Another flooring question.

[TTavenier3]

ok im a auto mechanic not really a boat guy but now that im getting into boat and what not i thought i found a sweet deal. my bad but i was Fudged. the boat floated and didnt leak "i thought" and just needed carpeting on one section. so i when ahead and bought this boat. i decided to rip the old carpet up and replace it all to then find all the corners where rotted out and the floor was wet. i live in iowa.. we havent had rain in a long time. i started to hammer on the wood to find if there is more rot in other places and the slip. hammer goes through the wood and into a water puddle. so i started to rip it out by hand and found the foam floating. weird huh. but no wet spot outside the boat. well i thought. never the less now im into a project to pull all the parts of this boat apart and fix the rivets and floor. i dont know if im going to use carpet or not. my question is what type of wood should i use. treated wood? (green) should i apply resin to the top of it. do i have to fiber glass the top of it or can i just apply resin. also after i replace the pop rivets and what not can i apply resin over all the tops. or should i seal it from the inside. how should i go about water proofing this damn thing. o guess i should have started with it is a 1980 starcraft kingfisher 160 boat. its a side consule boat with a 55 hp suzuki motor on the back. which reminds me after poking around i found the wood where the motor is seems soft to me. i cant poke all the way through it but it has alot of cracks in it. long side to side cracks like wood bark peeling look. never the less how hard is it to fix all this, i really dont want to scrap this boat but i dont want to spends 1200 bucks fixing it either. i figured resin sealer and wood would cost me 300-400 tops. and then making a deck in front of the steering councle be included in that. i do want to make a live well under the front deck also. so plumbing for this would probley be around 50-100 bucks. i just want a fill and drain line to it. ill have the drain always open with on of those tall overflow tube in it and have a bildge pump contantly running with streamers dropping water all the time to keep the fish alive. maybe ill add an airater also. then i want to add a storage compartment in the fdeck up front which will be easy. maybe 2 pedistool mount to move the 1 chain up front to either side of the front of the boat.
any ideas. restorations done on a very simular boat. any help will be much appreciated. expesually about the wood floor.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Another flooring question.

By the time its all said and done you will end up with 100 hours of labor and at least 2000.00 invested. And you can find all the info and help you will need in the resto section.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Another flooring question.

Keep the motor and controls and buy a boat that needs a motor and has a livewell.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Another flooring question.

If I understand correctly, this is an aluminum boat.

It won't be that expensive or time consuming to restore.

Never use pressure treated wood on an aluminum boat, use exterior grade plywood. ABX plywood is a very good grade and is much cheaper than marine plywood. Seal the plywood with epoxy resin or exterior grade Spar urethane.

Yes, you want to replace the wood in the transom (where the motor is attached) too.

You also want to replace your floatation foam as well.

It doesn't sound like you need to replace any rivets since the boat was holding water, but if you do... use the closed end blind (pop) rivets, they're self sealing and waterproof.

 

[rheagler]

Re: Another flooring question.

jigngrub is correct. Another plywood option is MDO which is designed for outdoor signs. It has a very tough waterproof skin. With the cut edges sealed up with paint or epoxy it will last a long time. Pricewise it is between exterior ply and marine ply.
Check out the Starcraft section, especially the restoration threads which can all be found here...
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=494143
You can fix it up on a tight budget, most of us tinheads are bottom feeders.

 

[TTavenier3]

Re: Another flooring question.

so dont use pressure treated wood? would that green board be that? and why. does it react with the aluminum or something, call me crazy but after i find the wood i need and get it installed i want to add this over the hole wood floor section the caulk up the edges. what do you think. i would say its probley the same things as really fiberglassing but if something happens i can always pull this stuff back up.http://www.homedepot.com/Lumber-Composites-Paneling-Fiberglass-Reinforced-Plastic-Panels/h_d1/N-bqo3Z5yc1v/R-202085619/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

 

[TTavenier3]

Re: Another flooring question.

i did find that mdo wood at menards for like 44 dollars. its double what the 3 layer green wood costs but if its better ill use it. also what thickness should i use. 1/2? at most ill only have 2 people on the boat. also does anyone know of a good right up on a deck install. i want to build a deck from the steeringwheel forward. ive seen a few bass boats like this that are aluminum but im curious how the made supports. were they placed them and what they used. i found a plastic tank thats going to be perfect for the live well with a lip all the way around the top so ill build a brace to support the bottom. things are coming to gether for ideas. thanks for all your help.
im new to this form. i looked to find the resto section and i must keep missing it. were is that located.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Another flooring question.

You are IN the Restoration Forum!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Another flooring question.

That FRP is for walls in buildings, not for floors or decks. The MDO is about the best plywood you can get for a boat, it is waterproof.

I wouldn't caulk anything, the water is supposed to go down into your bilge. Just pull the bilge plug after every trip and you'll be fine.

The reason your boat was in the condition it was is because it was stored outside with the bilge plug still in... of course it's going to hold water, it's supposed to. If water can't get out, that means water won't get in when you're using it.

After you get your boat put back together, if you store it outside... cover it and make sure the bilge plug is out and it will last a very long time.

 

[rheagler]

Re: Another flooring question.

You are IN the Restoration Forum!

I think he meant the Starcraft restorations... here
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=494143
Part of the whole Starcraft forum here...
http://forums.iboats.com/forumdisplay.php?f=53

 

[TTavenier3]

Re: Another flooring question.

I went out and decided what i was going to use to seal the inside of the boat. Its that rubber stuff kinda like that stuff that guy sprays on the bottom of that john boat that they installed a scrren door in the bottom of. I talked to a local marine and they said that stuff would be great for the inside of the boat. But then again they told me that theres no need to spray primer on the boat if i use a 4in grinder with a sand wheel atachment on it. So maybe they are wrong lol. As for that fiber glass sheet thing i figured i want to use that in the middle of the boat. Im going to make a deck in the front and a deck in the rear. I want to take a couple pvc pipes and run them through the bottom of the rear deck so it can drain. Also did any one notice the guy in the resto forum with the king fisher the 76 model didnt bolt the floor down. I dont think thats a good idea. But then again his write up wasnt very detailed. Note. I will end up carpeting the 2 decks. In the front i want to make a live well would that be ok or will it be to heavy for that. I was only thinking a 20wide by 14 long by 14 deep but it wont be but 10 or 11 inches full of water at any given time.

 

[TTavenier3]

Re: Another flooring question.

WHATS MY BEST OPTION FOR BOLTING THE FLOOR TO THE BRACES. RIVETS OR BOLTS. I THOUGH ABOUT THESE RIVET SCREW THINGS. YOU DRILL A HOLE BOLT THESE IN AND THEY ACT AS A NUT FOR THE SCREW TO FIT IN. ALSO SHOULD I LAY THE WOOD IN DRILL HOLES IN THE WOOD THEN PULL IT BACK OUT AND THEN SEAL THE WOOD. I DID SOME SHOPPING TODAY AND FOUND THIS STUFF AS A WOOD SEALER. THE KNUCKLE HEADS AT THE MARINE SAID TO USE IT BECUASE IT WAS THE BEST FOR HERE. WHAT DO YOU THINK.http://menards.com/main/paint/exterior-stain/wood-preservatives/pittsburgh-paints-ultra-advanced-waterproofing-sealant/p-1489293-c-7950.htm

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Another flooring question.

interesting

 

[TTavenier3]

Re: Another flooring question.

interesting

which part

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Another flooring question.

That spray rubber stuff came up yesterday over here

You seem to have taken the advice you'd gotten at a marina, then call them knuckleheads.

So, yeah interesting

If you spend some time reading some tinny boat threads, here's a good place to start that, or here, many if not all your tin boat related questions would be answered.

Also interesting.

Carpet, interior & exterior paint, paint prep, interior space layout, casting deck fabrication, livewells, baitwells, storage, anchor storage, battery placement, sealing/treating the wood prior to installation for both decks & transoms, etc

Lots of good resources available.

 

[TTavenier3]

Re: Another flooring question.

although the look though thousdand of threads with half baked answers is very disapointing. i appreciate your help and guidance in this. just a fyi after reading your post about the rubber coating thing, that thread made no sense. people have to write smart *** remarks its very discouraging when you cant tell if someones being sarcastic or not. i was going to do the gluvit sealers but from what i read it not that thick unless you spend bunch of money on gallons of it to make it thick enough. i was hoping someone tried this and had a good out come or a bad outcome. i was just thinking the ruber coating stuff would seal good. also not that is matters but it would dampen any noise from water surface not that it matter because yes your on a boat. also the fact that its going under a wood floor it wont be able to heat up as the people in that thread mentioned. but even if it did its rubberized so it can move and form into different areas,
please dont take my responce as a sarcastic one. but just like ever automotive forum people feel the need to have half butt write ups and it makes people that are new to the board very discouraged.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Another flooring question.

I was going to do the gluvit sealers but from what i read it not that thick unless you spend bunch of money on gallons of it to make it thick enough.

If you need gallons of thick anything on the inside of your hull, there are problems that should be of concern, and should be addressed.

I think the last 2 SC threads that used Gluvit, were more then satisfied w/ it's results, used about a quart to coat all the seams and all the rivets on the interior of 15' runabouts, open or closed bow.

Perhaps you got lost after someone asked if I did or did not recommend the bedliner after I posted several different ways that bedliner or the spray can rubber stuff (FlexSeal) wasn't a better alternative:

Let me tell you a little tale about some bedliner, 3 different kinds of stripper that didn't work, a 3200psi pressure washer, the nastiest/harshest paint stripper I've ever seen & some chemical burns Oh and many not so pleasant hours of scrapping small 6" sq of bedliner at a time.......

Gluvit, $40
Taking about an hour to apply Gluvit, $20-500 (depending on your personal hourly pay rate)

Never having to strip truck bedliner off an SC double row riveted hull seam, PRICELESS plus 'Look ma, no chemical burns' so there's that too

• You need to prep the hull to shoot bedliner, just like you'd do for Gluvit/paint (G/P)
  
• Even if you go off the shelf from an auto parts discount place, the bedliner is going to be more expensive per unit then G/P
• Your much more likely to plug the ends of the ribs & the limber holes, for hull drainage towards the bilge, w/ bedliner vs G/P
• Bedliner is heavy compared to G/P
• Bedliner is typically dark (or black), which in a tinny that's already prone to getting hot in the sun, may be counterproductive vs G/P
• Bedliner is the anti-christ to remove vs G/P
• See item above & repeat ad infinitum

That's my take away from my own personal tin boat resto experience w/ bedliner...... Your results may vary

This is as it applies to the interior portions of the hull, and specifically the bottom areas across the boat from chine to chine and stem to stern across the ribs. Some, none or all of those statements could apply to other areas of a tin boat's part's and pieces, both those made of tin & made of other materials.....

And ultimately it's your boat, do as you see fit, based on your needs & wants, timeline, funding, access to 'normal' boat resto materials and other adaptable materials....

But yeah, that screen door boat guy needs to have an anvil dropped thru his treated screen door. May have done just as much disservice to tin boats of all types as the people who started the pressure treated lumber rebuilds of tin boat................

So that's a no then??

. After that, yes, things got a tad sarcastic.....

Please point out the thousands of threads w/ half baked answers.....

I suspect that if you read thru those completed SC threads I gave you a link to, most, if not all, contain helpful, meaningful information about the demo, prep & put back of an aluminum boat. If you don't care to read them, ok.

Fortunately, we are entitled to our opinions and if you don't care for mine or the way in which it was offered, we can agree to disagree....

This forum is great, it often has various degrees of debated topics. Everyone wins when we all put what we believe to be the best solution to a question or a problem, out there in a post. Then let the person asking the questions decide for themselves what best suits their needs, wants, budget, timeline, their own knowledge & etc.

Also note that I mentioned it in the quoted bedliner text above:

It's your boat, do as you see fit.

Bedliner: I wouldn't & outlined why I wouldn't.

But sure, you can, if you want to.

Be sure to keep your limber holes open though, drainage into the bilge is a good thing. As jigngrub noted earlier:

I wouldn't caulk anything, the water is supposed to go down into your bilge. Just pull the bilge plug after every trip and you'll be fine.

 

[TTavenier3]

Re: Another flooring question.

thanks for your help. im just sceptical about that light clear stuff.
as for water draining to the bottom of the boat or the bilge pump . my idea would be that the water will run from front to back were then it can get to the bilge pump. i want or was wanting the majority of the platforms and center to be water tight up top so there is no chance of water to get stuck or sit in a certain area for to lo0ng.sealing the top would do this but adding 2 1/2in pvc pipe to guide water under the rear deck to the back of the boat were then the bilge pump can disperse the water outside the boat. kind of like a fiberglass center boat is sealed completely on the top but has drops in the back for water to be pumped out.
i will look into how to build the front a rear decks i have a 99 percent way on building the rear deck but for the front with a live well im not sure on how im going to do this. if you know of a detailed write up please advise me.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Another flooring question.

No need to be skeptical of the Gluvit or Coat-it, I've never heard of anyone using it and not being 100% satisfied... and I've seen a lot of folks use it on this and other forums. If you don't like it because it's clear, use Coat-it. It's black and also cheaper than Gluvit.
http://www.tapplastics.com/product/fiberglass/epoxy_resins/coat_it_epoxy_sealer_with_kevlar/30

There's no need for drain pipes under the deck, just provide a drainway in your floatation foam configuration like this:

If your boat has the latteral rib design make sure it has limber (drain) holes in each rib.

If your boat doesn't have a deck drain you should install one to let any water on the deck drain to the bilge:

For fastening your deck down use blind (pop) rivets or stainless steel screws, aluminum rivets are a lot cheaper than stainless steel screws.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Another flooring question.

Gluvit and Coat-it are formulated to flex with the aluminum. They are proven with years of use. The people here on the forum have years of proven experience to help guide you. If you ask for their help and then want to follow some other course of action then thats your choice. It is your boat and you are free to do as you see fit. We can only offer you what we have found to work based on years of experience and what has worked for us. Aluminum boats typically do not need pvc drainage. Due to the amound of flex in aluminum boat almost all aluminum boats decks are not sealed to the sides of the hull. Again you are free to do as you see fit.