floor rot

[boodo]

Hi Lads, I have a 2yr old 5.2m centre consol formosa and my floor is absolutley buggered with rot, I was wanting to know if anyone has had this problem with their boats in this short time frame. I am real happy with the boat apart from the floor. The boats well looked after and stored in a shed when not in use. I have sent manufacturer a few emails but no reply as yet.

[coucho]

I have a 5 year old stessl that has rot in one part of the floor

[reddybayfisher]

I have a 2003 formosa centre console - lifted the floor to put in new foam and saw no obvious signs of rot.....

Might have to give them a call rather than email - I presume that the boat is still under warranty against floor rot?

[disorderly]

Isnt part of the reason Formosa's are affordable is they have the cheaper option of a ply floor...??

[tin can marlin]

Always the way the boat builder is all over when you buy the boat factory tours etc then you have a promblem and they don't wan't to know you i would ring him and tell him to fix it as i bet they don't use marine grade ply it would just be the s#$t you would get at bunnings.

[FNQCairns]

Trying to read between the lines you may have loved it to death, freshwater wash, wet carpet then into the shed is a sure way to turbo charge rot.

The ply is probably cd grade and is almost universal as the ply in tinnys. If a person does the flooring job themselves sealing it is mandatory.

cheers fnq

[megafish71]

Always the way the boat builder is all over when you buy the boat factory tours etc then you have a promblem and they don't wan't to know you i would ring him and tell him to fix it as i bet they don't use marine grade ply it would just be the s#$t you would get at bunnings.

With a comment like that you obviously know nothing about ply. FNQ has hit the nail on the head. You may be lucky and get your floor replaced, but I would suggest that the warranty is on the structure of the vessel and not on the floor boards. I know that is the way telwater has got out of thousands of warranty claims over the years.

Ron

[levinge]

The Formosa's are supposed to be an oiled floor to protect against rot, however you never know, you may have just got a shitty bit of floor.

Do you leave the boat out in the sun until she dries completely and then store it or do you wash and store straight away, if you do this, it could cause water to pool and accelerate the deterioration.

I have a 5.80M Formosa Centre Cab, it is stored down the side of the house, open to weather, is washed thoroughly after each trip, air dried completely and then and only then does the tarp go over the Cab. To date I have had no problems with the carpets or the floor..

BUt as the guys have said, ring them and keep ringing till you get an outcome!!

[boodo]

thanks for the replies, 90% of time i will leave the boat out for it to dry before putting it away. I do nothing different with it then from my last 2 boats which were quintrexes and i never had a drama with them. I am happy with the boat just not the floor. I am aware that it's out of warranty. I just wanted to know if this is common.

Cheers Boodo

[Scott nthQld]

it only takes the slightest bit of moisture to cause rot, and once it starts there's no stopping it. Even if covered or stored in a shed you will still get condensation develop under the floor, no matter how dry it is before you stow it away.

It's inevitable in any boat with a ply floor, sometimes it will only last months, others years. I think the main problem could be that because the floor is such a tight fit, the bilge would have trouble drying out 100%, but also, any humidity in the air will also get trapped under the floor.

The oil they seal the floor with will not last forever and will eventually dry out or get washed off with use, leaving nothing to protect the ply.

Like others have said, give formosa a ring and see if you can get any satisfaction through them, if not, I'd look at getting an alloy floor made up, it doesn't have to be welded in, but at least you know it will never rot out beneath you. Just use the existing board as a template when you cut new ones.

If you put another ply floor in, just make sure you leave the bungs out when it's not in use to allow any build up of condensation to escape.

[Pazz01]

If you put another ply floor in, make sure you put a moulded ventilation bung in (not sure of exact name). They are plastic and round and the top part screws into the bottom sections that is screwed into the floor with the centre cut out.

Open these up after each trip and whilst the boat is stored in teh shed. they make all the difference and prevent mositure build up whilst in storage.

The original floor of ours was perfect and within 18 months of owing it, it was all rotten. We installed those bung type things and the floor has been perfect for about the last 15 years.

Pazz

[Pazz01]

Sorry, double post for some unknown reason.

Pazz

[Wahoo]

if your going to go all the trouble of putting another floor in, use what you have now as templates and go with 3mm checker plate alloy

Daz

[FNQCairns]

When my tinny arrived I pulled the floor up and sealed all of the bare underside with some leftover polyester resin I had, it's a hard case as the top was carpeted, sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place but better than nothing hopefully.

cheers fnq

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hi
I cannot believe you have not had a reply from Duncan. Please call him instead of emailing him. I have found him very helpful and am sure if you have a problem he would be only too willing to talk about it.

Ronnie

[Mindi]

Agree with Ronnie.. would expect him to be helpful. Most likely he hasnt seen emails.

[Mindi]

If you put another ply floor in, make sure you put a moulded ventilation bung in (not sure of exact name). They are plastic and round and the top part screws into the bottom sections that is screwed into the floor with the centre cut out.

Open these up after each trip and whilst the boat is stored in teh shed. they make all the difference and prevent mositure build up whilst in storage.

The original floor of ours was perfect and within 18 months of owing it, it was all rotten. We installed those bung type things and the floor has been perfect for about the last 15 years.

Pazz

This is really interesting (I Think) but I dont really understand the fitting you are describing..? is it a mesh type vent like a wall vent..? or a screw in plastic porthole that you remove for storage ventilation..?

[FNQCairns]

Mindi probably one of these:

http://www.biasboating.com.au/c-53-inspection-ports.aspx

cheers fnq

[Pazz01]

Sorry Mindi, same as those in FNQ's link.

I open them up when we it goes into the shed. Shine the tourch around inside and see if there is any water laying there and dry up as much as possible.

These will save your timber floor for years. It's down the trick on ours. We've got about 4 in our boat.

Pazz

[dean grieve]

Hi Lads, I have a 2yr old 5.2m centre consol formosa and my floor is absolutley buggered with rot, I was wanting to know if anyone has had this problem with these or other boats in this short time frame. The boats well looked after and stored in a shed when not in use. I have sent manufacturer a few emails but no reply as yet.

I can asure you that if you ring duncan at formosa he will be more than happy to help you .You should contact your dealer as that is part of their job.If you have any problems please contact me with your ph no .

[Dave71]

I was talking to a dealer today and questioned them on the type of ply that formosa use. He informed me that they were using imported ply up until 2 years ago but changed to a locally supplied ply due to quality issues with the imported ply
Dave

[Mrs Ronnie H]

I was talking to a dealer today and questioned them on the type of ply that formosa use. He informed me that they were using imported ply up until 2 years ago but changed to a locally supplied ply due to quality issues with the imported ply
Dave


Geez guys
I don't want to get out of sorts for this but ----------With all this talk to other dealers about Formosa don't you think it would be a better idea if someone actually talked to Duncan and got the real facts from him. This is getting me abit cheesed as i can only praise those guys for the excellent work and service they provided when we ordered our boat. It didn't matter what we asked there was always an answer and a good result-- Our boat is testimony to the care and effort they put in for us.

Please phone Duncan -- I will even give you his number if that will help.

Ronnie

[SNAPPERCOFFIN]

Mate have a thought of using Celuka will depend on how far apart your frames are but 12mm would cover it. It is great stuff. Most large ply places will have it.

[SNAPPERCOFFIN]

PVC Celuka Foam Board

Is an ideal material to replace some timbers, Celuka board has a 0.3mm external skin over a solid foam core and is extremely light weight, water resistant, has low thermal conductivity and is widely used in the graphics and building industry. Sheets are available in 10-25mm thick in white and black but may be painted to match internal/external colour schemes.
The smooth, silk gloss finish is ideal for printing and photographic mounting and is very workable. Applications include advertising/display signage, interior fit outs to caravan, boats, partitioning, bulletin boards and cool rooms.

[Crooked]

I had the same thing happen with my Stessco, after 1 month I noticed the floor felt a bit soft and flexing more than it should so I lifted it and found lots of rot with big fungal growths on it.

I went back to the dealer and to his credit he got on to Stessco and they authorised it's reaplacement by a marine fit out shop and picked up all the costs, very good service I thought.

When the guy pulled it up it wasn't sealed, but this isn't unusual as some do this to prevent warping. But he put in some hardwood ply and sealed the whole lot, haven't seen any issues in the last 2.5 years.

You'd have rocks in your head to use marine ply, the only difference is usually the marine grade stuff has a "good face" with no knots, splits etc. Exterior and CD have the same glue.

Hope you get it sorted out, it seems fairly common I remember another guy on here stating he had an issue with his Brooker floor.

cheers

[Scott nthQld]

You'd have rocks in your head to use marine ply, the only difference is usually the marine grade stuff has a "good face" with no knots, splits etc. Exterior and CD have the same glue.



Crooked, marine ply can be very different to standard CD ply. Though the marine ply you get from the likes of bunnings will be no different other than a thin maple veneer over the pine to give 2 dressed sides. Generally a decent quality marine ply is maple, but you can also get it made from cedar and even spotted gum, though you do have to look hard for it.

Other than the types of timber, everything else is the same, the H2 treatment (termite treatment) right down to the methods and glue used to bond the sheets.

CD Ply will always have one good side and as long as it is properly sealed and fixed solid to the stringers, it will not warp and last a very long time.

Any amount of moisture that penetrates the timber will eventually cause rot, no matter what the quality of timber, or make of boat. Once the moisture gets in and the rot starts then there's no stopping it going right through the panel.

[oldboot]

OK lets lok at some plywood facts.
both marine ply and CD ply are "A" bond resourcenol bonded material, all ply rated as exteriour will be "A" bond. same glue

CD ply has a good face and a bad face, unfilled voids are permisable in the rear or bad face and in the intermediate plies, filled voids are permitted in the good face, some brands the good face voids will simply be bogged the better brands the voids will be punched and patched.

there are two standards for marine ply we see.

Australina standard marine ply should have at least a "B" grade face with no voids and no voids thruout the material.

most of the luan ( meranti) ( hardwood exterior) asian ply is british standard marine and may have "some voids" usulay cracks in the intermediate plies but none on the faces.....a lot of people look down on this stuff, but I have seen it left out in the eliments for over 12 months with little more than bleaching and raising of the grain.....it will rot with standing moisture.

Now regardles of the type of ply, if it remains moist and unsealed it will rot and somtimes very quickly......the pine bassed plies may rot very redily because of the possiblity of the starch and sugar content.

In many cases ply will fail and delaminate, due to failure in the timber and not in the Adhesive

I have a real problem with carpet over plywood floors exposed to water/ moisture even when sealed.

Oil will provide very poor protection against moisture and little or no protection against mould unless it has some sort of inhibiter in it

if you are going to replace your floor make sure it is well sealed bothe sides and double on the end grain.

then seriously consider removable mats.

the last floor that came out of my boat, came out as a delaminating mess the last few trips with a dustpan.....previous owned failed to seal the floor properly.

cheers

[Dave71]

I spoke to a dealer today about the ply used in the formosa boats. He informed me that formosa were using an imported ply but changed about 2 yesars ago to a local supplier because of quality issues with the imported ply.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

I spoke to a dealer today about the ply used in the formosa boats. He informed me that formosa were using an imported ply but changed about 2 yesars ago to a local supplier because of quality issues with the imported ply.

Disorderly quote : Isnt part of the reason Formosa's are affordable is they have the cheaper option of a ply floor...??


Dave
To lay this to rest whoever the dealer was you spoke to has his information totally wrong. We have spoken with Duncan and he gets his ply from the same place now as he did ten years ago but the quality now is of higher grade.

I would like to see this problem solved for the bloke who started this thread and everyone get the right story so I think at this stage the best option is to consult with Formosa and have it resolved.

Ronnie

[Mindi]

Disorderly quote : Isnt part of the reason Formosa's are affordable is they have the cheaper option of a ply floor...??


Dave
To lay this to rest whoever the dealer was you spoke to has his information totally wrong. We have spoken with Duncan and he gets his ply from the same place now as he did ten years ago but the quality now is of higher grade.

I would like to see this problem solved for the bloke who started this thread and everyone get the right story so I think at this stage the best option is to consult with Formosa and have it resolved.

Ronnie

Or was doing what dealers do best and lying about the competition... bet he wasnt a Formosa dealer. Dont bother asking why I am a cynic..just read the thread....the dealer is inviting the enquirer to believe that they had a problem and had to change supply...and by implication thats why the guy's floor has rotted. They just cant help themselves....given Duncan's reply to Ronnie this supply story can only have come out of his imagination.
Ronnie there must be some reason why the owner wont contact Duncan so give up on it I would reckon..? Maybe there is more to the story than we are seeing.
For the record I dont own a Formosa but have seen the operation and met Duncan and rate both highly.

[fishingjew]

One very good product for sealing ply floors on new or old is Senseal.Or any timber.

http://www.senseal.com.au/products/multi_primer_overview.html

[Mindi]

One very good product for sealing ply floors on new or old is Senseal.Or any timber.

http://www.senseal.com.au/products/multi_primer_overview.html

A bit like thinned two pack epoxy you use to penetrate ply for building before the top coats...but probably better. Epoxy products are cheap at $76 litre arent they..? but still if you preserved your floor for $150 probably cheap enough.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Thanks mindi
I agree with you in that the dealer was most likely doing what they do best-- usual speel to shy you away from a competitor,

Also have to agree that maybe there is alot more to the story.

Lots of agreeing but you're right on a third note-- Duncan is a great bloke and am surehe has been following this thread with great interest???

Ronnie
PS-- Mindi what did you decide to get????

[tuna boy]

hi all....its a shame to think that there have been all these replys to one post when one two minute phone call to duncan would have solved the problem.........duncan at formosa marine....07-32452950...........cheers johnno(a happy formosa owner)lol

[boodo]

I didnt start post to bag formosa, as I am totally happy with the boat apart from my floor problem I was just wanting to know if it was a common problem. As it turns out I replaced my floor with 3mm chequer plate and its all good, problem solved. Perhaps my emails didnt reach them?:-/ either way I am happy with my boat and happy with my floor, no dramas.

[timddo]

boodoo , do you have a picture of the floor,

I'm considering doing the same to my boat, do it once and last a lifetime.