Vinyl Plank Flooring

Comodave · Jul 2, 2021

We are buying a new to us boat. We want to get rid of the carpet, besides it is stained and worn, because of our dog’s hair. We had a teak and holly sole in our trawler and loved how easy it was to vacuum up the hair.

Has anyone put vinyl plank flooring in their boat? If so, did you use it as a floating floor, glue down or PSA? I have some samples and have used a heat gun to bend them and it seems to work well. I am thinking on using aluminum J channel to trim the edges on the steps and around the in deck hatches. Any feedback would be appreciated. We are still in the research phase since we can’t get the sea trail and survey done until the 20th.

STB · Jul 2, 2021

I used an Allure floating floor in a 4 season room at home and it worked great, so I tried it on the boat. Even in SoCal's modest climate when I wasn't around and the boat didn't have the AC on, it occasionally got too hot for it. The contact cement built into the interface melted and let go and the plank curled.

I tried traffic master self-stick squares. A gap kept forming between them and they broke/chipped at hatches.

I tried a thicker vinyl plank floor, I forget which one, with interlocking edges. It worked like a charm.

These were in 3 different parts if the boat. I replaced thenAllure with Foss self-stick carpet squares, which were great. The self-stickntikesnwere just a quick fix until I could out in teak-and-holly, but I never got there before selling the boat. The new owners replaced utnwith some type of engineered wood.

I think the interlocking thick plank passed the test of time, but don't know that.

Woodstock · Jul 3, 2021

I'm in the process of removing most of the our original carpet and installing Nautikflor planks which come in a number of color combinations. https://www.nautikflor.com Ours is cherry and holly. So far, so good, I'm about 1/3 done and it's quite easy to work with. Can be cut with a saw or with a utility knife. It can be floated or glued but on a boat they recommend gluing which we're doing with their recommended glue, a waterproof urethane construction adhesive.

backinblue · Jul 3, 2021

Looks like a good way to go to me!

Bacchus · Jul 3, 2021

Dave
Here is a link to my interior floor project. We are very happy with the results and have recommended it to others. The sheet goods make a DIY project fairly straightforward. Our Mainship has the same material on the rest of the interior floors but w/o the pad. The feel underfoot with the pad is much nicer. Let me know if any questions.
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46119

Pete Meisinger · Jul 3, 2021

What is the present floor made of? Most are either teak or some other natural wood. If they are in really bad condition refinishing them with a sander and poly is not a huge task. Interior teak finished with poly lasts a long time.

Is there a reason you feel the need to cover it?

pete

backinblue · Jul 3, 2021

Pete Meisinger said:
What is the present floor made of? Most are either teak or some other natural wood. If they are in really bad condition refinishing them with a sander and poly is not a huge task. Interior teak finished with poly lasts a long time.

Is there a reason you feel the need to cover it?

pete

He said he is replacing old carpet, unless I missed something.

CaptTom · Jul 3, 2021

Funny you should ask...

I just finished my second re-flooring project on the saloon sole.

When I bought the boat, it had the square stick-on plastic flooring, which was showing its age and cracking around the two huge engine room hatches which take up much of the open are of the saloon.

My first attempt was adhesive vinyl planks. They looked great, and I was able to place them around the edges of the hatches for a nice, finished effect:

After just a couple of years, the edges were curling up, and around the hatches the material was again cracking. The hatches are plywood over 2x4s, and didn't have sharp, well-defined edges.

My latest attempt was with the click-together planks, left floating. Around the hatches I used a metal J-channel from the tile flooring section. They are sized for different thicknesses of tile, and I had to order the ones for the size of my flooring and a suitable color. This avoids cracking and an unfinished look around the edges of the hatches.

I like it so far. We'll see how it holds up. Before selecting the material, I brought home a LOT of samples. Some seemed more scratch resistant than others.

Lou_tribal · Jul 3, 2021

This is a good post at the perfect as I plan to d the same and was wondering too.
Looking at vinyl floors I noticed that some are backed with a kind of rubber and some with kind of mdf. I tend to think that mdf will not hold in a place that can be wet but I may be wrong.
Will follow this.

L

tiltrider1 · Jul 3, 2021

I have used a vinyl tile flooring from Home Depot on my boat and in one of my apartment buildings. I have had great success using it in the apartments as kitchen and bathroom flooring. I have always installed as free floating.

I wanted a transition zone between my teak floor and the outside deck. I installed the vinyl tiles free floating five years ago. The product shows no wear after 5 years. However the snap together floor has separated in one spot. Don’t know if this is caused by vibration, boat flexing or different expansion/contraction rates than the boat. Fortunately, it’s a very easy replacement and insignificant expense to try again.

It’s possible that it was an instillation error or a defective tile, it’s also possible that free floating on a boat doesn’t work long term. Wish I could be of more help but I’m still experimenting with it myself.

Comodave · Jul 3, 2021

Yes, I was planning on using J channel around the edges to hold the edge down and also to give it a finished look. Only problem is that some places there will be a curve to the edge so I will have to make the J channel curve to match the edge. I am going to try making a series of relief cuts in the bottom of the J channel and then make a template out of plywood for both the male and female sides and then clamp them together with the J channel in between to make it conform to the curve. It will be a bit of a PITA but it is the only way I can think of to get the J channel to bend and follow the curve somewhat smoothly.

Lou_tribal · Jul 3, 2021

Comodave said:
Yes, I was planning on using J channel around the edges to hold the edge down and also to give it a finished look. Only problem is that some places there will be a curve to the edge so I will have to make the J channel curve to match the edge. I am going to try making a series of relief cuts in the bottom of the J channel and then make a template out of plywood for both the male and female sides and then clamp them together with the J channel in between to make it conform to the curve. It will be a bit of a PITA but it is the only way I can think of to get the J channel to bend and follow the curve somewhat smoothly.

Why not to use wood for the J channel and make the curved corner with wood? Easier to make a curve from a piece of wood than from a piece of metal.

L

Comodave · Jul 3, 2021

The J channel will cover the cut edge of the flooring and sort of capture it so it doesn’t curl up. And it will be very thin on top of the wood so as not to be a trip hazard.

Group9 · Jul 3, 2021

CaptTom said:
Funny you should ask...

I just finished my second re-flooring project on the saloon sole.

When I bought the boat, it had the square stick-on plastic flooring, which was showing its age and cracking around the two huge engine room hatches which take up much of the open are of the saloon.

My first attempt was adhesive vinyl planks. They looked great, and I was able to place them around the edges of the hatches for a nice, finished effect:

After just a couple of years, the edges were curling up, and around the hatches the material was again cracking. The hatches are plywood over 2x4s, and didn't have sharp, well-defined edges.

My latest attempt was with the click-together planks, left floating. Around the hatches I used a metal J-channel from the tile flooring section. They are sized for different thicknesses of tile, and I had to order the ones for the size of my flooring and a suitable color. This avoids cracking and an unfinished look around the edges of the hatches.

I like it so far. We'll see how it holds up. Before selecting the material, I brought home a LOT of samples. Some seemed more scratch resistant than others.

Looks great!

Frosty · Jul 3, 2021

It's so helpful to see people's examples. Thanks!

I had to laugh at this on the Nautikflor site though:

The HD printing process flawlessly duplicates the look of synthetic teak.

Great! I want to be sure it looks *synthetic*

CaptTom · Jul 3, 2021

Lou_tribal said:
Looking at vinyl floors I noticed that some are backed with a kind of rubber and some with kind of mdf. I tend to think that mdf will not hold in a place that can be wet but I may be wrong.

Lou, we went through a number of different materials and thicknesses of plank before settling on one. It has the rubber-like backing, and the core is some sort of slate-like material. It's also about the right thickness so we didn't have to replace the trim around the stairways to the cabins fore and aft. We only looked at flooring labelled as waterproof.

The one we settled on was at Lowe's. It's called ProCore Pro, and the color is Stratford Oak.

The edging is Schluter Systems Vinpro-S 0.25-in x 98.5-in Brushed Antique Bronze Anodized Aluminum Metal Floor Feature Strip. Also at Lowe's.

I also saw your post about removing adhesive. We bought a can of industrial grade floor adhesive remover. Because it removed both paint and adhesive, it made a sticky, colored mess which got all over our shoes, hands, knees and elbows no matter how hard we tried. Some of that transferred to the decks, interior brightwork and even furniture. In the end the floor was still sticky and I ended up putting down brown packing paper in the worst spots. I'd be tempted to just leave the adhesive and go with the paper if I had it to do again.

GoneDiving · Jul 3, 2021

Have you considered hybrid floor panels? We were recommended them as being more robust than pure vinyl and laminates.

Most are 100% waterproof, able to be used glued or not and easy to install.

Comodave · Jul 3, 2021

Have not seen any called hybrid panels. Where did you see them?

Spinner · Jul 3, 2021

Three years ago, I had the carpet taken up in my saloon, pilot house and the steps between the two. The flooring that I had installed was Amtico, a vinyl strip and plank flooring. I am very very happy with this product!!

The steps were rebuilt in teak).

GoneDiving · Jul 3, 2021

Comodave said:
Have not seen any called hybrid panels. Where did you see them?

They are very popular here in Australia. Available in any flooring bricks and mortar or online. Millions of colours and patterns.

My understanding is that they are a vinyl surface bonded to a synthetic substrate that is water, mold and insect proof. Their tongue and grooves click together to keep the individual boards tightly together and coplanar. Sound absorbing models are available. Thicknesses are generally 7 to 10mm. Here pricing is about A$ 30 to 80 per sqm.

itm/100-Water-Proof-Hybrid-Flooring-7mm-Hydro-Tuff-SPC-CLASSIC-style-sample-pack-/153982715028?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0

jagates10 · Jul 3, 2021

We are getting prepared to install the vinyl plank flooring in our boat. The plan is to let it float in the galley/lounge area and glue it down in the pilot house where the engine hatches are. A word to the wise, this material will expand and contract with temperature. We installed it on a porch floor (floating) over fiberglass and I fit it too close to the posts. Consequently some joints near the posts have opened up slightly in winter. Otherwise the weather has not affected it and it is holding up well for 4 years now.

FF · Jul 4, 2021

Was on a new build that had sheet flooiring that had no skid sections as part of the pattern.

On older wooden boats the Holley stood proud of the teak , as no skid.

Donna · Jul 4, 2021

I have luxury vinyl plank floors in my house. Super easy to clean. I plan on putting it in on my new to me boat.

localboy · Jul 4, 2021

CaptTom said:
My latest attempt was with the click-together planks, left floating. Around the hatches I used a metal J-channel from the tile flooring section. They are sized for different thicknesses of tile, and I had to order the ones for the size of my flooring and a suitable color. This avoids cracking and an unfinished look around the edges of the hatches.

I like it so far. We'll see how it holds up. Before selecting the material, I brought home a LOT of samples. Some seemed more scratch resistant than others.

That looks nice and clean. The black trim actually adds to it, IMO.

CaptTom · Jul 4, 2021

localboy said:
That looks nice and clean. The black trim actually adds to it, IMO.

The trim looks better than I thought it would. It's actually a brown, but dark enough that it looks black in this picture. I wanted a lighter brown, but options were limited. I painted the inside of the hatch black, hoping the "crack" would get lost in the shadows. That worked well. I have to touch it up where some (white) adhesive I used to hold the trim got into the hinge side.

Comodave · Jul 4, 2021

It does look very nice. I will probably go with plain aluminum.

GoneDiving · Jul 5, 2021

CaptTom said:
My latest attempt was with the click-together planks, left floating. Around the hatches I used a metal J-channel from the tile flooring section. They are sized for different thicknesses of tile, and I had to order the ones for the size of my flooring and a suitable color. This avoids cracking and an unfinished look around the edges of the hatches.

I like it so far. We'll see how it holds up. Before selecting the material, I brought home a LOT of samples. Some seemed more scratch resistant than others.

Looks fantastic.

Just so Im clear, are the "planks" wood laminate on a mdf type substrate or vinyl on synthetic (the "hybrid" flooring I mentioned earlier).

It seems the terminology is different for USA vs Australia.

Thanks

CaptTom · Jul 5, 2021

Comodave said:
It does look very nice. I will probably go with plain aluminum.

For the record, that was my first choice. I was out-voted on that one. But I'm very happy with how it came out anyway.

GoneDiving said:
Looks fantastic.

Just so Im clear, are the "planks" wood laminate on a mdf type substrate or vinyl on synthetic (the "hybrid" flooring I mentioned earlier).

It seems the terminology is different for USA vs Australia.

Not sure. The ones we ended up going with are three layers, all synthetic materials. We looked at one where the top layer was real wood, but it was too thick for our application. It did look good. Beyond being too thick, we thought the grain was a bit deep, too. It did cost more, but for something the size of a cabin sole that's not a huge consideration.

mvweebles · Jul 5, 2021

I watched a French couple on an Amel sailboat install vinyl strip flooring. I don't recall the brand - some sort of Italian product if I recall correctly. They did a nice job installing it with many more curves and fitting issues than a trawler. Last I checked, it was holding up well. But in the end, it's still a vinyl floor trying to emulate something it clearly isn't. 25 years ago when we purchased my Willard 36, it had bright blue shag carpeting. I sourced some teak parquet tiles and installed a more traditional floor. It's of course held up well over the years, though finding teak parquet tiles has become more challenging.

Has anyone ever considered cork for a boat? Seems go have natural qualities that would do well on a boat such as moisture and dent tolerance. If an owner was okay with a non-traditional flooring material, I would think it deserves look.

Peter

Solly · Jul 5, 2021

CaptTom said:
Funny you should ask...

My latest attempt was with the click-together planks, left floating. Around the hatches I used a metal J-channel from the tile flooring section. They are sized for different thicknesses of tile, and I had to order the ones for the size of my flooring and a suitable color. This avoids cracking and an unfinished look around the edges of the hatches.

I like it so far. We'll see how it holds up. Before selecting the material, I brought home a LOT of samples. Some seemed more scratch resistant than others.

Capt. Tom How did you get the last plank into the J channel on the hatches ? I looked at the channel and it seems you fasten it down b-4 laying the planks. On outside edges no problem, but how do you do a hatch inside where all 4 edges are trimmed ? Maybe I'm missing something. I was just going to use some right angle alum. for trim until I saw this.

Vinyl Plank Flooring

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