Material question........ replacing sun deck/motor cover...

[Fiat4Fun]

Hi,
I am working to replace the sundeck/motor cover on my 1986 Chris Craft 210.

The previous owner had a piece of 3/8 ply with some black fabric over it! Black for a sun deck?

Anyway, I want to replace the plywood, and the 2x4 that runs along the back, to mate to the hinges. I wanted to get some advice on what material to use, before I have my interior guy put new foam and fabric on it. I saw some green looking cdx plywood, 3/4" and some pressure treated 2x4 at home depot.

What material do you recommend and should I fiberglass/epoxy the material before it is covered with foam and fabric?

I have no idea what material was used originally. I know the bottom was covered with carpet, and the top with foam and fabric.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob

 

[Lou C]

Re: Material question........ replacing sun deck/motor cover...

I did this in the fall of 08 on my 88 Four Winns...I used a sheet of 3/4 in pressure treated wood and used stainless staples to reinstall the upholstery...if you use any metal fittings in the pressure treated wood they have to be corrosion resistant...you can just use exterior ply and coat it in epoxy...the only tricky part is getting the holes for the hinges in the right place and getting the vinyl fitted in around them properly...mine came out well and I discovered that it was replaced once before because the old piece that was there was not even cut out properly! I used it as a pattern and then trial fitted it without the upholstery to get the placement of the hinges and latch correct....

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Re: Material question........ replacing sun deck/motor cover...

Thanks for your response.
So, when you did yours, you just used a pressure treated plywood, and covered that with material, and did not use any sealer or epoxy on it? Did you mount the hinges to the plywood or a 2x4?

If you have any pictures, that might be very useful!!!

I can't see why I need to epoxy something that is going to be covered on both sides, and will not be sitting out in the weather, but then again, it is a boat.....

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Lou C]

Re: Material question........ replacing sun deck/motor cover...

Thanks for your response.
So, when you did yours, you just used a pressure treated plywood, and covered that with material, and did not use any sealer or epoxy on it? Did you mount the hinges to the plywood or a 2x4?

If you have any pictures, that might be very useful!!!

I can't see why I need to epoxy something that is going to be covered on both sides, and will not be sitting out in the weather, but then again, it is a boat.....

Thanks,
Bob

I had to get this done fast so I went the route of PT wood and did not epoxy coat it...I attached the hinges to the plywood as that was how it was done originally....don't have any pix but I figured that the wood I took out was probably in there 10 years..not coated with anything and just rotted on the end where the hinges were... in fact the rest of the sheet was OK so cut off the rotted part and saved the rest of it for other projects!

So I figured if I got 10 years out of that the PT will proably last as long as I have the boat...I do think you want to do either PT or coat it because mositure gets in there and as long as it stays damp at the right temps you will get rot...it does not have to be soaked for it to rot...just the right conditions of moisture...temperature...and darkness..rot spores seem to like those conditions....