Hello all happy holidays, Anyone have any experience / solutions to replacing the material that covers the "walls" in the head area? The white brittle vinyl stuff.
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Plastic Laminate
Go to your nearest Home Depot and purchase a sheet, 1/2 sheet, or 1/4 sheet of plain white plastic laminate. They have the tools and contact cement you will need, but plan on this task in the spring because you will need the area to be well ventilated. I scribed a horizontal line at an appropriate height so I didn't have to scrape all the existing laminate off the walls. After I installed the new laminate I tacked a teak trim strip over the horizontal joint between the old and the new. I removed the faucet set and lifted off the lavatory and scraped off the old laminate to install the new. One reason the original material didn't hold up was that it appeared to be only backing sheet thickness laminate which is not as thick or as strong as the counter top grade laminate.
Go to your nearest Home Depot and purchase a sheet, 1/2 sheet, or 1/4 sheet of plain white plastic laminate. They have the tools and contact cement you will need, but plan on this task in the spring because you will need the area to be well ventilated. I scribed a horizontal line at an appropriate height so I didn't have to scrape all the existing laminate off the walls. After I installed the new laminate I tacked a teak trim strip over the horizontal joint between the old and the new. I removed the faucet set and lifted off the lavatory and scraped off the old laminate to install the new. One reason the original material didn't hold up was that it appeared to be only backing sheet thickness laminate which is not as thick or as strong as the counter top grade laminate.
R, my Home Depot had two grades of laminate
One for counter tops and the other, vertical grade, for walls and bulkheads. The latter is thinner. I don't know why the difference. The head wall of my H34 was a bitch to replace. The bulkhead had to be built in place. (too big to get past the companion way) Then the laminate had to be glued. It has to be 'set' too. All work on this job is hard. Some tips; Make sure the boat and glue are up to room temperature or higher. The glue needs warmth to work. DO NOT use water based glue. Sure, it is safe and smells better in an enclosed space but it worked so poorly that I took it back to the store and received a refund. Have you considered paint?
One for counter tops and the other, vertical grade, for walls and bulkheads. The latter is thinner. I don't know why the difference. The head wall of my H34 was a bitch to replace. The bulkhead had to be built in place. (too big to get past the companion way) Then the laminate had to be glued. It has to be 'set' too. All work on this job is hard. Some tips; Make sure the boat and glue are up to room temperature or higher. The glue needs warmth to work. DO NOT use water based glue. Sure, it is safe and smells better in an enclosed space but it worked so poorly that I took it back to the store and received a refund. Have you considered paint?
Paint?
Fred- I was considering painting in lieu of pulling the sink,faucelts etc. Did you paint on your refit? I was thinking about a base and then a faux marbelization in the heads around the sinks
Fred- I was considering painting in lieu of pulling the sink,faucelts etc. Did you paint on your refit? I was thinking about a base and then a faux marbelization in the heads around the sinks
Considerations
Thanks for the feedback, I knew that laminate was the way it was done but I know how that goes one wrong move and BAM its on wrong I'm glad you mentioned paint Fred as I had in my mind using epoxy with pigment. maybe by using some fillers and thickeners I could smooth out the join in the companionway bulkhead and mold around my new holes made for the head plumbing. I'd still have to strip all the old off but still....
Thanks for the feedback, I knew that laminate was the way it was done but I know how that goes one wrong move and BAM its on wrong I'm glad you mentioned paint Fred as I had in my mind using epoxy with pigment. maybe by using some fillers and thickeners I could smooth out the join in the companionway bulkhead and mold around my new holes made for the head plumbing. I'd still have to strip all the old off but still....
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