Glastron floor repair

[camera guy]

My 1976 Glastron 156 Tri Hull has a few spongy spots in the floor. Anyone know what I'll find if I tear into the floor OR is there another way to repair the floor?

 

[JB]

Re: Glastron floor repair

FLOOR?? You ain't got no stinking floor, you got a DECK.

You need to tear into it. The odds are that there is much more rot than you expect. The only way to repair it is to rip it out, along with any rotted stringers, and build a new one.

Lots of how-to in the Restoration and Building Forum.

Good luck.

 

[camera guy]

Re: Glastron floor repair

As per your advice, I've been reading the horror stories in the restoration section -- do you have any idea what I am looking at. The front of the boat has a fiberglass DECK so I assume that is sound??? On the Glastron, is he transom also likely to be a problem. Is there a diagram on any posting so that I would have a sneak preview of the structure under the DECK?

This probably started when I (or my Dad who bought the boat new) were unaware of the plug for the area between the DECK and the hull. One day a year ago, I felt the boat was heavy, heard sloshing and started looking and found the plug.

 

[Rowroy]

Re: Glastron floor repair

You are in for quite an adventure. You need to check every aspect of the deck, stringers, and transom. Don't assume any of it is good.

 

[camera guy]

Re: Glastron floor repair

Someone once said, no question is a dumb one -- BUT this might qualify! Since there are a couple of 'soft' spots in the deck, do they make an expandable foam (like that used for sealing around windows or foundations) so that I could drill a couple holes in the deck and fill that area of the hull with foam and thus prevent breaking through the deck??? The foam I am talking about forms a solid material like the floation foam that you often find between decks and the hull.

You are in for quite an adventure. You need to check every aspect of the deck, stringers, and transom. Don't assume any of it is good.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Glastron floor repair

That will not work. Aside from the deck having soft spot problems ....rot can and will have a serious structural implication. Much more than the decking can be failing.

Flotation foam (aka two part foam) is available in various densities but will not solve the problem. Read in the restoration section on how to handle this properly. Be prepared for some serious work depending on what you discover.

 

[redfury]

Re: Glastron floor repair

You'd be putting a lot of 2 part foam in there for support as you'd need at least 4lb foam or heavier to get any support...they make 2 part foam strong enough to nail into, but it's heavy.

The problem with the foam....if you decide to properly repair the boat, you have to dig it all out....the one thing that is tedious at best to do.

Jscersca and I both have Glastrons of your vintage, his being closer to yours than mine....his thread is http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=231007

and mine is the first link below for the forum page, and my picture pages are the links after that. What are you going to find under your deck? Look in these places first for pictures.

 

[bigredinohio]

Re: Glastron floor repair

If you are thinking of cutting holes in the deck, why not so you can either snap some pictures with a small digital camera to see what you have or use a small mirror and flashlight?

Adding foam won't work because your wasting money. I think two part foam is fairly expensive? It will most likely do more damage by restricting the flow of water to the bilge pump and drain tube and will definitely rot any good stringers you might have.