Teak flooring in cabin?

C

C RAY CRAZY

New Member
Mar 2, 2007
22
New Rochelle, NY
Boat Info
1989 280 Sundancer
Engines
T- V6 4.3L 190 HP TKS repower w/Alpha 1 drives
How's things?

I have been considering pulling up the carpet in my cabin and installing either teak and holly plywood or perhaps laminate flooring that can be glued down. The run is about 8' x 3 1/2 at the widest point. Does anyone know what material they are putting in the new boats, some of it looks like a thin sheet of Formica? I looked into Flexi teak, it looks like an awesome product, but they want $30.00 a sq ft. My other issue would be the two hatches in the floor, how would I finish off the boarders? Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

Capt Bill
 
talked to these people At the Cleveland boat show...they said many builders are using their product...as you said it is pricey !

www.plasteak.com
 
C ray,
I'm with u . The carpet has to go ....

I dont think real teak is an option... Way to much maintanence.

I also looked at the flexteak . Im waiting for people that have used it ....

Rob
 
Check Home Depot, they have a product that is advertised for floors that is fairly thin and flexible. Better yet, it's waterproof. It has a wood look to it and is some kind of plastic. I don't remember the name, but it's great looking and we've been considering it for use in a future boat. It's a WHOLE lot cheaper than the stuff you guys are talking about! It goes together like Pergo in 3 foot strips, but it's only about 1/8 inch thick or so. Looks very nice and would be perfect for a marine environment.
 
The stuff I'm talking about is flexible and about 1/8 inch in diameter. If I get to a HD I'll see if I can find it. That might be it, but they make that look like it's a plank type product. The other stuff if like a heavy vinyl floor mat. It came in a variety of colors like Oak, Cherry, Walnut and some others. It stuck together with adhesive but I believe it was free floating or you could anchor it with double sided tape or glue. It would last forever!
 
Guys, I install laminates and hardwoods for a living during my spare "inbetween work" times and have several years experience with them. I have managed flooring crews for both Home Depot and Lowes.

If what you are looking at is a vinyl, ok.... HOWEVER: if it's really a laminate -

a laminate designed for a home is basically pressed fiberboard; ie, paper. No matter how moisture resistant it is presented to be, it is still, COMPRESSED PAPER. What does paper do when it gets wet? I mean really wet, like might happen on a boat? Think about it.

DuPont makes great laminates (such as their Real Touch Elite Series) that has a top layer that is more scratch resistant than real hardwoods and carries up to a 25 yr warranty or even longer... when installed in a house.... in atmospheres much less humid than on the seas, and when not subjected to constant soaking.

I humbly suggest that you find another good deal for your boat flooring. Household laminates ~ no matter how quality made ~ ain't the way to go. If someone wants to test this idea, it won't be too much expense compared to the price of other boating upkeep, but be sure to keep your receipts and hope for an understanding local store manager. I'll bet my bottom dollar that no laminate will last a single season when subjected to the humidity and spillage experienced on any boat.

Just my extry peso's thought for what it's worth.... it may be worth 2 cents, maybe not :smt001
 
just got back from HD....can find no such product....I have put down lots of laminate and agree with Gjarrett
 
Teak and Holly Flooring

Saw Amtico Teak and Holly Vinyl Flooring on big Hatteras Boats at the Miami Boat Show. Described as vinyl strip flooring. Maybe available through a commercial channel?
 
GJarrett said:
Guys, I install laminates and hardwoods for a living during my spare "inbetween work" times and have several years experience with them. I have managed flooring crews for both Home Depot and Lowes.

If what you are looking at is a vinyl, ok.... HOWEVER: if it's really a laminate -

a laminate designed for a home is basically pressed fiberboard; ie, paper. No matter how moisture resistant it is presented to be, it is still, COMPRESSED PAPER. What does paper do when it gets wet? I mean really wet, like might happen on a boat? Think about it.

DuPont makes great laminates (such as their Real Touch Elite Series) that has a top layer that is more scratch resistant than real hardwoods and carries up to a 25 yr warranty or even longer... when installed in a house.... in atmospheres much less humid than on the seas, and when not subjected to constant soaking.

I humbly suggest that you find another good deal for your boat flooring. Household laminates ~ no matter how quality made ~ ain't the way to go. If someone wants to test this idea, it won't be too much expense compared to the price of other boating upkeep, but be sure to keep your receipts and hope for an understanding local store manager. I'll bet my bottom dollar that no laminate will last a single season when subjected to the humidity and spillage experienced on any boat.

Just my extry peso's thought for what it's worth.... it may be worth 2 cents, maybe not :smt001
Click to expand...

GJarrett,

Thank you very much for your impute, you bring up a very good point about the compressed wood!

You just saved me a whole lot of money and time, I owe you a brew!!!! :smt038

Capt Bill
 
C RAY CRAZY

Last year we added Cherry wood with Black Stripe to our galley area and it turned out great. The flooring we used is from a company called World Panel Products. It was stained and polyurathane coated to protect it from normal wear. We had the installation done by a local company called American Finishing Yacht Services. Best thing we ever did.

Good Luck !
 
I recently installed Pergo in my boat. I was fully aware of the water / moisture issue but the cost and the fact that we run our dehumidifier year round convinced me to accept the risk and take a shot. Also our kids are grown and in College we do not tend to track too much water down below. I have a friend with a 33EC that installed Pergo 2+ years ago and he has had no problems with moisture. I'll see what happens. The entire project cost me around $400.

As to the Hatches:

The hatch needs to be shimmed up to match the floor. I purchased some 3/8" closed cell polyethylene foam with an adhesive backing from McMasters. I attached it directly to the bottom of the hatch. It raises the hatch up to flush and eliminates any movement when you step on it. I am still working out how to handle finishing off the edges of the hatches.

The improvement in appearance and ease of housekeeping is phenomenal. I highly recommend eliminating the carper no matter what material you choose.
 
I had the help of a friend that installs flooring on the side. It took us about 8 hrs spread over several evenings and many many beers. Now there is a scary thought a chop saw and beers.

A couple more thoughts.

I ran the floor from the front state room to the door that separates the rear stateroom from the salon. I left the carpet in the rear stateroom.

A laminate floor is supposed to float to compensate for expansion and contraction. We found we had to use some adhesive around the hatches to keep the floor from lifting. My friend indicated the floor could buckle if it was subjected to a great change in temperature. Again I run the dehumidifier all year. I bet the temperature in my boat is never below 70 or above 80 so I don't think I'll have much of an issue.

The floor has been in for a bit over a month. I have put about 15 hrs on the boat in some pretty heavy seas and nothing has shook loose yet.
 
This could work on your boat considering the fact that you maintain a dehumidifier and constant temperature; ie, you are keeping the interior similar to the atmosphere of a home.

My prior post was based on the fact that 99% of the boats I've been on are not kept like yours; ie, most will be subjected to drastic changes in temperature and humidity which will cause a household laminate floor a whole lot of trouble.

There is a phenominally good looking new vinyl flooring product out that looks just like wood and may be similar to what Sundancer saw at HD, though I don't think HD carries this stuff. It is made by Karndean and is absolutely beautiful. If anyone wants to try installing that stuff on their boat I think it would be killer. Check out www.karndean.com for info on the flooring. It comes in dozens of styles from ceramic tile lookalike to hand-scraped hardwood replicas that look VERY real - and it's vinyl, so it's waterproof. It is an adhesive glue-down product so it might need some experimentation with adhesive type for a marine application although the recommended adhesive type for home application may work fine.
 
Here's one example of Karndean's hand-scraped hardwood lookalike; they have several exotic wood replicas that would look great on a boat. I've walked on this stuff and you cannot tell it's not wood until you bend down and look VERY closely at it.
 

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There is also another product by Plasteak. It is supposed to be vinyl sheets and comes in teak and holly, etc. Not sure how it looks in person, but you can order samples on the site. I just ripped up my carpet and am deciding if I want to put carpet back down or some type of flooring.
 
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