Bathroom (head) floor construction materials

[GILow]

Hi Cruisers,

Since we bought the boat the bathroom floor has felt like a bit of a trampoline. At some stage some commercial grade linoleum had been glued down onto the floor, and, as I suspected, it was basically taking all of the load. When I pulled it up I found the plywood underneath had as much structural integrity as you'd get from wet cardboard, possibly less.

Which, when you think about it, is a pretty good endorsement of the linoleum and the glue.

HOWEVER, a trampoline in the bathroom is not a particularly confidence inspiring setup so today I removed the sad and soggy remains of the plywood and cleaned everything up in preparation to replace it.

Now, my original intention was just to use plywood well soaked in resin, then glass over the top. But I only need a small piece (1200 mm x 1000mm, cut down to a triangle) so I started to think about using something a bit more high-tech. The area is in the front of the boat, with a reasonably deep V, and will be subjected to the odd bit of water flowing through underneath as the front storage locker drains through the void below the floor. It will have to cope with the being the floor for the shower and the general splashes of a bathroom.

So I started to think maybe I should use a piece of starboard, or something similar. Does anyone know if it would be suitable for this role, or can they recommend some other materials I should consider?

Matt

[Wotname]

This might be a bit left field but I made a laid beech sole for the head. It worked great, looked great and is great.

Start with ply for the base, heavy coat all sides (including edges) with epoxy then use beech (or teak) battens say 50mm x 10 (or 8)mm screwed and plugged. Leave say 6mm between the planks for the Sika caulking (black or white). IIRC, I used Sika under the planks as well. When the caulking has cured, sand to a fine finish.

Always make a border with the planks first (mitre the corners) and then infill this with planks parallel to the centreline. Shape the edge ones as required. If you use 10mm planks, it will last several lifetimes as you can sand it down a bit every 5 years or so to spruce it up to look like new.

I give it a light scrub with mild detergent and water once in awhile (like yearly).

I prefer beech below as it is not as dark as teak but use what looks good to you.

While this works great as a sole for the head, it might not be good as a bathroom floor...

[GILow]

Geez mate. Your boat must be a damn side more glamorous than ours! If I made the floor look that good the rest of the boat would look like s--t in comparison. Still, I do like the idea....

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GILow

Geez mate. Your boat must be a damn side more glamorous than ours! If I made the floor look that good the rest of the boat would look like s--t in comparison. Still, I do like the idea....

Just start with the head and work towards the aft

Well it didn't have lino to start with, only rotted ply and rotted mouldy carpet...

In the end, I did the entire cabin sole this way and everyone comments positively about when going below. Mind you, being only 31' x 8.5', there isn't that much surface area to do.

A laid sole never deteriorates like laid deck!

Doesn't matter if it gets wet and is always non-skid!

[JPA Cate]

Matt, if this head sole is where you also shower, now is the time to create a shower sump, and make that drain overboard, not into the bilge. One really does not want all the skin particles, hair, and soap scum going down into the bilge; not only is it slimy and a mite disgusting, but it may clog the proper bilge pumps when they are needed.

More availaable upon request.

Regards,

Ann

[GILow]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Matt, if this head sole is where you also shower, now is the time to create a shower sump, and make that drain overboard, not into the bilge. One really does not want all the skin particles, hair, and soap scum going down into the bilge; not only is it slimy and a mite disgusting, but it may clog the proper bilge pumps when they are needed.

More availaable upon request.

Regards,

Ann

Ann, thanks for that, already done. The shower sump is separate from the bilge with its own pump.

On a separate matter, you suddenly appear as JPA Cate, and a moderator at that, in the web browser view. Have I missed something? Have you been elevated? And changed your name?

[Island Time O25]

Thinking of doing something like the OP's project myself on the 28 footer. The head is just aft of the v-berth and this being a 28 footer it is a pass-through type. Currently there is no shower (but I plan to install a pull out faucet/shower. There is a drain there now but unfortunately it does drain to the bilge. So of course that part of the bilge would have to be walled off for a separate shower sump. The problem is that the bilge itself is very shallow, I guess as a trade off for 6' standing room in the cabin, and would quickly fill up to the floor boards as is and even sooner with the sump area separated. So this is my dilemma at this point. Anyone had a similar issue which they have resolved satisfactory? Thanks.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

Thinking of doing something like the OP's project myself on the 28 footer. The head is just aft of the v-berth and this being a 28 footer it is a pass-through type. Currently there is no shower (but I plan to install a pull out faucet/shower. There is a drain there now but unfortunately it does drain to the bilge. So of course that part of the bilge would have to be walled off for a separate shower sump. The problem is that the bilge itself is very shallow, I guess as a trade off for 6' standing room in the cabin, and would quickly fill up to the floor boards as is and even sooner with the sump area separated. So this is my dilemma at this point. Anyone had a similar issue which they have resolved satisfactory? Thanks.

Island Time, first of all you're hijacking GILow's thread. Please start one for your own problem. But, before you do that, please fill out more information for your avatar, including the type of boat you have and a gross approximation of where you are located.

However, in a boat where we could not have a sump, we chose to take sun showers, in the cockpit, made private, of course, for 18 yrs., so I'm sure an outside method may be able to be done for you, if you live somewhere not too cold. We used to put the sun shower on top the dodger, and sit right forward, pulling the hose in so that we could get a good wash.

Good luck with it.

.........And now, back to GILow's problem.... Any suggestions out there?

Ann

[UNCIVILIZED]

Make it some sort of grate so that it drains. And it needs to be fully impervious to moisture. Meaning fully 200% non water absorbtive. As well as being super easy to clean. Plus, of course, it must be a nonskid surface. With sticky enough nonskid so that even when it's fully covered in shampoo, you can retain traction on it. Quite literally.

FRP plate would work, when drilled with an appropriate pattern of drain holes. Even the stuff you can make up on a bench at home. Or if you like wood, vacuum bag multiple layers of 3mm ply or veneers together with epoxy. So that the epoxy gets pulled all the way through the fibers of the wood. Thus making it essentially a composite.

I'm thinking that it's tough to seal regular wood well enough for such applications really. Since once the smell from liquids via the head get into the wood, you can't get them out again. And that's an unpleasant odor.

Also, Ann's correct about needing a sump. They're mandatory. And need to be super easy to clean.

[gts1544]

I don't know if this would be applicable to the marine environment, but I just had a similar problem in my house. The handyman used a common concrete pre-stressed material, cut to fit, and assured me that I would never have to worry about it, as it was impervious to water. We then laid tile on top. Rot or corrosion under toilets is an age old problem! George

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Well it didn't have lino to start with, only rotted ply and rotted mouldy carpet...

Oooh... the upmarket version, I aspire to that at the moment.

[GILow]

OK, sounds like I need to clarify.

Just to be clear, the whole drainage thing is sorted, the current setup has worked for 30 years, so I am happy to stick with it as it is. The bathroom on our boat has always smelled fine, despite the soggy old floor, so I guess we've been lucky. It is a pretty big space, so perhaps that has helped keep it dry and fresh.

The idea from Wotname has my interest, but the work involved might be out of my time budget.

I'm still keen to hear of any ideas on suitable substitutes for plywood.

Matt

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by GILow

OK, sounds like I need to clarify.

I'm still keen to hear of any ideas on suitable substitutes for plywood.

Matt

Marble, with flutes for drain channels. And skateboard tape for grip.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Marble, with flutes for drain channels. And skateboard tape for grip.

Works for me. Just what a 17 ton boat needs.

AND, we've been up at the bow a bit too, that should fix it.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by gts1544

I don't know if this would be applicable to the marine environment, but I just had a similar problem in my house. The handyman used a common concrete pre-stressed material, cut to fit, and assured me that I would never have to worry about it, as it was impervious to water. We then laid tile on top. Rot or corrosion under toilets is an age old problem! George

Hmm... you and Uncivilised clearly like your lightweight solutions.