As the days get longer on the Great Lakes, my mind has been wandering around to making a few improvements on "Unconditional", a Macgregor 26X. One project this year is to replace the companionway hatch cover with a new 2-piece unit with screens for ventilation and bug protection. I thought a cheap and chearful framing material might be laminate flooring that can be purchased at Home Depot or any flooring outlet. You can cut it, drill it, glue it, sand it, even rout it. It should never warp. It never needs painting. It looks great. 2 drawbacks that I can see. - It's heavy - I haven't found mahogany or teak .... lots of oak shades though Has anyone else tryed this and if so what was the application? Feedback is appreciated. Ralph K.
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I should never warp?
Ralph: This is one of the biggest problems with the laminate flooring. If it gets wet is is all over. The subtrate on most of this stuff is sawdust composite. Our neighbors had a beautiful oak floor in their home (pergo like stuff), their dishwasher had a major leak and the floor was destroyed. Now some of the new materials may be better, but you better check it out before you take on this type of a project and then find out the stuff needs to be replaced. Many of the new boats are using this stuff now, so maybe they have something that works in a marine environment. Check with Hunter or Catalina and ask them what they are using before you go with a Home Depot/Lowes product.
Ralph: This is one of the biggest problems with the laminate flooring. If it gets wet is is all over. The subtrate on most of this stuff is sawdust composite. Our neighbors had a beautiful oak floor in their home (pergo like stuff), their dishwasher had a major leak and the floor was destroyed. Now some of the new materials may be better, but you better check it out before you take on this type of a project and then find out the stuff needs to be replaced. Many of the new boats are using this stuff now, so maybe they have something that works in a marine environment. Check with Hunter or Catalina and ask them what they are using before you go with a Home Depot/Lowes product.
It doesn't warp
It explodes! I will never again buy furniture or anything else made from laminate. If it gets wet it swells up to double its size or more.
It explodes! I will never again buy furniture or anything else made from laminate. If it gets wet it swells up to double its size or more.
Hard to purchase solid wood furniture.
Peter: It is actually difficult to purchase solid wood furniture. If you look at things like dinning room tables, the furniture people prefer the high density fiberboard to solid wood because the are more stable. They must have some better products that are being used as the cabin sole. Most of the production boats (Catalina, Hunter, Bavaria) are using these laminated products now. But I have to agree with you from what I have seen, they are probably not ready for marine use YET!
Peter: It is actually difficult to purchase solid wood furniture. If you look at things like dinning room tables, the furniture people prefer the high density fiberboard to solid wood because the are more stable. They must have some better products that are being used as the cabin sole. Most of the production boats (Catalina, Hunter, Bavaria) are using these laminated products now. But I have to agree with you from what I have seen, they are probably not ready for marine use YET!
Proper Product
We have a Catalina with a liminate floor (engineered lumber). While cursing with the forward hatch open, learned my lesson, w wake came over and in the hatch, soaked the floor. even after mopping up the floor was wet. It eventually dried. No damage, no warp, no explosion. Use the prooper product for the job. Strand board or partical board is not proper in a wet enviroment, laminates of marine grade plywoods are the proper products. If your getting it from Home Depot I have to question wheather its the proper product for the job.
We have a Catalina with a liminate floor (engineered lumber). While cursing with the forward hatch open, learned my lesson, w wake came over and in the hatch, soaked the floor. even after mopping up the floor was wet. It eventually dried. No damage, no warp, no explosion. Use the prooper product for the job. Strand board or partical board is not proper in a wet enviroment, laminates of marine grade plywoods are the proper products. If your getting it from Home Depot I have to question wheather its the proper product for the job.
That pergo is actually
a higher density formica type produce. The backing is actually card board. Yes it is a material made from wood but it doesn't act like it because of all the glues used. Buy one piece, saturate it with water and see how it does. You have a good boat, be carefull that in trying to upgrade it that you do not unimprove it so as to lower it's value. r.w.landau
a higher density formica type produce. The backing is actually card board. Yes it is a material made from wood but it doesn't act like it because of all the glues used. Buy one piece, saturate it with water and see how it does. You have a good boat, be carefull that in trying to upgrade it that you do not unimprove it so as to lower it's value. r.w.landau
Ralph, have you ever compared partical board
weight (sawdust board) to regular plywood? When wood is chopped, compressed and bound with solid glue, very little of the open cell structure of the grain remains. That means it weighs a ton. That's why the store stuff is heavy and that's why, as Peter says, it explodes. (when wet) Cheap Glue too. Stick to what works (marine stuff) and don't waste your time or money. It'll look nicer too.
weight (sawdust board) to regular plywood? When wood is chopped, compressed and bound with solid glue, very little of the open cell structure of the grain remains. That means it weighs a ton. That's why the store stuff is heavy and that's why, as Peter says, it explodes. (when wet) Cheap Glue too. Stick to what works (marine stuff) and don't waste your time or money. It'll look nicer too.
Bill, wet on top, not on the bottom.
Bill: The real test is if/when it get wet from the bottom. Typically this is only going to happen in normal circumtances if you packing gland is leaking and the bilge pump craps out (what are those chances). Actually this happened to me a few years ago. I would like to see if the products that they are using in these new boats can hold up to a cabin flooding with water standing for several days. The product is great when surface water gets on it (just like your counter tops).
Bill: The real test is if/when it get wet from the bottom. Typically this is only going to happen in normal circumtances if you packing gland is leaking and the bilge pump craps out (what are those chances). Actually this happened to me a few years ago. I would like to see if the products that they are using in these new boats can hold up to a cabin flooding with water standing for several days. The product is great when surface water gets on it (just like your counter tops).
Laminate flooring
I have Pergo Flooring in my kitchen and just had my dishwasher explode, water everywere. No problem. I think I have some Pergo left, if do I will soak it and report back.
I have Pergo Flooring in my kitchen and just had my dishwasher explode, water everywere. No problem. I think I have some Pergo left, if do I will soak it and report back.
Steve D.
Little Off Topic. All our furniture is real wood. We bought most of it in used furniture shops and then refinished it. Some if it is veneered but the substrate is wood. But yes, you can be badly had buying what looks like top quality expensive furniture only to find it has the thinnest of veneers -- if not a plastic coating that looks like veneer -- over particle board. Bombay, for example. Looks great for a year than goes to hell. Became aware of the problesm with particle board when we installed some shelves and something spilled on them. Boom!
Little Off Topic. All our furniture is real wood. We bought most of it in used furniture shops and then refinished it. Some if it is veneered but the substrate is wood. But yes, you can be badly had buying what looks like top quality expensive furniture only to find it has the thinnest of veneers -- if not a plastic coating that looks like veneer -- over particle board. Bombay, for example. Looks great for a year than goes to hell. Became aware of the problesm with particle board when we installed some shelves and something spilled on them. Boom!
Pergo survived flood
I don't think I'd put the stuff on my boat, but for info only, we put pergo flooring in our two basement bedrooms and after a very dry summer we had a big rain and with the ground being so dry most of the water ran down towards our house and ended up getting in through the below ground windows. When I got up in the morning and went downstairs I noticed the whole floor was under an inch of water and had probably been that way all night. I used the shop vac to get the water level down but didn't get around to really cleaning it up for two days. We ended up pulling all the floor and putting it back down, but really there was no damage to the floor, went back just fine (it's the glueless snap together type). -Brent
I don't think I'd put the stuff on my boat, but for info only, we put pergo flooring in our two basement bedrooms and after a very dry summer we had a big rain and with the ground being so dry most of the water ran down towards our house and ended up getting in through the below ground windows. When I got up in the morning and went downstairs I noticed the whole floor was under an inch of water and had probably been that way all night. I used the shop vac to get the water level down but didn't get around to really cleaning it up for two days. We ended up pulling all the floor and putting it back down, but really there was no damage to the floor, went back just fine (it's the glueless snap together type). -Brent
Brent, If it is Pergo, then it's been changed.
Our son put it down a couple years ago and it warped where it got wet. All Pergo had to do was change the glue. Our home has L/P siding. Our builder/friend said it was fine even though much of it was recalled for warping. He was right, L/P changed the glue.
Our son put it down a couple years ago and it warped where it got wet. All Pergo had to do was change the glue. Our home has L/P siding. Our builder/friend said it was fine even though much of it was recalled for warping. He was right, L/P changed the glue.
Plexiglas
I have a two piece plexiglass companionway cover that works very nice. It is a little scratched after 15 years (O'Day 302 - '88) but lets in light even when shut. I also have plywood insert that has a screen in it, though I rarely use.
I have a two piece plexiglass companionway cover that works very nice. It is a little scratched after 15 years (O'Day 302 - '88) but lets in light even when shut. I also have plywood insert that has a screen in it, though I rarely use.
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