Salon floor

Now that I have my Salon floor perfectly flat I am thinking about removing the 1/32nd*lead soundproofing that was installed in the factory and installing either a wood or laminate for a finished floor.* Has anyone in the forum have any experiance with removing the lead or installing a non carpet floor in the californians?*

below I have attached pictures of my new and old engine room hatch system.* The old hatches weighed 40 to 60 pounds each and were a bear to work with.* The new system involves a removable aluminum strut that runs across the center of the opening.* It simply drops onto an aluminum "key"* This extra support allows the hatch to be as simple as good grade of marine plywood.* My salon floor is flat and I have hatches I can actually use.* Best thing that I have done to the boat!* Leon

I overlaid the existing plywood with 1/4" flooring underlayement; some sort of plywood designed for laminated flooring installation; then used a vinyl plank type flooring that is glued down. I have not removed any insulation from the engine room overhead yet , altho' I think that will be upon me soon. I did all the floors in the boat. Maple/cherry in the lower cabin, & cherry in the salon. I've attached a pic of the salon installation in progress. I left the heavy hatches in place, but routed in flush type brass handles to make the in & out stuff easier. The small hatches in the lower cabin also have handles routed in. So far, 3yrs now, wear has not been a problem, nor has traction when wet. Biggest problem is scratches. However the individual planks can be heated to loosen the glue, removed & a new plank installed. At least that is what I was told; so far I haven't had to do that. I'll track down some better pics & product name if you need it.





-- Edited by chc on Tuesday 6th of December 2011 09:55:17 PM



-- Edited by chc on Tuesday 6th of December 2011 10:05:03 PM


-- Edited by chc on Tuesday 6th of December 2011 10:09:43 PM

Thanks, for that information Chris.* I was really leaning towards the vinyl but was concerned how the weather might affect it (temperature).* All the products I have seen really push that those products need a stable temperature.* I think the products may work well on the boats as the areas are relatively small? Curious what the coldest temps your installation has encountered.* I am up in NH and at times the boat will see 5 to 10 below zero.

I installed the flooring in December of 2009 while the boat was docked in NC enroute to warmer weather. It was below freezing several times. The boat is based in Baltimore, MD, on land during the winter w/o any heat. I doubt that we have had temps much below zero, but once glued down, where is it going to go? Temperature is an issue during installation, as the glue has to cure properly; other than that I don't know of any other restrictions. Certainly in the 3 years that it has been in place, there have been the usual boating extremes; cold, wet, hot, & lots of movement. Prior to installing I spent some time with a flooring pro & some time with the factory rep discussing the environment that a boat creates; movement was my biggest concern. Their response was that a properly installed floor should be fine. To date no issues at all.


-- Edited by chc on Friday 9th of December 2011 04:28:52 PM

nice floor Chris and I like the idea of laying the alu strut across the floor hatch to support.
In reality, when you first get into your boat, it seems you need to get into the ER a few times each day but once you got things under control, it really is not that often you need access through the main ER hatches. I use the access door in the front of the ER almost exclusively now.
Hardwood floors sure would be nice, carpet is just not really my style...

I agree. I have the carpet too, but would prefer a hardwood floor.

The boat appears to have been constructed with the 2-3 inch thick wiring loom strung across my hatch along the cross support! What were they thinking? Any change to a removable crossmember would require a rewire of the ER!

Has anyone tried a simulated wood 'floating floor' like Pergo? I have been pondering installing Sound-down soundproofing and an underlayment pad under a Pergo floor to provide better soundproofing.

I addressed that idea with the flooring pro's. Several thoughts from them:1) Product needs a stable (moisture wise) environment. Altho' some of the available materials are designed to be used in basement situations, you don't have the moisture, or movement, conditions that you have in a boat. 2) Expansion & contraction could be an issue, particularly around the hatch edges. 3) Flooring height in our case created some issues around the hatches & the companionway entrance to the lower cabin. 4) Securing the floor turned out to present some problems as well. Not being an installer, I kind of had to go with the pro's recommendations. Its been good so far. Actually, I finally pitched the old gray carpet the other day.
As an aside; I rebuilt the original hatches w/2x4's & 3/4" plywood, but added a stiffener at the center seam in an effort to reduce the sag in the middle of the salon floor. I'm still a little under 6', so getting in & out of the front ER opening, & then working on the engines is a real PIA. They are heavy, but they slide easily on the side frames & lift out nicely as well. Then I can stand up & wonder what in the world makes those old diesels run: or not. Normal procedure is to lift out the stbd hatch for routine engine checks, etc.
Need more pics, let me know.
Happy Holidays