replacing floor

[sti1471]

OK,

I have decided that I am going to replace my boat floor since it is water soaked and rotted. I was going to buy a boat frame and put my motor on it, however I am not finding any I like or a good price.

So far I have removed a 1 Sq. ft section of my floor back by the bilge bay, and there is about 5" deep of water in the boat. There is a large what looks like foam peice which is going to need to come out. From what I can see I have tapped on, and picked at the stringer, and it looks to be in good shape and is not soft like the floor, it just feels like a solid peice of wood that is wet.

My boat is a 16ft fiberglass boat.

Here are my questions before i start this project.

#1- I am going to be cutting my floor up with a circular saw set to about 1/2" cutting depth. Before I do this I do not want to cut any existing stringers. My boat is the same design as a glastron gt160. Is there just 1 stringer that runs from the front to the back, or will there be several, and some that go from side to side I need to be careful not to cut?

#2- If I remove the floor and the stringers are bad, what wood do I use to make new ones? do I just use 2x4 wood and fiberglass them to the boat?

#3- Is there a certain design I need to follow that can improve the strength of my boat to give it more strength?

#4- When I am adding the floor back in, is there a certain type of wood to use for the floor? Can I just use regular plywood and use that oil, or desk stain to protect it, or does it need to be exterior grade plywood?

Thanks all, I am excited yet worried about starting this project. It is either give it a go, or give the boat frame to the dump, I really wanna see her float again.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: replacing floor

The saw will prove to be bothersome in my experience. I used a saws all.
For stringers most use 3/4 plywood.
Without pics it is hard to tell if the design can be made better.
1/2 to 3/4 plywood will be the best to use on the floor. Seal the backside with resin and CSM Topside with resin ,CSM and 1 to 2 layers of cloth. The floor should be an intricate part of the boat and needs to be glassed to the hull.

 

[sti1471]

Re: replacing floor

I do have a saws-all, but I figured that might make for the blade hitting the hull and causing possible damage. However with the skill saw, I will have a hard time getting a cut started, but it will procude a cleaner, straighter cut.

Yeah it will be hard to tell without pictures, but the floor is not out yet so pics will be taken as soon as it is.

Is there anything wrong with laying a 6-mil plastic sheet between the stringers and the floor to keep water off the bottom of the floor? This way if water gets in and rot occurs, then I will be replacing the stringers and not the floor in the future?

I also wondered about glassing the stringers, and then placing a 6-mil plactice sheeting on the floor and basically "molding" the sheet to cover the stringers/hull floor. Then if water gets in the boat, it will be on top of the plastic not touching the stringers, and the plastic on bottom of the floor protects it from the floor wood. Almost like the water is trapped in a "bag".

thoughts?

 

[Fisherball]

Re: replacing floor

Spend a lot of time reading through this forum. What you probably have to cut to get your deck up is where it's fiberglassed to hull. A circular saw will not work. Get a multi-purpose tools from Harbor Freight for about $30.00.
http://www.harborfreight.com/oscillating-multifunction-power-tool-68303.html

Read this thread: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392 It's long but will tell you everything you need to know.

 

[Scott Chinsota]

Re: replacing floor

OK,

I have decided that I am going to replace my boat floor since it is water soaked and rotted. I was going to buy a boat frame and put my motor on it, however I am not finding any I like or a good price.

So far I have removed a 1 Sq. ft section of my floor back by the bilge bay, and there is about 5" deep of water in the boat. There is a large what looks like foam peice which is going to need to come out. From what I can see I have tapped on, and picked at the stringer, and it looks to be in good shape and is not soft like the floor, it just feels like a solid peice of wood that is wet.

My boat is a 16ft fiberglass boat.

Here are my questions before i start this project.

#1- I am going to be cutting my floor up with a circular saw set to about 1/2" cutting depth. Before I do this I do not want to cut any existing stringers. My boat is the same design as a glastron gt160. Is there just 1 stringer that runs from the front to the back, or will there be several, and some that go from side to side I need to be careful not to cut?

set it to the depth of the floor and back it off 1/16 of an inch...you can break that by hand and you'll cut nothing but deck. you will have to remove pieces around the perimeter where the skillsaw wont reach. i used a metal cut-off wheel in a 4 1/2 in angle grinder.

#2- If I remove the floor and the stringers are bad, what wood do I use to make new ones? do I just use 2x4 wood and fiberglass them to the boat?

3/4 in plytanium bc plywood...minimal voids, exterior glue...1/2 the price of marine

#3- Is there a certain design I need to follow that can improve the strength of my boat to give it more strength?

follow the original design to the letter. don't add to or take away from anything you see. too much structure will cause shell failure.

#4- When I am adding the floor back in, is there a certain type of wood to use for the floor? Can I just use regular plywood and use that oil, or desk stain to protect it, or does it need to be exterior grade plywood?

plytanium bc plywood...same thickness as what came out. boats are balanced. don't change the wieght distribution or it will sit different when you put it in the water.

Thanks all, I am excited yet worried about starting this project. It is either give it a go, or give the boat frame to the dump, I really wanna see her float again.

best advice i can give is take pictures of everything you do each day. mark the level of the deck as you're removing it. measure, measure measure and keep reading. the answers to your questions are here. be patient. post lots of pics and everyone here will enjoy walking you through it.

 

[produceguy]

Re: replacing floor

I would not use plastic on the hull. You want water to get out not stay and develope mold and rot.

If you have a hole cut in the deck already try pulling up the deck with your hands, IF enough of the deck comes out you can locate the stringers and bulk heads and then start cutting with your saw. Leave a 1 to 2 inch lip around the hull, you can grind this out later. All that wet foam has to go, dig it all out. Then do a drill test on stringers and transom to check for rot.
As far as modifieying the boat stringers and bulkheads, I would leave the same set up as the manufacture put in.

Check out friscos thread.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=454460&highlight=friscoboater

 

[JSmitty]

Re: replacing floor

For the floor, I used a circular saw followed by an angle grinder with a circular saw-like blade followed by a Harbor Freight multi-tool with a metal cutting blade. You can read my First-timer's Follies about my floor replacement here. Maybe it'll save you from some of my mistakes. I think a circular saw is the way to go for the first cut.

If it would change any dimensions, I would stay with the original design. Things tend not to fit anymore if you change them. I found that out the hard way too.

If I had to do it again, I'd use composite flooring. Heck, I'd use composite everything. It costs more, but I wouldn't have this trepidation whenever I drove another screw into it (even though I filled the holes and coated the screws with 3M 4000). It'd be worth the couple or few hundred extra bucks for total piece of mind. After all, I see what can happen to wood. That's why I replaced the floor to begin with.

 

[Scott Chinsota]

Re: replacing floor

when you grind the lip around the perimeter, leave a nub every 12 inches. play connect the dots with a sharpie marker. grind the nubs and connect the lines. your new sole will go back exactly where it use to be. this also gives reference points for stringer height. pull a chalkline tight between the marks and you have finished stringer height. subtract 3/16 in for prime coat, capping and pl.

 

[zopperman]

Re: replacing floor

I didn't do the "nubs" I made a foam template. it worked well.. I would use a circ saw, it rips right through the glass. take safety precautions