eshaw said:
... why would a person use rivets to hold down wood?
Because ...
-They work ...
-Inexpensive to buy, simple to install (OK, screws are easier there ... )
-Aluminum to aluminum won't corrode
-Rivets will pull up tight and won't loosen up like a SS screw into an aluminum rib will (not 'if', but 'when'), where the screw 'teeth' will gradually open up the hole.
People can do anything they want, not saying 'my way is the best way', just that I personally wouldn't use the methods you guys may use, that's all.
I'll readily admit that I have a STRONG bias against the use of screws on a boat! I've seen SS screws loosen up and tear out of fiberglass covered decks in CC fishing boats ... so I am really not a fan of a 'screw' to hold anything on a boat, when I can either thru-bolt or rivet.
Many OEM floor are secured this way (rivets), as was my friend's where he's replacing the floor as the previous owner never covered the boat and let it sit full of water, so the wood rotted.