Flooring Ideas

[jssailem]

I am considering addressing the interior flooring of my boat. When I bought it the owner had painted the interior marine plywood grey. I threw down a couple of carpets to soften the image and get by for a while. Now I am looking at a more permanent solution.

One suggestion has been vinyl planks. There are some new ideas out there in flooring. The vinyl is touted a water proof. The look of wood. Yet I wonder if it holds up and if it would get slippery from long term use. Maybe that is not an issue. These new vinyl floors are floated floors. Would they work on a boat as well as they claim in a kitchen?

I am thinking I could still use a carpet runner on the deck.

Or do I go with the traditional wood floor like Holly & Teak? Maybe a Maple.

What are your thoughts and ideas?

 

[JRT]

Following, just pulled the carpet out of my O'day 25 because it seemed to hold moisture and bugs. Seriously considering the floating floor planks also.

 

[Terry Cox]

If some day our teak holly sole ever needs replacing I would do in same. Really like the look, holds up well and fits nice with the boat ambiance.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

If you are thinking of Maple - look at Birch Ply. You can buy it prefinished. Don’t know how well it stands up to walking on but suspect fairly well. Teak & Holley would be north of 3 boat bucks
Les

 

[Pirate Dave]

Lonseal makes one that is in vinyl. Simulated teak and holly, cherry ext

 

[Gunni]

If your substrate is good why not go with Lonseal Lonwood sheet? It has the marine look and is made for the task.

 

[pateco]

If your substrate is good why not go with Lonseal Lonwood sheet? It has the marine look and is made for the task.

Lonseal looks great, my neaighbor just did his Catalina36 with it and it looks great, but at $40 for a 1' by 6' piece (72" width sold by the linear foot), I wouldn't call it cheap

That Is why I am looking for something similar but cheaper

I found similar sheet vinyl on Alibaba
47in x 94in cheap wholesale boat floor US $28-35 / Sheet | 20 Sheet/Sheets (Min. Order)

 

[jssailem]

In looking at such products Gunni, the questions come up about temperatures of the product.

Do you know of issues either too hot or too cold? Some of the issues appear to have been on boats where the vinyl products were outside and exposed to direct sunlight.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

With 20 sheets you could do the cabin and the top sides and have over half left

 

[pateco]

With 20 sheets you could do the cabin and the top sides and have over half left

Yeah, but on top of the $700 for the 20 sheets, freight will be expensive from China
I would want to get samples, and then split the 20 sheet order with someone.

 

[JamesG161]

Before you buy, give me a PM. I would think a surface that withstands wear and cleaning chemicals.
Jim...

 

[Gunni]

In looking at such products Gunni, the questions come up about temperatures of the product.

Do you know of issues either too hot or too cold? Some of the issues appear to have been on boats where the vinyl products were outside and exposed to direct sunlight.

I wouldn’t use this on deck, but down below it looks good and wears well. Installed on the sole, it is going to see the most stable temps in the boat.

 

[Will Gilmore]

While I think Vinyl is as legitimate a material as any, I abhor non-wood products that try to look like wood when they have so many more options for looks. Real vinyl should look like vinyl. I also like the "marine look" in the vinyl and as long as it doesn't try to be wood it is a nice look.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[leo310]

We installed vinyl plank flooring in our home and found it ok even when wet, that is not slippery. You may want to look at installing it on a sub-floor then screw it down,its easy to cut and trim.

 

[jssailem]

I abhor non-wood products that try to look like wood

I understand the purity thing. They say they have material that looks like tile and travertine.

 

[sesmith]

I replaced the teak and holly ply on the floor of our boat a couple of years ago. Marine teak and holly is few and far between where I live, and shipping a sheet is ridiculously expensive, so I made some "faux" teak and holly using some birch plywood and some creative staining.

Here's the piece before I peeled off the tape (you have to score the tape edges when taping to keep the stain from creeping)



After peeling the tape:



Finished floor. Sealed it with a couple of coats of epoxy, and several coats of polyurethane:



We've had it in a couple of years now with no issues.

 

[Ken Cross]

In looking at such products Gunni, the questions come up about temperatures of the product.

Do you know of issues either too hot or too cold? Some of the issues appear to have been on boats where the vinyl products were outside and exposed to direct sunlight.

Temps in a boat cabin floor should average cooler as well as more stable than any house. If anything it should be more stable. The issue with floating products: in a house 4 walls limit where it can migrate. On a boat you would need some mechanical limit. Especially near bilges, storage, or other large floor penetrations.

Ken

 

[dLj]

I've always wondered why one wouldn't put in a solid wood floor. I know it would be a lot of work to put down compared with some of these flooring materials. But very good long term prospects. No delamination like the plywood floors. Why is this not an option?

dj

 

[sesmith]

I've always wondered why one wouldn't put in a solid wood floor. I know it would be a lot of work to put down compared with some of these flooring materials. But very good long term prospects. No delamination like the plywood floors. Why is this not an option?

dj

Solid teak and maple here, but pricey:

https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=51938

 

[HMT2]

Teak & Holley would be north of 3 boat bucks

I replaced teak and holly for less than $600.00 three coats of West System epoxy and three coats of varnish. Did it all my self.