Replacing a ply floor (Hornet 480)

[NAGG]

Hi All

I'm just after some advice on what is the best material to replace a ply floor on my Quintrex 480 Hornet
I've got a couple of soft spots & am thinking that carpeted ply is not the best way to go (had the same problem on a previous boat)
Also ..... Any recommendations on who could do such a job ...... if it is beyond me

Thanks in anticipation

Chris

[bluefin59]

Funny you should bring this up i have a similar problem developing in the fin after 6 yrs i was thinking maybe changing to aluminium checker plate and then cutting some sort of rubber mat in to go on top like the ones i have around my spa . I will be interested to see what others come up with as i am going to do something about mine in winter and replace my underfloor fuel lines as well ....matt

[finga]

Mate, when you consider a lot of options (like cost, weight and life span) the old ply floor takes a lot to beat IMO.
How about just painting it and putting some anti-slip stuff on it instead of the carpet or paint the floor and hold the carpet mat in with press studs, velcro or similar?
Sometimes the floors with carpet rot out because the floor holds moisture or the wrong carpet used.
Either way improvements can be made.
It's an easy job to do if the floor comes out easy as the old floor is the template for the new floor.
How many years did you get out of the old floor?

In 'Junior' we have painted ply on the main floor with those camping mats that lock together with all the holes in them and they work brilliantly.
Nice and soft on the tootsies, easy to clean and quick to dry.
We had a rubber anti-fatigue mat but the heat was incredible and unbearable.

Anyways if you want to have a go at doing it yourself your more then welcomed to 'assist' me in the job.
Cheers then
Scott

[bigjimg]

Gidday Chris Structural ply CD grade A bond.Don't waste your money on the marine grade.Make sure you give two flood coats of epoxy preservative especially the edges.Everdure or Norglass preservative two part.Give it a good seal and it will last for donkey's years factory floors are shit.Jim

[Leighton]

Gidday Chris Structural ply CD grade A bond.Don't waste your money on the marine grade.Make sure you give two flood coats of epoxy preservative especially the edges.Everdure or Norglass preservative two part.Give it a good seal and it will last for donkey's years factory floors are shit.Jim

just went through the same process and went for CD ply as well, sealed and carpeted. Got the job done for under $200

[ashh]

All you need is form ply.
Find a big building site where its at slab stage and ask/look around, you will more than likely find some offcuts the right size.
Form ply is waterproof and what they use to 'form' up slabs etc.
If your not keen on venturing onto a worksite, timberyards and bunnings etc sell sheets of it.
Paint the cut edges with a waterproof paint to seal it up.
Use form ply or ally sheet. Anything else and you'll be wasting your time

[NAGG]

Mate, when you consider a lot of options (like cost, weight and life span) the old ply floor takes a lot to beat IMO.
How about just painting it and putting some anti-slip stuff on it instead of the carpet or paint the floor and hold the carpet mat in with press studs, velcro or similar?
Sometimes the floors with carpet rot out because the floor holds moisture or the wrong carpet used.
Either way improvements can be made.
It's an easy job to do if the floor comes out easy as the old floor is the template for the new floor.
How many years did you get out of the old floor?

In 'Junior' we have painted ply on the main floor with those camping mats that lock together with all the holes in them and they work brilliantly.
Nice and soft on the tootsies, easy to clean and quick to dry.
We had a rubber anti-fatigue mat but the heat was incredible and unbearable.

Anyways if you want to have a go at doing it yourself your more then welcomed to 'assist' me in the job.
Cheers then
Scott

Thanks Scott

Only got 3 years out of the floor - Quintrex ply floors are crap

Now .... I do understand in part that it is my fault - Unfortunately sometimes the boat is put into the garage with wet carpet ( cant be helped - though ythe boat is tilted) - probably should use a fan to blow dry it. -


Anyhow ..... the job needs to be done at some stage in mid - late January

Chris

PS .... Its only the cockpit floor

[Chimo]

Hi Chris

I'm another vote for CD ply.

One of the other problems you have is the under floor area ie bilge. Any trapped puddles need to be dried especially if you are storing the boat. What I used to do in my al boat with its ply floor was to leave a couple of 240 volt computer fans running so that they drew the air out from under the floor. My rig had an opening down at the stern end so having cut a hole in the bottom of a 4 litre ice cream container it was easy to place a fan in each one and locate them so they drew air out from under the ply floor. Air finds its way in up forward and then flows thru under the ply floor. The floor in my old boat had rubber backed carpet on it and used to get a good hose out and it was still sound after 9 yrs when I sold it.

The fans still do service in the Vag keeping the air moving while the boat is covered with a tarp. Cuts the mould and mildew down heaps.

Cheers
Chimo

[Coontakinta]

Has anyone ever used that white stuff chopping boards are made out of? Or is that stuff too expensive to be viable.

Funny how factory built floors dont seem to go the distance yet the homie wons can go on for years. Says a lot about QC huh!

[Chimo]

It gets brittle in the sun and it would be dear.

Your better off with CD ply with the edges treated as mentioned above or use some mould killer (Mould Action Pre-Paint treatment from the Flood Co.) over the lot then apply multiple coats of good quality water based decking paint on both sides so you can just apply another coat when it wears. Also it breathes so rot is less of a problem esp if you use a fan to dry your bilges as I mentioned previously.

Cheers
Chimo

[NAGG]

Whatever I use ...... I still want to put carpet over the top

A mate mentioned using CD ply ........ a layer of fiberglass mat & then coat the lot in resin ........ you can then carpet over the top of it as you have a strong / sealed / waterproof base ----- sounds like overkill but no doubt it would be effective

Chris

PS ..... If you mean the polyethylene chopping board (Plastic) ...... If you could buy large sheet ( that was UV stabilised) - It would probably work
Unfortunately .... I dont think that anyone can extrude sheet wide enough & thick enough in this country ... I think there was a company that compression moulded thick sheet in Sydney though .

[ashh]

that UV stabilized polyethylene sheet is also quite expensive....

[Pete62]

Hi All

I'm just after some advice on what is the best material to replace a ply floor on my Quintrex 480 Hornet
I've got a couple of soft spots & am thinking that carpeted ply is not the best way to go (had the same problem on a previous boat)
Also ..... Any recommendations on who could do such a job ...... if it is beyond me

Thanks in anticipation

Chris

Don't care what ya use as long as it's back in the water by the first weekend in Feb

Poiter.

[patrol50]

naggs my 2 bobs worth is stay with the ply but use marine grade only and west or similar epoxy it both sides and maybe dynel cloth over it on the top - i built a hartley trailer sailer 18 ft with epoxy saturation and dynel cloth 20 years ago ( labour of love) and its still going strong with no rot - and yes i still have it sitting out in the weather with a tarp over it - while my alloy quin 470 coast runner sits in the car port under cover - figure that one out

cheers rob

[oldboot]

There are some alternatives.

Firstly if you are going to use ply..stay away from the pine bassed plywoods......the starch & the sugars in pine make it a guaranteed rotter.

As for form ply.....for most of us far too heavy, because of the thickness and the melemine surface treatment is a pain........ its hard and nothing sticks to it.....you still have to treat the holes and edges

Go with the " structrual exterior" meranti bassed ply, it has less flaws, is more consistent, lighter than some structrual CD ply and stands up fairly on its own in the open...far less prone to rot to start with. not much more expensive that CD pinus.

then you need to seal it.......and well...and this includes thru the screw holes.....so you fit it screw it down......make sure you are happy the go about sealing it.... make sure your screw holes are well clearance.. and get the stuff in there with a pipe cleaner

If you are not going to carpet over the top....even good quality exteriour paint will do a good job...as long as you pay attention and thin the first couple of coats.

There are heaps of epoxy treatments intended for the marine market......there are two schools in the marine market......the wood preservative school ( everdure and the like) and the straight epoxy school ( west system, boat coat and the like).
Do a proper epoxy job ( at least 3 coats) and the floor will outlast the pyramids

Polyester resin does not bond well with wood....It does not penetrate and it is not impervious like epoxy is.... and polyester is soft in comparison to epoxy.

Glass mat will not do a thing for the water resistance... but if you are looking for light weight.....A light glass mat both sides with epoxy, will give you about the best strength to weight ratio possible, particularly if you go with one of the ultralight plies like pulownia.
Epoxy and glass will give you incredible abrasion resistance too,

All the epoxies ( and wood perservatives) will require some UV protection....paint over or carpet.

As for carpet.....I recon you would be better, screwing, clipping or velcroing the carpet down so it can be removed and cleaned......when I pulled up the carpets on the current boat...I got heaps of sand and carp out from under and in the carpet.

Now alternatives.
The heavy HDPE Or LDPE (cutting board stuff) is incredibly heavy and expensive, apart from the fact that it is slipery and almost impossible to glue to or paint.....its relatyed to teflon and nylon and nothing sticks to it......just not viable.

the stuff that looks viable is foamed PVC board...a brand name illudes me at the moment.
But this stuff is great....lighter and stronger than an equavalent thickness of ply.....UV stable, cant rot......works with normal wood working tools...... holds paint a glue well ( used in the sign industry........... realy good stuff.......I recon this stuff will be my next boat floor.

When you consider the time and expense treating ply......this stuff looks price competitive even though it is much dearer than the same thickness ply.

cheers