this a good or bad idea?

I work for a fencing company and have access to stain, wood pickets, and everything wood related. Is it a bad idea to make my framing out of 2x4's and use wood pickets for my flooring? I would sand them down first and make them real smooth and then stain them. any and all input is greatly appreciated.

Not a bad idea, think it's been done at least once on here. Only problem with it is how to cover it, and no matter what your framing is, it will likely not be as strong as a single sheet of ply or aluminum. Remember to post pics if you do it...

I catfish almost all the time and occasionally fall asleep on my boat so what would be good to cover the wood. or would i need to if i sand it good enough?

The wood would still soak up water. Best to cover it with epoxy resin and 'glass. If you really need to cheap out on the finish, go with oil-based paint. Thin out the first coat, then three or more coats at full strength. Paint will not be as long-lasting as the fiberglas and resin surface.

Roger

Exterior Plywood covered with at least 3 coats of Spar Urethane and then cover it with carpet cheap outdoor carpet from lowes. Many people do it that way because its a great way to do it. Simple, cheap, effective, looks good and is comfortable.

The pickets will be more work than what thier worth. IMHO!

Make sure not to use pressure treated lumber because it will react with the aluminum.
Great for fences but not for tinboat mods!

erwinner said:

Make sure not to use pressure treated lumber because it will react with the aluminum.
Great for fences but not for tinboat mods!

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Yah, that would be step #1 in the decision process.

reedjj said:

The pickets will be more work than what thier worth. IMHO!

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Agreed. Even though you might get pickets for free, you can get a decent sheet of ply for $20+/-. The amount of time for finishing a bunch of individual pickets would be 10 times more than a single sheet of ply. Not saying you can't do it, but I'd rather spend $20 and 2 hours time sealing it than free.99 and multiple days...

Are we talking stuff like dog eared cedar? That stuff will warp just sitting in a garage. I know from experience.

wouldn't take me long to stain we have a sprayer that can have them done in no time. as for the warping if i screw them into the right spots say an inch around the edges then it should not warp correct? thank you for the help. not trying to be rude I'm just trying to have an experience. Is it a completely horrible idea?

brholth8 said:

wouldn't take me long to stain we have a sprayer that can have them done in no time. as for the warping if i screw them into the right spots say an inch around the edges then it should not warp correct? thank you for the help. not trying to be rude I'm just trying to have an experience. Is it a completely horrible idea?

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If we're still talking dog eared cedar, I would just spend the few dollars it would cost even for the cheapest plywood for a floor. I used 1/2" outside grade plywood and just primed and painted it with an outdoor non skid porch paint. I think the plywood was around $15 and the paint $25 per gallon. I painted the floors, benches and bow shelf of the boat and the entire front porch of my son's house with it and still have some left over.

Cedar fencing material is very soft. I guess the length of the panels would make a big difference also. Would be interesting to see how it works out. You have to excuse me, I'm an old fuddy duddy so new things come slowly to me. :LOL2:

Not a horrible idea, there just may be easier ways of going about it. Stain probably isn't going to be optimal first off. If you are dead set on using fence pickets, I would use the best sealer you you get, which on the cheap would be Helmsman Spar Urethane. It's about $35 a gallon, or the paint as recommended by Nomowork.
And you don't sound rude (at least not to me), questions are what makes this forum great...

SVOMike86 said:

And you don't sound rude (at least not to me), questions are what makes this forum great...

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Ditto. Plus, every now and then, somebody needs to push the envelope. If you decide to go this route, be sure to post plenty of pictures so everyone can learn from your experience. If it works, sounds to me like a very unique look.

Hey man, sounds like a great idea to me. If you get it all free, go ahead and use it. At that price, you can rip it up next season and start new without taking a loss. For god's sake, its a floor your gonna walk on and get nasty catfish crap on. Use it, abuse it, and throw it away. Especially if its free!!!!

Hey Man, when it all comes down to it, Nathaniel nails it on the head.