Best interior wall panel yet

[healhustler]

With all the junk that you have to wade through when you Google something now, it seems ever more difficult to reach the specific products one needs for boat solutions.

Ever since I completed the saloon window replacement with larger windows and replaced the surrounding moisture-warped teak, I've been searching for a thin but waterproof wallboard large enough to do a 9 ft. x 4 ft. wall without seams, or, some waterproof tongue & groove beadboard, all with the idea of covering the seams of the repair while maintaining the look of the only non-teak wall surface in the entire boat.

After a couple of failed attempts with other stuff, I found this 3/8 X 96 X 16 honeycomb core, tongue & groove PVC wall panels. They are reversible with gloss finish on one side and flat on the other. The color is through and through, so no problem with scratches. The honeycomb is easy to cut in shapes with a jig saw and the edges don't melt when using a fine metal blade as long as you don't push it too hard. The core adds a great deal of rigidity without weight, and the air space also adds a bit of insulation value.

Of course, being PVC, easy to glue. Tongue & groove is deep and interlocking. Securing every other panel is probably more than enough. Pretty easy to work with. I may consider the same material for the head. This, for your info.

I completed the cut and fit on one wall in about 4 hours easy time. Tomorrow I'll remove, glue and apply.

 

[psneeld]

source?

 

[healhustler]

Oh...these panels are available from Home Depot on-line only, 5 pack of panels for $119, free shipping if picked up at your local store. I see they were also available in 24" wide for more money. I only needed one pack of 5 to do both my interior walls. Here's the link:

Search Results for pvc tongue and groove wall panel at The Home Depot

 

[boatpoker]

Just re-panelled our boat with 4X8 sheets of stippled plastic panels (previously just painted plywood) also from Home Depot. I think they are supposed to be for showers. About 3mm thick and with the sheet size .... no seams. Before and after shots below.

 

[healhustler]

Just re-panelled our boat with 4X8 sheets of stippled plastic panels (previously just painted plywood) also from Home Depot. I think they are supposed to be for showers. About 3mm thick and with the sheet size .... no seams. Before and after shots below.

Awesome! Super nice outcome. My repaired walls were a bit too lumpy for the 3mm panels (were creased a bit). We needed the thickness to hide the seams.

 

[Wayfarer]

Just re-panelled our boat with 4X8 sheets of stippled plastic panels (previously just painted plywood) also from Home Depot. I think they are supposed to be for showers. About 3mm thick and with the sheet size .... no seams. Before and after shots below.

Wow, BP, she's coming nicely! I can't wait to see the after pictures from this project.

 

[Hawgwash]

Really nice Poker. Lots of questions coming your way, I think.
What's around the windows and is the sole new?

 

[kulas44]

I assumed Krogens didnt need this kind of repair, or so the sellers would lead you to believe. Built better ???

 

[healhustler]

I assumed Krogens didnt need this kind of repair, or so the sellers would lead you to believe. Built better ???

I can't speak for other Krogens but at least for the Manatees, the original window frames were plastic, and while they still functioned well, decades of exposure to the Florida sun found them brittle and breaking. Plastic frames circa 80's were what they were, no matter what boat had them.

 

[healhustler]

You know, Poker.....I have solid teak framing to go around the windows when I'm done installing the wall panels, but I might photoshop your style frames on them before I put them back on. I like the white framing on yours better, and I've already got teak everywhere except this wall.

 

[Rustybarge]

I made the mistake of putting the ' marble effect' panels in my head; they looked lovely for a year, then the bits of the marble effect started to peel off with all the moisture from the shower. I hadn't realised the finish was just painted on.

Stick with the plain unpainted boards.

 

[boatpoker]

Really nice Poker. Lots of questions coming your way, I think.
What's around the windows and is the sole new?

DIRT FREE is undergoing a total rebuild and we have made great progress in the last year. I've posted a photo log of the work in progress on Our New Boat my website for anyone interested

 

[CaptTom]

Thanks for posting! That looks like a good material for a lot of projects.

 

[healhustler]

Update: I have both salon side walls glued with 3M 4000UV, have rebuilt the cabinetry below and I'm cutting the material to trim the borders now. Something I had not expected was that in entering the salon in the mid-afternoon FL sun, one could feel the temperature difference since the installation. For over a year now, I've been hanging a moving blanket over the salon window facing the afternoon sun. That helps with the sun's direct heat, but here in FL, the walls also get somewhat warm. The walls surrounding the salon windows appear to be closed-cell foam cored, as indicated by the wall sections I cut out to install the larger windows. Still, the honeycomb air space in the panels seem to contribute to the insulation.

They were easy to cut and held their form (see photo) even when cut to narrow widths (see photo) to boarder the salon window, a surprising inch or so of panel still had good strength. A single 5 pack of 8' X 16" X 1/2" panels were more than enough to do both 9'1" X 4' white walls surrounding the windows, and adhered easily to the former painted teak walls with a single tube of 4000 UV. The 16" width made quick work of the job compared to the usual narrow tongue and groove. The tongue is a full 3/4", assuring the panels are securely fastened to each other. Fit is easy without glue or fasteners initially, and separation for application of glue and reinstallation took less than 15 minutes on each wall. If you've got a diesel boat, remember to glue the center and ends of the panel well, otherwise it could rattle at idle. Fun project that took a lot less time and money than I thought! Total cost for panels and boarder molding will still be under 200 bucks.

 

[MurrayM]

Hi Larry,

How robust is the surface? Do you think they will develop little craters if "dinged"?

 

[Nomad Willy]

Got me think'in about plastic now ....

I had thoughts of ripping out all the walpaper in Willy's interior and painting the underlaying plywood white or some other light color. What's the downside of this plan? With me the main reason for this is to expose the plywood so if any leaking around the windors was to happen it would immediately be apparent. Seeing is beliving.

 

[healhustler]

Hi Larry,

How robust is the surface? Do you think they will develop little craters if "dinged"?

Murray: Excellent question. I immediately headed for the garage and to perform several drop tests on some leftover material. First was a hammer dropped from about 5 feet, even though it doesn't show that high in the picture. The second test was with a 3/4 X 15 x 8' board dropped from about 2 feet. Both broke through the outer skin as shown. It should be noted that the material I was resting on a 1 inch thick board while resting on the concrete floor. There was no give in the surface for any impact absorption as there probably is when mounted on my salon wall. If the surface was painted, it would be easily repaired. Unpainted, not so much.

 

[healhustler]

Here's the damage from both tests.

 

[MurrayM]

Hi Larry,

Hmmmm...I think your panels (for their insulation qualities) overlaid with boatpoker's tougher textured panels would make an excellent combination

 

[silentfaith]

larry, can you paint it?

hi larry, it has been a year or so since we last talked. glad to see this project because i need to do the same on my manatee. i have a pea green color on my wall that i love and wonder if paint will hold on the plastic?

cpt.craig silent faith stuart

 

[Rustybarge]

hi larry, it has been a year or so since we last talked. glad to see this project because i need to do the same on my manatee. i have a pea green color on my wall that i love and wonder if paint will hold on the plastic?

cpt.craig silent faith stuart

I think I can answer your question: here's the same factory finished painted panel after a few years in the shower...

 

[silentfaith]

i take it your not happy with the product or the paint?

 

[S41]

Got me think'in about plastic now ....

I had thoughts of ripping out all the walpaper in Willy's interior and painting the underlaying plywood white or some other light color. What's the downside of this plan? With me the main reason for this is to expose the plywood so if any leaking around the windors was to happen it would immediately be apparent. Seeing is beliving.

Our new to us sundeck had wall paper in the aft master cabin. Put on over the teak plywood. We removed it because of mold around all the edges. Once off, the wall paper applier had put on a mastic over the wood that had filled in all the wood grain of the plywood. We scrubbed the wood as clean as we could then we ended up putting two coats of oil based primer on the plywood, then two coats of an almost white latex semigloss paint. We added in some mahogany trim and some mirrors to bring the cabin together and to brighten it up. It came out really nice once done. AND the surface can be cleaned and there is no location for mold to grow. Not to mention I really hate wall paper.

 

[Nomad Willy]

S41,
Appreciate the input. I don't care for walpaper either. The only place ours is semi-bad is in the head. But it's in the salon that I want to rip it up.

Too much on the plate now but will probably get it done someday. I better do a goot job though as depreciation would'nt be welcome.

Thanks

 

[FF]

"But it's in the salon that I want to rip it up."

A few cases of free beer might get your saloon ripped up rapidly!