Vinyl teak & holly flooring

[Ms. Mymoney]

I have a question, and concern, about the vinyl products out there. I am looking at either the Amtico or the Lonseal products. (Someone told me they were the same, but thats another discussion). Is it just me or is the thought of vinyl flooring on a boat really scary? I've pulled vinyl out of homes before where the backside was completely covered in mold. And these houses don't have nearly the humidty or temp swings a boat has. Am I overreacting here? I assume the thought is that if enough adhesive is applied and all the air gets worked out then theres no place for moisture to loom?

If you have experience with these products please shed some insight. Pictures would be nice too. Defender lists Lonseal for a really good price IMO and if I can build some confidence about using this stuff Im going to do it.

-bill

ps: thanks for letting a Chris Craft guy hang around. Wish we had a forum like this

 

[SCORPIO]

Check out this thread http://clubsearay.com/showthread.ph...stall-Alure-flooring-in-80s-era-sundancer-300

 

[jgoedd99]

I put the Lonseal Teak and Holly in my 1990 310 and used the epoxy adhesive. It is permanent when you use the epoxy. It turned out excellent.

With temperature extremes and moisture issues, the epoxy is the recommended adhesive.

Johng

 

[douglee25]

Last year I installed Amtico flooring in my boat. I have to say, the product is excellent looking and it seems to be holding up great so far. The product looks very very real... and it should because it does have actual wood inlaid between some sort of poly-resin material. The installation procedure leaves a lot to be desired. I even called Amtico after I finished to give my feedback on the install and they really seemed to care less.

If you decide to go the Amtico route, read below...

1. Every piece has to be custom fit and cut to each individual boat. This wouldn't be so bad except that you need to layout the entire floor and then label it so they can go down exactly how they came up. What I did was snap a chalk line down the center of the floor and put masking tape on each and every piece after I cut it to fit. I labeled it 'R1, R2, R3, etc' if it was to the right of the chalk line, and then 'L1, L2, L3, etc' if it was to the left of the chalk line. I also used an 'F' or 'R' to denote front or rear if the specific 'run' was made up of more than one piece (they are 48" long I believe). Simple yet effective. After I had the floor all cut and labeled, I took tape and laid several strips on the diagonal so I could basically lift out entire sections at a time. It just makes it easier for the installation portion next.

2. The epoxy is some proprietary formula where the 'A' part is above the 'B' part - the whole assembly looks like a gallon paint can if you can follow me. They instruct you to puncture a hole through 'A' and into 'B'. 'A' drains into 'B', then 'A' container is removed, the contents are stirred, then it is troweled down with an 1/8" trowel.

3. Now after you trowel the floor, you only get around 40 minutes of working time. Sounds like a lot right? So have your helper hand you the individual pieces, lay them back down exactly how you took them up. Once you get the entire section done, then it needs to be rolled with 100 lb roller. Now after it's rolled, the glue is excreted back up through the joints of the floor. The instructions tell you to wipe up any residual glue with isopropyl alcohol. Do not use paint thinner, etc. It will make the floor haze. Make sure you stock up with a lot of isopropyl alcohol prior to starting the job. Also have plenty of rags ready.... and also several pairs of old socks. Yes socks. Why? Well because you need to stand on the sections of floor in order to wipe them up. Avoid shoes so it doesn't ruin your shoes and track it on the new floor. You'll begin to feel like your chasing your own ass as you try to wipe up the glue. As you wipe the floor, you'll begin to notice 40 minutes rolls around very quickly. The glue gets very hard to remove at this point. You'll begin to get frustrated. Just do your best. And change those socks for the next section!

4. Make sure you order enough epoxy to get through you the job. If you don't order enough, you'll be frustrated that you can't finish. And remember, you can't do very large portions when installing this product. It just doesn't lend itself that way.

Again, the product is very rich looking, but the install sucks.

Doug

 

[katricol]

Nice looking job Doug !!!!

 

[douglee25]

Thank you! We are really enjoying the floor vs. the old carpet. So much easier to clean too.

Doug