Floor

[lgpjr49]

Hey guys quick question. I've been looking to install a floor in my Jon boat over the ribs an was looking for ways to do it other than with heavy plywood. I found out that a few people had taken sheeting insulation and put those in between the ribs then put a big horse/utility mat over that to give it a solid one piece floor. What are y'all's thoughts on this, do you think it will hold up over time, and how will it handle moisture over time? I'll see if I can post the link later.

 

[smackdaddy53]

If you want to do it once and do it right go with 1/8" aluminum sheet. They sell perforated sheets so its lighter too.

 

[Kismet]

Those horse mats are probably twice the weight of any plywood you might consider.

justsayin'

 

[lgpjr49]

I like the aluminum idea, however I had a concern or question rather. If you put the piece of metal down how do you keep things from sliding under and being lost forever? Do you have any pictures of that setup?

 

[onthewater102]

I used FRP - much lighter than aluminum - but it requires you fill the void below the sheet with expanding foam. You'll need to run a piece of tubing to drain the front section of the boat through the channels under the ribs because the foam expands and fills these lines otherwise. Done correctly it's lighter than aluminum, significantly less expensive and just as strong.

 

[zseverns]

onthewater102 Did you paint your FRP board or just leave it white?

 

[onthewater102]

I coated it with the Tuff Coat rubberized marine paint to give it some non-skid texture and finish the edges to the side of the boat.

I left ~1/8" of gap along the edges when I cut the decking (see my thread link in my signature) and had to drill a hole in the decking to get foam to an air pocket that formed. I fiberglassed the hole smooth to the rest of the deck (2 part expanding urethane foam can have fiberglass applied directly to it) and used a paintable caulk to seal the edges. I just ran a piece of masking tape along the side of the boat so I didn't get paint above the deck line and was able to be a bit sloppy with the paint job without having a mess to show for it afterwards.

 

[onthewater102]

I did call the manufacturer of the FRP and it's a polyester resin that they make the board from so painting it with any paint designed for marine fiberglass is fine. FRP is nothing more than a thin sheet of fiberglass with a textured finished side for looking pretty as a wallboard.

 

[zseverns]

Thanks for that info I was looking into using FRP for my floor and now I might just do it.

 

[onthewater102]

It needs to be backed directly by foam so it doesn't crack as it can't support much load on its own. See my build and I've got a link to the source for my 2 part foam in there.

 

[BigTerp]

I like the aluminum idea, however I had a concern or question rather. If you put the piece of metal down how do you keep things from sliding under and being lost forever? Do you have any pictures of that setup?

I agree with others that aluminum is the way to go. If you look at my floor in the pics below, it would take something extrememly small to be able to slide under my floor. I really took my time and had to fit, cut, re-fit, cut, etc. several times before I got my floor to fit just right. But the time it took was worth it. I've yet to loose anything under mine either. I used .125" aluminum sheet for mine and couldn't be happier. I'm also not an expert with fabrication, aluminum or building pretty much anything for that matter. This was actually my first time ever working with aluminum in any capacity. If I can end up with a decent floor using aluminum sheet, I'm convinced anyone can.

 

[onthewater102]

Seeing your floor drains I feel like an idiot - I need to do the same thing up front in my boat!! Thanx

 

[BigTerp]

onthewater102 » 40 minutes ago[/url]"]Seeing your floor drains I feel like an idiot - I need to do the same thing up front in my boat!! Thanx

Below is a link to the ones I used. I have them mounted right in front of my rear bench. They work great!! A 3/16" blind rivet fits perfect in the mounting holes and the "slots" are the perfect size to allow water to pass thru but still catch the smallest of debris to keep them from getting under the floor and lodged up somewhere. I used a 1" hole saw through my floor and through my foam. I lined them up with the hull bottom channels/chines so the water goes right back to the bilge. Makes cleaning my boat/floor an easier task.

https://www.iboats.com/STAINLESS-DRAIN-COVER-2-1-2-IN-Seadog-Line/dm/cart_id.576218164--session_id.930748231--view_id.929089

 

[onthewater102]

i'm going to have to find some sort of drain fitting to put behind them so I can tie into the 1/2" tube i have running down my channels...unfortunately the foam filled everything else in up front, fortunately it was enough of a concern that I set the tube in place just to be safe...