So I decided I was done with the carpet and started tearing it out last week to install a 1-piece Deckadence type floor. I plan to template it myself with 6-mil plastic and cut it myself. More on this later, but I plan to patch the floor with Bondo and paint it with Herculiner. I researched the various suppliers and obtained samples from the following companies
Deckadence
https://marineflooring.net/
Pros - perfect softness, backing to prevent sliding, 6’ width so no seaming necessary.
Cons - price - $820 for my boat. The Luna Silver color has a bit of blue-ish tint. I’m looking for more grey
IMG_7061.jpg
IMG_7062.jpg
Aqua-Deck & Aqua-Soft
https://www.commercialmatsandrubber....rine-flooring/
Aqua-Deck - The vinyl ropes are thicker than deckadence and it’s only ⅜” thick making it feel much harder. Not for me.
Aqua-Soft - ⅝” thick and has the backing but it just didn’t feel as soft. They are mailing me larger samples.
These only come in 4’ wide roles so I’d have to seam it. Cost for my boat with 1 seam under the drivers seat (running front to back) would be $640 for a 4’x16’ roll. If I seamed it across bow walkway, I could get by with a 4’x12’ roll for $480 but I don’t want that seam right across the walkway.
IMG_7020.jpg
Vinyl Mesh Pool Mats
https://www.americanfloormats.com/vinyl-mesh-pool-mats/
This one isn’t too bad for the price of $350 for my boat. ⅜” thick x 4’ rolls with no backing and the same seaming plan as Aqua-Deck/Soft. They only gave me a really small sample but it doesn’t feel too bad. I emailed them and they’re sending me a larger sample. They also have a PREMIUM mat but it’s more expensive and I really didn’t like the samples. The weave density (I think I just made that term up) was too open/loose.
IMG_7128.jpg
VinLoop
http://www.mattingexperts.com/VinLoo...g-p/mtg140.htm
I’m still waiting on my sample to come in the mail but this one appears to be the most budget friendly at $250 shipped for a 4’x16’ roll. Again, same seaming plan as shown above. I’ll report back on this one when I get the sample
Wakulla Mat
https://www.wakullamat.com/
I think I found a winner! I stumbled across this one and it’s local here in St. Louis. I stopped by their shop and they have 6’ rolls of a ½” grey material that feels almost identical to the deckadence but without the backing (which I don’t think I need anyway, the stuff is pretty grippy by itself). They’re giving me a 6’x11’ sheet for $400 so I’ll have NO SEAMS and plenty of leftovers. They can also do a Tige logo for $150. Their logos aren’t painted on, they actually CNC cut out the logo and then inlay the logo with the same material in a different color (See photo).
IMG_7108.jpg
IMG_7100.jpg
Moving on to my progress. The carpet came out super easy. The glue was almost non-existent. My boat had, what appears to be, a thin layer of fiberglass over the wood. It’s very smooth and was very much intact around the drivers seat but was flaking around the edges of the wrap around seating. The wood floor is about 3/16” lower than the finished white gelled fiberglass around the edges and in the bow. Since I’m doing a 1-piece mat and I want the mat to go all the way to the edges, I opted to use Bondo Glass to taper the floor up so you won’t feel this sharp edge under the mat. I needed to bondo patch this area anyway, so I just used a little extra and thickened and tapered the edge. I’m finishing it up with Bondo High Bond Filler to smooth it out. I’m filling the dip in the floor under the helm with Bondo Glass and bits of wood for filler material. I tacked on a 1/4" strip of plywood around the gas tank cover to better fill the gap where the carpet turned down. I ordered grey Herculiner from amazon which I’ll use to coat and seal the floor.
IMG_7051.jpg
Deckadence
https://marineflooring.net/
Pros - perfect softness, backing to prevent sliding, 6’ width so no seaming necessary.
Cons - price - $820 for my boat. The Luna Silver color has a bit of blue-ish tint. I’m looking for more grey
IMG_7061.jpg
IMG_7062.jpg
Aqua-Deck & Aqua-Soft
https://www.commercialmatsandrubber....rine-flooring/
Aqua-Deck - The vinyl ropes are thicker than deckadence and it’s only ⅜” thick making it feel much harder. Not for me.
Aqua-Soft - ⅝” thick and has the backing but it just didn’t feel as soft. They are mailing me larger samples.
These only come in 4’ wide roles so I’d have to seam it. Cost for my boat with 1 seam under the drivers seat (running front to back) would be $640 for a 4’x16’ roll. If I seamed it across bow walkway, I could get by with a 4’x12’ roll for $480 but I don’t want that seam right across the walkway.
IMG_7020.jpg
Vinyl Mesh Pool Mats
https://www.americanfloormats.com/vinyl-mesh-pool-mats/
This one isn’t too bad for the price of $350 for my boat. ⅜” thick x 4’ rolls with no backing and the same seaming plan as Aqua-Deck/Soft. They only gave me a really small sample but it doesn’t feel too bad. I emailed them and they’re sending me a larger sample. They also have a PREMIUM mat but it’s more expensive and I really didn’t like the samples. The weave density (I think I just made that term up) was too open/loose.
IMG_7128.jpg
VinLoop
http://www.mattingexperts.com/VinLoo...g-p/mtg140.htm
I’m still waiting on my sample to come in the mail but this one appears to be the most budget friendly at $250 shipped for a 4’x16’ roll. Again, same seaming plan as shown above. I’ll report back on this one when I get the sample
Wakulla Mat
https://www.wakullamat.com/
I think I found a winner! I stumbled across this one and it’s local here in St. Louis. I stopped by their shop and they have 6’ rolls of a ½” grey material that feels almost identical to the deckadence but without the backing (which I don’t think I need anyway, the stuff is pretty grippy by itself). They’re giving me a 6’x11’ sheet for $400 so I’ll have NO SEAMS and plenty of leftovers. They can also do a Tige logo for $150. Their logos aren’t painted on, they actually CNC cut out the logo and then inlay the logo with the same material in a different color (See photo).
IMG_7108.jpg
IMG_7100.jpg
Moving on to my progress. The carpet came out super easy. The glue was almost non-existent. My boat had, what appears to be, a thin layer of fiberglass over the wood. It’s very smooth and was very much intact around the drivers seat but was flaking around the edges of the wrap around seating. The wood floor is about 3/16” lower than the finished white gelled fiberglass around the edges and in the bow. Since I’m doing a 1-piece mat and I want the mat to go all the way to the edges, I opted to use Bondo Glass to taper the floor up so you won’t feel this sharp edge under the mat. I needed to bondo patch this area anyway, so I just used a little extra and thickened and tapered the edge. I’m finishing it up with Bondo High Bond Filler to smooth it out. I’m filling the dip in the floor under the helm with Bondo Glass and bits of wood for filler material. I tacked on a 1/4" strip of plywood around the gas tank cover to better fill the gap where the carpet turned down. I ordered grey Herculiner from amazon which I’ll use to coat and seal the floor.
IMG_7051.jpg
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