H26 floor replacement

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Sanman

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Aug 28, 2006
109
- - Birmingham, AL
I know this has been covered time and again, but I am tired of having a "Spongy" floor in my H26. even when there are no leaks, the floor has become very springy and looks like crap...

I am planning to remove the edge caulk and take it out (saving as much as I can to use for a pattern, and replacing it with a good grade rubber non skid mat cut to fit and siliconed down.

any foreseeable problems with this plan?

Thanks!

Sanford
 
Aug 11, 2006
1,446
Hunter H260 Traverse City
Sounds like a good idea. Let us know how it works out. I think you'll find that there is quite a bit of 5200 holding the sole down.

Getting the sole up will be a job; you might consider getting some Marine Formula DeBond for releasing the 5200.
 

Sanman

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Aug 28, 2006
109
- - Birmingham, AL
Funny you should mention that Debond 2000, there George! I happen to have a can of that, after I had a "Misapplication" with some 5200 while working on my Compac 19 a few years ago....
I'll keep yall posted. I think the 5200 may have died because the sole is REALLY springy...of course it may have just delaminated the wood and the bottom is probably still stuck hard...THAT would be more my luck.
 
Jul 5, 2005
23
Hunter 26 Lake Lanier, GA
I think it might be worth while to apply some heat. I once used a clothes iron to lightly heat OLD linoleum tiles before removing alot of them. Might be worth a try.

Jan D
S/V Tickled Pink
Atlanta, GA
 

Sanman

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Aug 28, 2006
109
- - Birmingham, AL
OK... Heres the report on the floor:
NO 5200... No heat needed. Pulled right up from the (rather crappy application of) SILICONE that was holding it down.. Came right up in one piece!!! in less than 5 minutes!
I don't know if the boat was built on a Friday and they ran out of 5200 and the floor guy said "Heck I'll just stick it down with this here clear silicone" or what... but thats all that was, and apparently had EVER been, holding it down....
WOOO HOOO finally a boat project that I THOUGHT would be a complete bitch... was easy as pie! Sure I had to scrape a little bit with a razor, like maybe 20 minutes, to get all the silicone rubber up, but not NEAR as bad as it would have been, had the factory used 5200.
The floor had been holding water under the plywood ( 1/4" inch thick btw) and was a bit yucky, but a bit of clorox and a little elbow grease and now I'm ready to replace it with a good quality rubber nonskid mat... which I still have to source...but It shouldn't be too difficult...
And to think I had been dreading this for a month!
 
Aug 11, 2006
1,446
Hunter H260 Traverse City
You are lucky, others have broken the sole trying to get it up. When you get it finished try to post pictures as water under the sole is a common problem with the H240/26/260
 
Jan 22, 2008
171
Hunter 260 Lake Carlyle, Illinois
Darn!

My H-26 (Grasshopper II) that ended up upside down in the median of I-57 last Friday before Mother's Day had a brand new floor- purchased directly from Hunter Marine - and installed with great care by my wife Tracy.

Last time I saw it - (it was now above me as the boat was still upside down) it was absolutely beautiful!

Tom Grass
Creve Coeur, Missouri
 
May 16, 2007
1,509
Boatless ! 26 Ottawa, Ontario
the floor on my 04 260 also had water under it and was held down with what appeared to white silicone caulking, it did not have a good seal along most of the edge joint. The floor looked fine, just squishy under foot. I cut all the silicone caulking out along the edge joint and let it dry out for about 2 months. The floor became solid again. I then sealed the edge with 5200, it appears to be held down well now and staying dry. I washed the joint with solvent before applying the 5200. The 5200 made a good seal between the wood and fiberglass, seems to be much better than the silicone used by the factory.
Bob
 

Sanman

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Aug 28, 2006
109
- - Birmingham, AL
Sooo... I went to Lowes and got me some of those interlocking rubber mats that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, and used my old floor as a template, cut the mats to shape and now I have a nifty rubber floor in my boat! :D
 

Sanman

.
Aug 28, 2006
109
- - Birmingham, AL
the floor on my 04 260 also had water under it and was held down with what appeared to white silicone caulking, it did not have a good seal along most of the edge joint. The floor looked fine, just squishy under foot. I cut all the silicone caulking out along the edge joint and let it dry out for about 2 months. The floor became solid again. I then sealed the edge with 5200, it appears to be held down well now and staying dry. I washed the joint with solvent before applying the 5200. The 5200 made a good seal between the wood and fiberglass, seems to be much better than the silicone used by the factory.
Bob
Bob, My floor had a Black RTV-like substance around the edge.. but underneath was just plain old clear silicone caulk. No sign of 5200 anywhere...Glad you solved your floor issue as well!
 
Jan 23, 2009
2
Hunter h26 Lake Pepin
Sanford: Read your post and all replys, I need to replace the cabin sole in my h26 as well. I like the rubber mat solution. How thick is the mat material and how did you fasten it down to make it water thight? RLB
 
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