Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Anyone ever used home vinyl floor for boat floor?

N

noob_boater80

New member
Got a cheap 1984 alumacraft. Wood floor is still surprisingly good. No rotting. I want to replace the carpet (worn out) with a water proof floor such as vinyl. Checked out marine vinyl, but a bit on the expensive side.

Thinking about using house vinyl floor for the boat floor. Anyone done this before? Don't want to spend too much $ on an old boat. Boat is kept indoors 100% of the time after each use.
 
Not sure vinyl flooring is made to be wet for as long as it could be in a boat and as bondo mentioned, slipping might be a problem. If a surface that's not shiny and smooth is used, it may be harder to clean because of the texture.
 
Noob, I wouldn't use household stuff. You might get away with it for a while but it just isn't made for that. The marine vinyl that comes in rolls is soft and has texture to provide grip underfoot. It was designed to be waterproof and provide the other features that you need as well. Judging by the fact that you are looking into household vinyl I am assuming you already looked at the price of the marine vinyl flooring and decided that was out of budget range? Just in case you didn't there is a link below. You can shop around for the right size roll and price, this is just to give you an idea of what you are looking for. If you don't trust the link just search the internet for marine vinyl floor.


With that out of the way I'll give you some points that might help you figure out the best option for you.

  • Consider the primary use of the boat and how you want it to function. If you routinely get the decks covered with blood and scales, you may want to stay away from carpet. It just kind of holds onto that stuff.
    • I am assuming this is a bass boat set up? If it were being used for water skiing, swimming or anything where you are going to have bare feet, the carpet is going to be nice.
  • Check out some of the other restoration threads. Some guys have rolled on paint with some sandy media in it. It turns the deck into a skateboard grip tape type texture. If you go that route, keep it fine like sand. If you use walnut shells as your grip media you will hate it. Deck paint with sand is probably the cheapest option. One downside is that you will lose the grippiness over time and may need to paint some more sand on every 4 years.
  • Some guys still prefer the carpet on bass boats because it provides extremely good grip, and if your decks are high on the boat, you really want as much grip under foot as you can get. Without bow rail to keep you in the boat all you have is the grip of your shoes on the deck.
  • From there you really want to consider color, and shininess.
    • when you are on a boat all day in the sun, the reflection and heat on the deck can be a big deal. White decks reflect more light which can make you feel like you are going "snow blind" while dark colors will become much hotter. I personally like middle colors. Light and creamy tan or grey is easy on the eyes and does not absorb as much heat, and makes it easy to see any blood or scales that need wiped up.
    • Shininess - Carpet and vinyl will be less shiny than a painted deck. The shinier it is the more light reflected back upwards into your eyes. Not probably a deciding factor, but something to be aware of.
So there you go. Just consider your budget and the strengths and weaknesses of each option and your decision should become clear.

Hope this helps!
 
Also, another piece of info specifically about vinyl for home use being applied on deck.

My boat had some rotted deck boards when I got it. Previous owner covered a couple of soft spots with linoleum. when I removed the deck the wood under the linoleum was still damp. Its seemed like it was causing the wood to hang onto more moisture. Not sure if that was actually caused by the linoleum, but it seemed that way to me.

Hope that helps!
 
Back
Top