Thread: Need advice on replacing wood floor and decks

Ive done it severel times. I wouldnt use carpet, i like carpet in boats, my wife doesnt, but what convinced me not to do it was imagining the moisture that would be trapped under there and how annoyed I would be getting hooks caught in it. The first time I changed my floor I used exterior grade ply and fiberglass resin. The cheap ply has voids and once the resin began cracking it sucked in the water and rotted it out. My first floor only lasted 3 years! The last floor job I used marine ply and spar urathane on the underside. On the top I sealed only with 3 coats of gray floor paint with texture addative from home depot. So far so good and much more solid than the last one. Plan on recoating a couple of times a year.

When you check the price of "marine" plywood you will change your mind. About $70 - $80 a sheet.

I suggest you get some exterior rated sheathing from your local Lowe's - about $28 a sheet for 1/2" (equivalent) or $32 for the 3/4". Seal it top - bottom and edges with a good sealer and paint the top with a Porch Paint with just enough Texture paint additive to give you a little grip. The additive is also available at Lowe's in a plastic bag.

If you have a lot of traffic in the boat you may have to repaint the top of the deck with the additive in a few years but the exterior plywood will NOT rot. If you add carpet it may because it holds the moisture.

If you want to do it right the first time, go with Azek sheeting. It will never rot, you won't have to pony up the money to put sealer on it, and you can get it in any color you want. Or, purchase white and put texture on it. I believe it is also lighter than a treated plywood equivalent. Google search Azek sheeting. You can get it cut to length, width, anything you want. Sure, it will cost about the same as a Marine grade plywood, but you will never have to worry about it again.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Originally Posted by wicklundrh

If you want to do it right the first time, go with Azek sheeting. It will never rot, you won't have to pony up the money to put sealer on it, and you can get it in any color you want. Or, purchase white and put texture on it. I believe it is also lighter than a treated plywood equivalent. Google search Azek sheeting. You can get it cut to length, width, anything you want. Sure, it will cost about the same as a Marine grade plywood, but you will never have to worry about it again.

Would that azek be stout enough say if it's 3/4 inch 4x8 sheet to not bow in middle if cut to fit this boat in pic. Just have the edges touching no support in the middle.

Hello: I helped my buddy replace his floor and deck on his boat, a Lund boat. Through some research we found out the boat manufacturers don't use marine grade plywood. We used ext.grade and put a marine floor vinyl on it. The wood stays completely dry. It has been over 5 years. We recently pulled a floor piece up to replace the fuel sending unit, the wood was in excellent condition. His boat is parked outside and covered in the winter. Good Luck. O - R

I think you would get bowing with just about anything 3/4" that you put there. You might be able to beef it up with some furing strips underneath it that run the full length.

Originally Posted by wicklundrh

I think you would get bowing with just about anything 3/4" that you put there. You might be able to beef it up with some furing strips underneath it that run the full length.

Think I'm gonna do double layer of advantech 3/4 screwed and glued together. Leave a lip around edge to set on. Should be stiff but heavy I'm sure.