How to Redo the Floor in a Boat and Fill in the Voids

Like vinyl everywhere, the flooring that covers the deck of your boat will fade over time. Unlike vinyl everywhere, the flooring on the boat's deck is exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods of time. The flooring bakes in the sun's ultraviolet rays and faces heavy dampness or even immersion in water for extended periods of time. Your on-board activities will take their toll as well -- heavy objects dragged across the deck will leave tears. Eventually, you'll have to fill in the voids between the flooring and the deck and replace the flooring.

Things You'll Need

  • Stiff-bladed putty knife
  • Hammer
  • Wood chisel
  • Grinder
  • 30-grit sanding pads
  • Epoxy resin kit
  • Clean container
  • Tongue depressor
  • Wooden stirring stick
  • 80-grit sanding disk
  • Shop vacuum
  • Clean cloth
  • Acetone
  • Measuring tape
  • Marine vinyl
  • Marine mastic
  • 6-inch notched trowel
  • Razor knife
  • Silicone caulk
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pry the existing flooring from the deck, using a stiff-bladed putty knife. When you have removed as much of the flooring as possible, use a hammer to drive a wood chisel under any remaining flooring. Remove as much of the mastic -- the flooring glue -- as possible with a grinder and coarse, 30-grit sanding pads. Knock the sanded material from the pad as often as required. Change the pad as each pad becomes clogged.

    • 2

      Mix four drops of hardener for each ounce of resin found in an epoxy resin kit, in a small, clean container, using a wooden tongue depressor. A wooden stirring stick from a paint store will work. The key is to stir the mixture thoroughly. Spread the mixture into voids -- low spots in the deck -- using the mixing stick. Allow the resin to cure for 24 hours.

    • 3

      Sand the deck with a moderately fine, 80-grit sanding disk, until the deck is level in all respects. Vacuum the deck with a shop vacuum to remove the majority of the sanding dust. Wipe the deck with a clean cloth soaked in acetone to remove any remaining sanding dust.

    • 4

      Measure the longest length and widest width of the deck, as if it were a square or rectangle using a measuring tape. Transfer this measurement to the new flooring material, preferably marine vinyl. Marine vinyl is made specially for the marine environment and withstands sunlight and water better than regular vinyl.

    • 5

      Spread marine mastic -- it's carpet adhesive formulated for use on boats -- onto the deck, working in small areas, about 3-by-3 feet, using a 6-inch notched trowel. When the mastic is as wide as the width of the vinyl, lower the vinyl onto the mastic. Spread more mastic, unrolling the vinyl onto the deck as you do so until the deck is covered. Press the vinyl into place with a vinyl floor roller. Trim the edges of the vinyl as needed, using a razor knife. Wait at least 24 hours before you caulk the seams with silicone caulk, and 48 hours before boating.