Flooring idea thoughts

[Dman23]

I had a partial floating floorinmine for the past 20 years made of wood. And when my dad dis it back then im sure wasnt even sealed let alone right. It had carpet on top. To be honest it was at the end of its life but still wasnt i to bad of shape and still usable.

If you seal your wood and do what you can to keep it from getting soaked often, even with carpet you can make it last a long time.

I wouldhave loved to use aluminum, but here the cheapest i could get it for was $230 a 4x8 foot sheet. I would have needed 2. $460 in just the cost of alum vs $20 x 2 for plywood and $40 for sealant, to me was a no brainer. If i did it with aluminum, my floor would have been worth more than my boat haha.

To me, i figured my floor was done right enough it will last me many years and when i get a new boat it will last the next owner a few more. For $80 bucks or so, to me plywood was the only reaionable choice. Plus i had the tools to do what i wanted with it.

And to be honest, couldnt imagine aluminum being lighter. Guessing my entire 1 piece floor with 2x4 supports and foam all together weighted maybe 75 lbs. two guys very easily moved it around in and out of the boat while the final fitting was happening. Didnt lose any speed (not even 1mph) and my boat sitsno lower in the water.

With all that said though, yes aluminum is forever. Just wasnt for me.

 

[jigngrub]

If you can, elaborate your entire cost to seal a 4 a 8 sheet of wood, you say half price, i just wanna see how close we are to that.

Lets start with the 70.00 sheet off wood, and go from there since this is what you prefer.

Ok,

1. 4x8 sheet CCA kiln dried pressure treated ply (with manufacturers lifetime warranty) $70

1. half gallon 2 part epoxy kit $40 + $15 S&H = $55 divided by 4 sheets = $13.75

1. plastic squeegee for applying epoxy $5 divided by 4 sheets = $1.25

4. 2" chip brushes for back brushing epoxy after squeegeeing = $4

For a total of $89 per sheet... considerably less than half of Dmans $230 a sheet aluminum.

I also checked sheet aluminum prices online and the $89 is considerably less than half the cost of .10 and .125 sheet aluminum.

 

[Bugpac]

So you can cover with just a 1/2 gallon? I would have assumed it would take way more. Looking at the epoxy prices i never thought it could come in under half. The downfall i see is if you need 5x10 for example in wood, now you need 2 sheets and have to seam etc. A 4x8 of .100 in 3003 which is more than adequate for a flat surface should be had if shopped for about 175.00 tops, 5052 at about 200.00.

 

[Dman23]

I am not taking anything away from aluminum, i am sure it is awesome. And obviously lasts forever. Just not sure how some say wood wont last long enough for them. Hec my dad just bought a 1984 lund mr. Pike and we just re carpeted it, and the wood floor was still solid as can be. Thats almost 30 years old with carpet on it the wole time.

Again nothing against aluminum. But boy 200 bucks a sheet to me for an old tin boat seams crazy. But then again i love my $300 pair of headphones and people think im crazy for that i guess...

 

[jigngrub]

So you can cover with just a 1/2 gallon? I would have assumed it would take way more. Looking at the epoxy prices i never thought it could come in under half. The downfall i see is if you need 5x10 for example in wood, now you need 2 sheets and have to seam etc. A 4x8 of .100 in 3003 which is more than adequate for a flat surface should be had if shopped for about 175.00 tops, 5052 at about 200.00.

The 1/2 gallon medium cure epoxy kit from USComposites is about 11/16 of a gallon, you get 1/2 gallon of resin and 21 oz. of hardener.

https://www.uscomposites.com/epoxy.html

I had enough to do 4 coats on all of my pieces with enough leftover to do another sheet for sure.

(after the first coat)

(after the fourth coat)

I just seal the top side and the edges and leave the bottom of the deck bare so it can breathe.

 

[hotshotinn]

4x8' .063 alumimum tread plate $112.
4x8' by 1 1/2 inch thick pink closed cell foam for between the ribs for suport $20.
one box rivits for the install $5.00

total of $137 for a true one time install for a floor for most boats i see on this site =D>

never waist all the time coating plywood thinking it will last.all you are doing is buying some extra time and that isit.wood is going to rot over time and if you has the same boat for a time you will need to replace flooring again

here is my boat i did no wood

 

[jigngrub]

4x8' .063 alumimum tread plate $112.
4x8' by 1 1/2 inch thick pink closed cell foam for between the ribs for suport $20.
one box rivits for the install $5.00

total of $137 for a true one time install for a floor for most boats i see on this site =D>

never waist all the time coating plywood thinking it will last.all you are doing is buying some extra time and that isit.wood is going to rot over time and if you has the same boat for a time you will need to replace flooring again

here is my boat i did no wood

So you missed the lifetime warranty on the $70 a sheet CCA plywood?

How much noise does that deck make when you walk on it or drop a sinker on it?... 'bout like 2 skeletons boinking on a tin roof and using a tin can for "protection"?

 

[Dman23]

I have to agree with jigandgrub. Even if someday yo have to replace it, i very muc enjoy the quiet, home lile feeling wood gives. Just my likes i guess

 

[Bugpac]

To each there own for sure, carpet, vinyl over aluminum deadens the sound, same you have to do to plywood, or leave it wood and have function over form. But in the end, I chose aluminum, cause I know the resell is gonna be a lot higher to someone who knows what there looking at, there is no fasteners to break the seal, there is no seems to but up, no hatch lids to warp, no hinge screws to pull out, And no unnecessary extra framing to support the wood, And I can paint it to match. And I had the funds to do it the way I wanted. Which is the ultimate key.