Headliner Idea - Thoughts ?

[bobfnbw]

On our Endeavour 40 the headliner is a vinyl stapled to thin plywood that is then screwed into the deck overhead. Of course after 25 years it is pretty nasty. I have removed several pieces in order to rewire, and have decieded to change it out. I figure the plywood adds up a bit in weight while giveing no insulation or sound barrier. So I have a large roll of ultraleather, in a light shade of cream. I Figured on gluing it to sheets of closed cell foam, or polyeithelene foam, and then using a hook and loop type to secure it to the over head. Maybe a screw or two if needed. The idea would be to 1) cut weight 2) allow easy access 3) add thermal and sound insulation 4) dress up the cabin a bit.
Any reasons this is not a good idea? I have read thru the forums on headliners, but not seem anything like the question I have....
Thanks,
Bob

[Eleven]

Quite a problem this, good headlining looks great and adds enormously to the ambience.
Getting it to stay in place is the first issue, getting the edges and corners nice is the real devil. I haven't done one, mines not bad but not perfect and the berths need tidying.
I will be watching this thread carefully.

[imagine2frolic]

Epoxy some strips of wood to the ply. Then place your sheets in, and a larger strip of wood over the first strip. This is how the ceiling, and windows are done on Imagine......i2f

[yacht_planb]

We used Luan door skins soaked in epoxy, the backs of the luan (hidden from view have 2" blueboard (you could use any thickness). I then sanded and painted with a high quality white paint. It leaves enough room for wiring, recessed lights and adds a bunch of heat insulation and sound proofing. Boats next door can have a stereo blasting and we don't usually hear it at all. INstead of painting the luan, you could cover it in microfiber fabric or formica. Then use 1/4 round or 1/4 square wood strips varnished with Brass screws to hold everything up. We have large 6" beams under the deck about every 20" or so...

[imagine2frolic]

yacht planb,

Good idea on the insulation. Imagine's ceiling has enough room for 1 1/2" of insulation that's in place.........i2f

[Christian Van H]

Here's two overhead pics from the boat show. I like this design...nice varnished strips mounted to overhead, relieved on each side to accept covered thin panels. Looks very finished without a tremendous amount of work...

[jallum]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

Here's two overhead pics from the boat show. I like this design...nice varnished strips mounted to overhead, relieved on each side to accept covered thin panels. Looks very finished without a tremendous amount of work...

This thin-panel/strip system is pretty much what they use on all the Swans. I'll be replacing the headliner of mine with the same next month.

[CarlF]

You need some sort of stiff panel under the fabric or the overhead will look wavy. You'll go nuts trying to reposition the velcro to get the waves, sags and dips out.

The plywood is a pretty good sound blocker for it's weight. Adding some foam will help too. Use open cell foam. You want air to move around to deal with any condensation up there. I'd even drill some 1" holes in the plywood to help with air flow.

I once had a boat with a strip design like in the picture. The trick was that the panels had metal tabs attached to their backs that were screwed to standoffs made from little blocks of wood attached to the underside of the deck. The blocks of wood were different thicknesses to compensate for variations in the underside of the deck. After the panels were up, the tabs (and their screws) were then covered with the strip of wood. The wood strips didn't even need screws. They had a few pieces of velcro on their back but were primarily held by the fabric edges.

Carl

[slowshoes]

Good advice Carl.

My boat's headliner is similar to the system as the boat pics posted by Christian, except mine uses varnished teak battens that run athwartships to hold the panels up.

The panels themselves are thin luan type plywood cover in thin foam with a textured type vinyl over that. The teak battens that hold the panels up screw into wood that is epoxied to the overhead.

[Jesse]

I lost a boat to a fire 19 years ago. The vinyl overhead caught fire and spread through the boat in seconds, it acts like its soaked in gasoline. The fire extinguisher was no help as the melting vinyl was dripping flaming melted vinyl on bedding, upholstery, clothing, and every flammable thing on the boat,including me. I escaped to the dinghy with what I had on with my hair and exposed skin well singed, and grateful to have made it at all. To this day if I step inside a boat and see a vinyl overhead I step right back out and if
asked why I tell them. Definitely go with the varnished wooden batts, they are beautiful, easy to maintain and much safer, there are some lightweight woods with a lighter color that make an interior brighter and warmer too.

[Southern Star]

I am quite a fan of the white, embossed FRP panels that are available (or were last year) at Home Depot for under $50.00 for a 4x8 sheet. They can be rolled to fit into a standard car interior for transport, cut easily with a sabre saw and then, for an exact fit, edge sanded easily with 100 paper.

You could use your existing plywood as templates (adding a bit to make up for the loss of the vinyl cover) and then install with velcro, or with screws with plastic cover caps, or a combination of both. A nice, permanent solution that will adjust to curves much more readily than plywood.

Brad

[FloridaWriter]

I would suggest 1mm or 2mm thick white or off white Formica panels, held in place with bright finished wood battens. You could glue foam insulation to the backs of the Formica if you wanted to. It gives a nice, classy, traditional look I think. The Formica will take to the curve of the cabintop easily, it is tough, impervious to water damage, and handles heat well, it never needs to be refinished, and is easily cleaned.

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

Here's two overhead pics from the boat show. I like this design...nice varnished strips mounted to overhead, relieved on each side to accept covered thin panels....

What is used to keep the varnished strips in place?

[FloridaWriter]

if you have enough thickness in your cabintop they can be screwed it. On my boat I epoxied foundational battens in the pattern I wanted to the underside of the cabin, added the Formica panels and screwed the finished battens in place with flathead bronze screws.

[Beersmith]

interested in this thread as I am in the same process of tearing down and then replacing all of my headliner.