Just starting in on a jon boat project and would like to get feedback from others on what material they chose for their decking, and why.
I would say by far the most common material I see is marine carpet. Looks very nice when finished. I never get to see photographs a year down the road after dirt and fish guts have been smeared all over it. Not sure how it is for weight either. If you have carpet, would you use it again?
The second material I'm considering is fiberglass reinforced panels (FPR for short). As far as I know these are not UV coated, so have to be sprayed with paint, and not sure if that paint would then peal up over time. Would prefer to stay away from any bedliner type material, as it's black and probably gets pretty hot. There are of course other non-slip paints out there, just not sure if they would rub off.
Lastly, I've seen one guy using horse stall blankets or padding. These kind of remind me of the antifatigue mats. I bet they are great for cushioning and sound protection, and of course are water proof. In my area a 3 x 5' piece is $70, so not cheap.
For the recessed area of the boat, I can put the FPR panels directly on top of the rigid foam without a problem-- A nice light weight solution. For the raised deck at the bow, I plan on using 3/8 of an inch plywood, with exterior glue, but still want to cover this in a matching material as the recessed area. Due to cost, I will probably not use aluminum sheet, and not sure how the weight compares to 3/8 of an inch plywood. Aluminum sheets are pretty darn expensive though.
Other material, options not mentioned?
Right now, I'm just going to cover the bottom of the boat with rigid insulation sheets, but would like to apply a surface coating within the next few days here. I have two raise areas, and one recessed. Again, I would like to use the same material for consistency sake throughout the boat.
So, your feedback please! What did you use and would you use it again?
Thanks in advance!
Troy
I would say by far the most common material I see is marine carpet. Looks very nice when finished. I never get to see photographs a year down the road after dirt and fish guts have been smeared all over it. Not sure how it is for weight either. If you have carpet, would you use it again?
The second material I'm considering is fiberglass reinforced panels (FPR for short). As far as I know these are not UV coated, so have to be sprayed with paint, and not sure if that paint would then peal up over time. Would prefer to stay away from any bedliner type material, as it's black and probably gets pretty hot. There are of course other non-slip paints out there, just not sure if they would rub off.
Lastly, I've seen one guy using horse stall blankets or padding. These kind of remind me of the antifatigue mats. I bet they are great for cushioning and sound protection, and of course are water proof. In my area a 3 x 5' piece is $70, so not cheap.
For the recessed area of the boat, I can put the FPR panels directly on top of the rigid foam without a problem-- A nice light weight solution. For the raised deck at the bow, I plan on using 3/8 of an inch plywood, with exterior glue, but still want to cover this in a matching material as the recessed area. Due to cost, I will probably not use aluminum sheet, and not sure how the weight compares to 3/8 of an inch plywood. Aluminum sheets are pretty darn expensive though.
Other material, options not mentioned?
Right now, I'm just going to cover the bottom of the boat with rigid insulation sheets, but would like to apply a surface coating within the next few days here. I have two raise areas, and one recessed. Again, I would like to use the same material for consistency sake throughout the boat.
So, your feedback please! What did you use and would you use it again?
Thanks in advance!
Troy
