New flooring----what to install

[mezaire]

http://www.flexiteek.com/flexiteek-2g/

 

[sailman]

Post boat show update: saw a new product www.nautikflor.com. Impressive product, snap together floor sections similar to pergo style. 100% PVC, digital printed surface and then a heat treatment for durability and texture on the surface. The feel of if was surprisingly good and the look was very good. Pricing was ~$9.40/sqft

 

[jack_sparrow]

Anyone used this composite for a cabin sole?

 

[StumbleNola]

How important are cosmetics? Last floor I had to replace we used marine ply, sealed it with epoxy, then painted it with garage floor paint with sand mixed in. Great non-skid, held up perfectly, and you could hose it down without a problem. It did look pretty industrial though.

 

[SloopJonB]

How important are cosmetics?

Very - for most of us our boats are our principal toys - they should look nice.

 

[Bruno]

I like the synthetic panels, but usually they are at a price premium. Coosa and 3m state they are fiber reinforced polyurethane, thermolite just says polymer. My understanding is that polymer just means plastic? There are all thermoplastc resins rather than thermoset?, I think, blown in sheet molds in varying densities and reinforcements. As long as they bond well then why not? One plus is reduced labor with their smooth faces.

 

[Ishmael]

How about when you damage a composite floor in five years? Will they still be around and have semi-matching stock?

 

[Bruno]

3m?

 

[Baldur]

You would have to try hard to damage it. It's far more durable than teak and many of the companies have already been around for more than 5 yrs

 

[Snore]

Question. No matter how hard I try, when it get sloppy out - especially on a passage - the cockpit sole gets wet.

To the OP question, how best to treat the new floor to keep it skid resistant, but still attractive?

 

[bigfoots dick]

if its teak and holly, apply nonskid to the holly. it depends on how thick the holly seams are but this is a easy and clean way to include nonskid. I have replaced several soles on various boats and have some good ideas if you want some. Feel free to message me.

 

[Movable Ballast]

I'm replacing my teak & holly plywood floors with teak & holly plywood. The original floors lasted some 25 years so I think it will be OK. I am going to seal the edges and bottoms with epoxy (something Schock did not do) to at least slow the eventual rot.

 

[DrewR]

I'm replacing my teak & holly plywood floors with teak & holly plywood. The original floors lasted some 25 years so I think it will be OK. I am going to seal the edges and bottoms with epoxy (something Schock did not do) to at least slow the eventual rot.

I did that 5 years ago. Now I have to do it again. I took great pains in the new sole. I soaked the ends with a ton on MAS thin epoxy and coated top bottom and sides with the same. 4 coats I believe. 6 coats of varnish on top of that. In a heated shop under perfect conditions. Sealed for a lifetime or so I thought. Took forever to do.

Now, the wood is delaminating in multiple places. One thing I noticed right off is the veneer in the new t&h plywood is paper thin where the old sole the veneer was much thicker. I suspect many voids and lousy construction, but I did pay a lot for it. YMMV.

I'm contemplating 1/4" G10 with fake plastic teak and holly. I've looked at a number of products but none seem good. Any suggestions? I would do a thin veneer over a solid substrate, but there doesn't seem to be much out there.

 

[sailman]

Drew,

We are both doing the same project. I looked at this stuff at the Newport Boat Show (www.nautikflor.com) and it looked like a good product. Very good look and feel to it and simple install.

Will Museler

 

[DrewR]

It does look good, I was at the NPT show but somehow missed them as I spent 99% in the tents not on the boats.

It says it needs to be mounted on a substrate tho, so it can't just be laid down.

Are you ordering it?

 

[Max Rockatansky]

I... think... my flooring is lonseal. I mentioned earlier that I replaced some of it, where the substrate was rotted, with a mat. And I like the mat.

That said, I didn't replace all of it. And the flooring had been coated with 24 years of something that was peeling and flaking and yellowed. I pulled the salon table to do some work on it and it was then apparent how bad the flooring looked.

Madame wasn't having that, so she first tried ammonia to strip the old which sort of worked. Then she went online and found ZEP at Lowes and that shit took all the coated yellow crap off, came off like paint strip does. Really revitalized the floor. I'm amazed how durable this laminate is. Again, I think it's Lonseal but the boat was built in France

 

[sailman]

Drew,

Yes, I am going to order it. The substrate was going to be replaced anyway. I will be at Brewer's Sakonnet.

Will

 

[DrewR]

What are you using for underlayment? I'm in Boune MA. I've hacked it back together for now. I am still leaning towards 1/4" G10 with something over it.

 

[sailman]

I have ~48 sq ft so G10 would be expensive because my underpayment also supports the floor as it rests on the stringers. I have been trying to find reasonably priced composite panels with no luck. I will probably go the marine ply route but with a few layers of glass on each side first.

 

[SloopJonB]

Good ply well sealed with epoxy will last for decades. That's basically what WEST built boat hulls are.

I've done a couple with 1/4" epoxy sealed ply as the substrate and solid teak over on one and epoxy sealed laminate flooring on the other. Both worked well. After more than 9 years the teak covered one showed no problems - the laminate one is only a year old so...... No hint of trouble yet though.

To my mind, coating it with glass will only add weight, not any more protection from rot.