Sole Replacement

[avazquez]

I have a Beneteau 456 with tired floors. Basicly would like to replace the cabin sole maintaining the Teak and holy look. Recently I saw a friends Dufour 40 and the floors were made from some type of laminate that looked just like Formica with the Teak and Holy pattern. Much better looking than the plastic that ciomes in rolls.

Does anyone know anything about this material? I believe the Newer Beneteaus also have it....

[knottybuoyz]

Synthetic Teak & Holly Flooring - Vinyl Teak and Holly Flooring

[senormechanico]

Rick,
The product in that link looks exactly like the stuff in my Dragonfly 1000.
I've had the boat since 1999 and the sole is durable and very easy to take care of.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by avazquez

I have a Beneteau 456 with tired floors. Basicly would like to replace the cabin sole maintaining the Teak and holy look. Recently I saw a friends Dufour 40 and the floors were made from some type of laminate that looked just like Formica with the Teak and Holy pattern. Much better looking than the plastic that ciomes in rolls.

Does anyone know anything about this material? I believe the Newer Beneteaus also have it....

Yo Vas,

this imitation teak floor, though practical, is sure to considerably reduce the value of your lovely Frers yacht, which is originally finished to a high level.

best, andy

[Boracay]

If your soles are solid or made with a thick laminate then they may need nothing more than a good sand and refinish.

[avazquez]

The soles are made of plywood which has become "spongy" and or delaminated in some areas. I could try to epoxy some of the plywood layers back but it is dificult to get the correct match in the places where the veneer is dammaged.

Locally there is a plywood with the teak and holly veneer in it, but it is about 1/4" thick. What others have done is to glue or epoxy it to a thicker marine plywood thus creating a stronger piece. On the other hand I've heard people say that the veneer is very thin and in humid environments it delaminates.

I guess this is a hard one.....

I contacted Beneteau to find out about the Material being used now. They told me it is called "Laminated Floorboard" and is basicly a Formica type of laminate with the Teak and Holy look on top and a neutral laminate on the other side. They do sell it at a "modest price" of $500.00 per sheet of 2.42 meters by 1.25 meters by 19mm thick. So for a 46 ft. sailboat I would guess four sheets will sufice.

Still I am not convinced.......................I guess the question is ....

Is there a reliable particular brand of marine grade veneered plywood ?

[GordMay]

See also:
Flexteek (PVC Laminate): Flexiteek - Environmental marine decking system - A teak deck alternative

[Benny]

I have the 1/4 inch teak and holly plywood glued onto 5/8th marine ply. The boat has been pretty wet inside before I bought her due to major port leaks - no deamination. Make sure the underside of the sole and edges are sealed with epoxy to prevent moisture penetration and you should have no probs.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by avazquez

Is there a reliable particular brand of marine grade veneered plywood ?

Yo Vas,

Bruynzeel-Multipanel

click "yacht construction" then "flooring panels" -- one of the premier materials for your purpose. But there are many other suppliers.

best, andy

[Boracay]

When I built a plywood boat I used West system epoxy to seal it completely.

While I have not kept touch with that boat my understanding is that sealing with epoxy gives a long lasting and durable result.

So my suggestion is to not worry too much about the quality of the plywood and rely on sealing it with epoxy resin.

If the ply has a purple glue line then it most likely has a resourcinol ("A" bond?) glue. This is would be the preferred glue unless a better one is avalable.

Since I had to buy 4 litres of epoxy solvent I have been experimenting with it in my 5:1 epxoy. Using up to 20% gives a much more brushable "paint". It seems that more epoxy soaks into the wood this way. I would not do this if I was going to be laminating or gluing the wood later.

[Steve Kidson]

I sealed all underfloor timber with 3 coats of Everdure prior to install before a couple of coats of enamel paint.

[avazquez]

I guess that if I buy the laminated veneer thin plywood (1/4") and glue it to a marine grade 5/8" plywood using West System epoxy and then paint the underside with the epoxy it shouldn't delaminate. I would like to have the satin look so I was planing on applying some kind of one part polyurethane to the top.ANY SUGGESTIONS?

[avazquez]

What about gluing the 1/4 inch teak and holly veneered panel to some sinthetic sheet such as PVC or such.........................

[starfish62]

These guys have a 1/2 & 3/4 teak and holly plywood that would be less than half the price of the synthetic. They're up in the great lakes, so they might be the guys who supply Tartan. For what it's worth, I was on a boat this weekend that had both the synthetic & the veneer, and the veneer, though it showed some scuffs and other signs of character, just looked better.

Marine Plywood by Homestead - Teak

[Weyalan]

I re-laid the saloon floor (sole) on my boat using 1/2" teak & holly (well, teak and ash, strictly) veneered plywood. Basically its a marine grade plywood with a thin veneer of teak and holly. It was quite easy to work with (cuts well with a jigsaw with a good quality blade). I used plenty of timber preserver (everdure), particularly on the end-grain, then a good quality 2-pack varnish. It came out looking great. Be warned, though, it ain't cheap 8)