Carpet issues

I have been working on my carpet for a couple of days and am getting frustrated. I managed to get the front deck carpeted without many issues, but trying to carpet my hatches is a pain. The carpet I bought is meant for boats, thus kinda expensive, and it open loop carpet. It frays pretty easily so trying to carpet the corners of my hatches is a real challenge. Any suggestions for the best way to carpet the corners and to try to keep this stuff from fraying so much? I am on the home stretch here and desperate to get this done and get it done right.

Well I think there are really only a couple ways to do it. You can cut diagnols on the corners so that they meet nicely without overlapping on the underside. Which I found to be too time consuming and I didn't want the corner to fray. Or you can just cut straight lines and fold one side glue, staple, then fold the other side glue,staple like I did. Its not as pretty as if you were to make it all line up but it is on the underside anyway. I hope you get what I am saying. I seem to remember member russ something showing how he cuts his corners but I would have to search to find the post.

ps I broke my computer screen awhile ago and just fixed it tonight incase anyone wondered where I went :roll:

https://www.ultimatebass.com/-how-tos-links-271/144-bass-boat-carpet-install.html
This was the best article I could find. Hope it helps.

Are you using a staple gun too?

I started on the long side. Attached it to the backside of the lid with staples. I flipped the lid over, coated it with carpet glue, and stretched it as tight as I could, starting from the middle. I tapped a few staples in the top of the carpet it to hold it tight, then flipped it over the other way (the other long side), stretched it around the top of the hatch and stapled it. Basically attaching and stretching the carpet over the long ends first. So now I only had the short ends to deal with. Again, I started in the middle and stretched it around the back and stapled it. I used a fair number of staples on the back with glue on the front.

Now I have a weird looking hatch with the long sides attached and the corners with lots of extra material.

I folded the material over one corner and cut an angle from the middle to the bottom corner - not all the way around, just close to the corner. I think I used scissors to cut it with. Then I folded the carpet over the other way and trimmed that at the same 45 angle. Then the back of the hatch can be stapled down nice and neat. You still have some extra carpet extended over the corner. Just pinch it together from the corner with your fingers, fold it to one side and put a few staples in it. Really, the fold isn't noticiable - if you pay attention to which parts of the hatch will be visible when you open it. By not cutting all they way around the corner, you keep the fuzzys from coming out of the corners with use.

I have black carpeting in my boat, so it hides a lot, but I can't see any corners at all, anywhere.

Hope that makes sense and is a help.

Will

As a note, I worried the whole build about carpeting the boat. Stressed about color, how to attach it, glue types, etc. I had nightmares that I cut wrong and had to order MORE carpeting.

Turns out, it was the thing I liked most about the build. Maybe because each piece you do is so final and means you are just about done with the whole process.

My roll of 8x20 is staring at me and I'm afraid to put it on as well. Keep the faith.

Jamie

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=8704

This is awesome!

https://www.bbcboards.net/zerothread?id=310502

Thanks for all the posts guys. I figured out how to cut the corners. Just needed a nice reminder.

Also, to keep my carpet from fraying, my dad found some seam sealer at Lowes that goes on white, but dries clear and seals the edges of the carpet up perfectly. Will post some pics later.

I also add a little shoe goo at the corners. works so far without any fraying

I used a heat gun to melt and seal the edges of my carpet to keep it from fraying. Care needs to be taken as it melts much easier than you'd think.

well....it was the "other guys"...

https://www.bbcboards.net/zerothread?id=310502

Really good write up though.

This is the post I was talking about. Hope this helps.

russ010 said:

well... here it is 1230am and I"m just getting in from working on the boat.

Started out with the carpet. I made a run to a different Lowe's because they had remnants left over a few months ago.. but no luck. I got to looking at their carpets, and they actually had 1 marine carpet on the line. And this is NOT indoor/outdoor carpet. This one has twice the amount of rubber on the bottom, and it's actually plush carpet. It's gonna suck for hooks, but my feet are more important than hooks.

And here is how I get my clean corners without overlaps when doing carpeted edges

and..... voila!

Click to expand...