Flooring help needed

[GulfSailors]

Hi,
Lady Meade had ripped out carpeting when we bought her, just last week. What types of flooring would work well? Should we try DIY? We do have some time constraints, we hope to be living aboard in 5 or 6 weeks.
Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Insequent]

You will likely get more useful replies if you indicate type and size of boat and include some photos.

My experience is that while fitted carpet can look very nice, is great to walk around on barefoot and helps with sound insulation it is not a good idea overall. Mine is getting turfed out soon. It gets a well-used look pretty quickly, particularly if you are going to be living aboard. No doubt why the carpet was ripped out by the PO for selling the boat. A better option is a loose-laid carpet mat and/or runners in standard sizes that can be replaced each year or whenever they start looking tired. Finish the floor with one-pack polyurethane first, mainly for the aesthetic of areas not covered by the mat.

In our warm climate I may just go with the parquet floor finish that the carpet is currently hiding.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. LM. Time constraints? Do as Mr. I suggests (loose laid carpet mat or a remnant from a carpet store-cheap and throw away). You'll have enough to worry about preparing your new vessel to live aboard. Once things settle down to a dull roar, ask your question again. The answers are sure to floor you....Hahahaha

 

[BruceK]

We`ve been using continuous "carpet" runners from a big box hardware store here (Bunnings). You buy what you need, they sell adhesive edging for the raw cut edges, it looks good and protects parquet flooring. The carpet is rubber backed, it doesn`t move, but the rubber quickly degrades and powders leaving a dusty residue. I`m looking for a similar product, fabric backed.

 

[GulfSailors]

Wow! Thanks for the replies. My newness is showing. We have a 47' Concorde trawler.

We are waiting to see if carpet may work for us. Our dachshund, lab, jack russell mix dog loves rugs; shredding areas she hasn't wet. We are past 24 hours on a rug that is still dry. She's also 6 months older since we last tried a rug.

I'll take some photos this weekend.

Appreciate all the suggestions!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. LM. Get the carpet and a case of these...

I'm sure they offer larger sizes...

 

[ranger58sb]

There was a thread recently about flooring???


We have fitted wall-to-wall carpet in saloon and staterooms. 13 years old, still looks decent... even after 8 years of dog and a few years of cat. Quick to install (just call your favorite local carpet company), easy to vacuum, easy to occasionally go over with a carpet cleaner (once/year, in our case).


We do use a snap-down overcover (Sunbrella or canvas or some such) during our short fishing season, so the bubbas don't mess up the real carpet.


We also have Amtico faux-wood (vinyl) flooring in galley and head. Also decent, especially for those locations, although it provides no cushioning at all.


So... we've added good "exterior" cockpit carpet pieces, fitted specifically to the size/shape, in galley and head. Easy to clean; vacuum while inside, occasionally take outside and powerwash, done.


Rugs on carpets never worked for us; always sliding around. Tried rugs on the Amtico, worked OK but off-she-shelf sizes weren't great for our actual spaces/shapes. Rugs on bare floor would maybe be OK, but then if there's no flooring at all just now, that'd mean installing something (teak and holly? Amtico? whatever) and then covering with rugs.


Just some data points and random thoughts... You're close enough, if you want to have a look...


-Chris

 

[bshanafelt]

commercial carpet tiles.


custom cut to fit, then easy to remove/re-install when access is needed

 

[GulfSailors]

Good laugh

Greetings,
Mr. LM. Get the carpet and a case of these...

I'm sure they offer larger sizes...

Nice to start the morning off with a good laugh! Thanks!

 

[Phil Fill]

When we bought the eagle it had beautiful oiled teak flooring, but Brittany, our dog, hated the bear floors as she good not get any traction. The bear wood floors where nice in the summer, but to cold in the winter. So we carpeted the entire boat except the kitchen. The first time we carpeted the boat we got some used carpet to cut up to make as patterns as every room area had odd angles. Then we took to a carpet store and the cut and taped the edges. We didn't tack down the carpet as most areas have hatchs, so the carpet can be pulled back.

We carpet some areas when worn, mainly the salon and pilot house. So we pull take the old carpet to be used as pattern for the new. The old is replace and used as a pad under the new, which deadens the noise and keeps the foor warmer, with the bear wood it was to cold and noisy. Being the areas are small it is not very expensive and hard to recarpet.

I even carpeted the engine room to match the DD 671 light green.

 

[Heron]

Posted the other day in another thread. Nice option IMO...

Teak Carpet

 

[GulfSailors]

Thanks for the suggestions. Has anyone tried wood floors? We are considering robinia or locust. Supposed to be decay resistant and was used for railroad ties. And then maybe carpet on top?

 

[Datenight]

Thanks for the suggestions. Has anyone tried wood floors? We are considering robinia or locust. Supposed to be decay resistant and was used for railroad ties. And then maybe carpet on top?

Decay should not be an issue unless you have leaks. If putting down a new floor choose the wood you love.

Rob

 

[ranger58sb]

Thanks for the suggestions. Has anyone tried wood floors? We are considering robinia or locust. Supposed to be decay resistant and was used for railroad ties. And then maybe carpet on top?

This is the recent thread I was trying to remember...


http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/amtico-flooring-18904.html

FWIW, I didn't realize our "wood" flooring in galley and head was not wood until several years had passed...

But then again, I didn't spend much time contemplating things like the galley floor when I had other stuff to focus on.

-Chris

 

[GulfSailors]

Thanks, we're going to go with carpet in the salon. Staterooms need some work before placing a floor down there.

The Amtico looks really nice too. Ideal actually. Really appreciate all the suggestions.