11, 2013
57
S2 9.2 Port Washington, WI
Wow, thank you guys for the help/input. I have the floor 2/3rds removed but like the ideas of a Skil saw cutting slits. I have a Fein Oscillating tool and have most of the blades and none of them seemed to cut through the adhesive. Whatever S2 used for adhesive, it is tough!

I have made a template for the new floor out of a construction paper. It's tough to get all of the corners cut properly but....well I did the best I knew how. Am taking the pattern to a cabinet shop for them to cut the plywood....maybe the idea of having them cut a thin wood template, first, is the right way to do it.

The belt sander for sanding down the floor sounds good but what a mess! Sawdust everywhere...but, I guess there is no alternative. Maybe I'll get an adapter for a vacuum attachment on the belt sander.

Sure appreciate all of the suggestions on this forum/site! Couldn't possibly do a good job without it!

Don
 
Mar 11, 2013
57
S2 9.2 Port Washington, WI
Looks very familiar - except that my existing floor is glued to a flat contiguous floor vs yours being on "stringers."

How do you intend to prevent the reoccurrence of the intrusion of water into the edges of your plywood/teak and holly veneer to prevent the staining?

ideas/suggestions were provided in this forum...is that what you intend to do, as well?

Don
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,086
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
Please do not use 5200 or epoxy. Use something more pliable like Sika 291. 5200 is why removing old soles is such a PITA. 5200 is the BFH of marine sealants.
assuming the new floor will last another 25 years and the boat will be over fifty years old another replacement might be low probability but your point is valid.
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Looks very familiar - except that my existing floor is glued to a flat contiguous floor vs yours being on "stringers."

How do you intend to prevent the reoccurrence of the intrusion of water into the edges of your plywood/teak and holly veneer to prevent the staining?

ideas/suggestions were provided in this forum...is that what you intend to do, as well?

Don
the S2 does have stringers under the plywood sub-floor...if you have problems with the surface after you strip it of the old flooring as to elevations you can fill the voids with ever-cote kitty hair polyester filler its about 25 dollars a qt or use the Kevlar short hair either will work ...let it harden and grind the grade back to good condition ...as for the water intrusion you will have some from time to time just seal the edges the best you can and call it a day ...i have thought about this a lot and i have decided i can't make it bullet/water proof so i am not going to loose sleep over it.... the boat was designed to shed water to the bilge area and for the most part it does its job..i would not be replacing the flooring if it had not been flooded with sweet water for over a year i would be scraping it and refinishing it ....good luck
 
Mar 11, 2013
57
S2 9.2 Port Washington, WI
Hey, it's the S2 9.2 A guy redoing my teak and holly floor. I was able to remove all of the plywood and used a belt sander to smooth it out. There are gouges where I dug too deep with my chisel but otherwise it is pretty flat. Woodster, I believe, recommended laying down a coat of Evercote Kitty hair polyester filler before glueing it down with Silka 291. The old floor was also nailed down!

I wonder if I person should just use marine brass screws and screw it down? I realize that there is going to be a seam and that maybe glue would keep the boards flat and together. Is this the reason to glue and nail it down? Seems like the screws corroded with time and began to "show."

Just looking for more help before I dive into the final work. Seems hard to glue it down...it was sooooo hard to get up (remove from the original glue)!

Don
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Hey, it's the S2 9.2 A guy redoing my teak and holly floor. I was able to remove all of the plywood and used a belt sander to smooth it out. There are gouges where I dug too deep with my chisel but otherwise it is pretty flat. Woodster, I believe, recommended laying down a coat of Evercote Kitty hair polyester filler before glueing it down with Silka 291. The old floor was also nailed down!

I wonder if I person should just use marine brass screws and screw it down? I realize that there is going to be a seam and that maybe glue would keep the boards flat and together. Is this the reason to glue and nail it down? Seems like the screws corroded with time and began to "show."

Just looking for more help before I dive into the final work. Seems hard to glue it down...it was sooooo hard to get up (remove from the original glue)!

Don
totally amazing i have been in the boat taking out the old sole today as well

...I wound up using an air chisel on that ...i now have 3... 26 gallon garbage bags full of plywood chips and dust ......as for the gouges just use the kitty hair mix to repair them and sand them flush....I didn't find any nails in my floor at all...but what i did find was a plywood deck subsurface with some fiberglass cloth on it along with some kind of flooring cement that attached the sole to the sub-floor...i also found where they had plugged the floor after putting foam under the sub-floor ...i have a squeaky spot on the starboard side about where the stringer is that supports the floor/sole ...so I core drilled it to locate the center of the stringer so i can fasten it solid....i will probably use 2" glue coated 1/4 inch crown staples in that area with an air powered staple gun....i have a lot of sanding to do to get it back in good repair and keep everything on the same plane.....i am going to do a search on adhesives to bond the floor to the new sole ...not sure what i will use just yet but it must be water proof and applicable with a serrated trowel...i think i will make patterns tomorrow for the cuts in the new teak and holly ....i wish i could have saved the old flooring as i know it was better plywood than we get today ..oh well such is life
 
Mar 11, 2013
57
S2 9.2 Port Washington, WI
Hi Woodster....yes, totally over the edge! Good thing I am not busy in my engineering work...I'm pretty much occupied on this floor retrofit project.

So, I guess it sounds like I should just rely upon the glue to hold the new floor in place. And, if I heard correctly, the glue for the new floor should be "Silka 291" - right?

I see your beautiful S2 with blue hull on your notes....Pretty!

Don
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
thanks Don as far as the sitka 291 goes i am think that a good floor adhesive that is thick like a water proof glue that you can trowel on with a serrated trowel with 1/4 inch gaps on the serrated side so when you lay it down on the adhesive it will level out and bond very well dont know what kind yet but am looking .........
 
Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
Sika 291 should work well. It never gets brittle, and completely waterproof. It's easy my number one 'boat goo', and has never let me down..
 
Mar 11, 2013
57
S2 9.2 Port Washington, WI
Sitka 291 for cabin sole

thanks Don as far as the sitka 291 goes i am think that a good floor adhesive that is thick like a water proof glue that you can trowel on with a serrated trowel with 1/4 inch gaps on the serrated side so when you lay it down on the adhesive it will level out and bond very well dont know what kind yet but am looking .........
Dear Woodster,

I was talking to a flooring company and they recommended using Portland cement on top of the plywood subfloor - says it is self leveling. Does Sitka 291 serve as a "hole filler/self leveler?"

Don
 
Jan 25, 2007
339
Cal Cal 33-2 cape cod
OK, I'm just about finished. Placing the boards in = more or less 10 hours. All boards needed trimming (score cut line with razor before cutting so veneer doesn't chip!) sanding, swearing, belt sanding, trimming, more swearing before they would fit properly. Then glue, placing weight on top, then arriving next day to finish., ect. I primed the boards so When glue dries I'll put a few more coats of Poly and call it a this winter project complete.
 

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Mar 11, 2013
57
S2 9.2 Port Washington, WI
Wow, nice job William. What did you use for varnish and what was the glue used to lay the floor to sub floor? did You use any screws to hold the floor down? My floor has a bit of a bend to the sheet and I'm worried that it might need screws to hold it down while the glue dries.

Don
 
Jan 25, 2007
339
Cal Cal 33-2 cape cod
Thanks and Pardon my late responses, and project delays. I used West System 2-part epoxy to secure floor, no screws, the middle pieces are pressed in allowing bilge access, buy extra disposable static mixers, if you plan on glueing only one section at a time. And MinWax Polyurathane for floors. I thought I'd need screws too, but with sand bags & weights the glue held pieces secure. Good luck. This was a tough project, but I think I over stressed, the small gaps along edges don't really affect the big picture, after all it's a boat, although sometimes I believe she's a piano.
 
Mar 11, 2013
57
S2 9.2 Port Washington, WI
Excellent.... I've left my boat "apart" and ready for re-assembly in May. So, I'll be following your work and will let you know how it turns out.

Did you varnish the boards on both sides and edges before you set them in place or just put them in and varnished the tops after in place?

My boards are cut but not glued down, yet. I'm planning on varnishing them and then laying them in place.

Did you use satin Finnish or gloss on the varnish or a combination of the two?

Hmm, sand bags to set on top of them after you glued the boards down?... wow, sounds scary for possible loose sand getting into the cracks or beneath! I guess caution is the watch word!

Don
 
Jan 25, 2007
339
Cal Cal 33-2 cape cod
1-2 coats Polyurethane satin on top, thomsons water seal edges/back side. Before install.

I'll put a few topcoats on before launching boat next month.

Any weight will do, I even wedge boat hook between ceiling and boards. Feels comforting to have a new solid floor beneath my feet. Good luck.
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Dear Woodster,

I was talking to a flooring company and they recommended using Portland cement on top of the plywood subfloor - says it is self leveling. Does Sitka 291 serve as a "hole filler/self leveler?"

Don
Skippie10..... just saw your post about 5 months late.....i dont think the flooring guy understands about flooring a boat sole as far as sitka 291 goes its a good product but i elected to use a urethane based construction adhesive not liquid nails but PL400 by loctite...it has good adhesion and great working time and is messy as hell lol but also has the same qualities as gorilla glue only a lot thicker and can be applied with a caulking gun ...clean up is wd-40 and the only thing i have found that works now if i have made a bad choice i will know in about a year but i don't thinks so as i have used it on decorating garage doors for years and had great success ...i have glue spanish cedar and cypress and also mahogany with this