I need suggestions for flooring, please.

[George DuBose]

Magentawave. No. Plates as in 4'x8'x3/8". Big sheets of bamboo which is very hard and long wearing.

[hamburking]

I had a grey plywood floor on my Paceship 29. It was nasty. Was actually subfloor for carpeting.

I sanded, then painted with white deckpaint. Turned out great. Looked just like clean, white fiberglass. Was an easy job and a huge success.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by sinnerman

I am seriously thinking about installing C-Flor flooring in my boat eventually. It lasts forever and being made up of individual strips (vs planks) allows adapting to the curves in the hull/sole easy.

I spoke at length with a reseller in Florida and they offered assistance in planning the project, and providing tips for installing.

I installed what I believe is the same thing but with a different name, from the same reseller. It looks great and has held up for several years with no visible wear. I get compliments on it all the time.

The downside? It is not cheap and the installation is tedious at best. I would suggest having considerable woodworking or similar skills.

[EngineerRetired]

Check the local Lowes or Home Depot for "looks like wood" floor laminates. You can often find it for less than a buck a square foot and it wears unbelievably well. Looks good too and is easy to install, no glue needed.

[magentawave]

Originally Posted by skwanderer

I used indoor/outdoor short pile carpet squares from Lowes. Peel and stick, comes with rubber backing to help keep moisture from the substrate (and dampen engine noise). As they are squares, I was able to cut the custom sizes easily to tailor to the floor irregularities, such as having a giant lid to the engine compartment in the middle of the floor. I'm very pleased with the outcome.

DING, DING, DING! Thanks! Your idea prompted me to ask my son (he manages a flooring store) and I’ll be getting the Shaw version of those plus glue for FREE. The ones I'm getting are 2’ x 2’ and commercial grade and will be so much easier to deal with for transporting, cutting to size and installing than anything else. Apparently the stuff is really good as they install it in super high traffic areas in commercial buildings and churches, etc.

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Quick and easy AND low cost is the kind of laminate flooring used in shoreside houses. It can be laid on plywood deck soles by just the same techniques you would use to lay it on plywood sub-floor in a shore side house.

It is used on kitchen and bathroom floors because it is impervious to water, and cleans beautifully with a damp mop or rag.

Careful attention to layout and shaping of the individual tongue and groove boards is required. Layout is facilitated through thinking - which is cost-free - and shaping by means of a "contractor's saw" - cheap to buy if you don't already have one. Skillsaws and jig saws do not provide sufficient accuracy for this job.

TrentePieds

I installed laminate and hardwood flooring for years and I think laminate will be too heavy (it’s a multihull) and a major hassle to cut to fit around the floorboards. Plus, I’m concerned that the edges of the laminate around the floorboards will inevitably chip. Thanks though.

Originally Posted by hamburking

I had a grey plywood floor on my Paceship 29. It was nasty. Was actually subfloor for carpeting.

I sanded, then painted with white deckpaint. Turned out great. Looked just like clean, white fiberglass. Was an easy job and a huge success.

I considered painting as that would by far be the easiest, but my boat is moored near the flight path of a major airport which means the painted surfaces will probably quickly look crappy because of the soot I’ll be tracking inside.

Originally Posted by George DuBose

Magentawave. No. Plates as in 4'x8'x3/8". Big sheets of bamboo which is very hard and long wearing.

Ok, got it. I was in construction for decades and have never heard the term plates used to describe sheets of plywood.



Thank you very much EVERYONE for your ideas! I really really appreciate it. Again, I will be selling this boat so cost and ease of installation was a major consideration. I will definitely consider your ideas for my future boat though. 😀

[shirzasa]

I removed carpet from my boat and bought 12:"x12" wood tiles from IKIA, six years ago, and still looks good. You can polish it with teak oil once a year if you want to look shiny