decking and hardware questions

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shanko92

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Johnstown, PA
i have a tracker grizzly 1860 boat, and i plan to start on building a deck in the near future.

i've had some people recommend aluminum bracing and sheeting, some recommend plywood and 2x4's, and some recommend steel construction studs and plywood. it seems that everyone has their own opinion, but i don't have any experience to help make a choice.

i know some friends that have used plywood and 2x4's with success, but i don't know if the advantages of aluminum outweigh (no pun intended) the advantages of wood.

i know that i want to use stainless torx-head screws, but i don't know if i need to use anything special to attach flooring and bracing to the aluminum ribs in the boat. are sheet metal screws sufficient, or do i need something else?

any experience that anyone would like to share would be greatly appreciated!
 
Welcome to the site.

Make sure to go through all of the builds, and you'll get a grasp for what's involved with each. If you use aluminum, use rivets. If you use wood, use the coated deck screws or stainless. Steel doesn't belong in an aluminum boat. It's too heavy and will cause corrosion.

If I were to use wood, I'd use 2x2's instead of the 2x4's. You'll not only save on weight, but also in storage space.

The decision should be based on budget, and overall expectations.

Each build usually has a discussion about it.
 
Brines right. It depends on your budget. I prefer aluminum because it will last forever. If you don't mind replacing the wood in 10years (or so) and you're on a tighter budget go with wood (not treated). Wood is also more forgiving and easier to cut than aluminum. To me, it would also depend on how long you plan to own it and how often you plan to use it. A lot of factors, that's why I prefer aluminum. I use the heck out of my boat between fishing and hunting. So much that I don't even winterize it.
 
i would add that you might want to consider where your boat is stored in this decision. if it is stored outside, the aluminum will last much longer.
 
yeah, lots of opinions on whether to use aluminum, or wood. Aluminum is great if you can afford it and have the tools to work on it easily. However, if you do go the wood route, make sure you NEVER use Pressure Treated lumber as the metal preservatives in it (Cu, Ar) can/will lead to electrolytic pitting in any metal they come into contact with. Instead, use non-PT, exterior grade plywood and lumber for your deck and framing. You can seal/waterproof them in a variety of manners also. The "best" way is probably to use 2 part spreadable epoxy and/or fiberglass mat & resin. However, these materials generally have to be ordered and can be a little messy if you 're not use to them, but they will make the wood outlast the Zombie Apocalypse. A lot of folks here use several coats (3-4) of Spar Urethane instead of epoxy or fiberglass. It won't exactly "waterproof" the wood like ht other methods, but it will seal it very well and should give you many seasons of good use. Best of all, it's relatively cheap and available at Lowes/HD along with the plywood, lumber, aluminum angle and hardware you'll need. In fact, you can get everything you need for your boat from the big box stores, except the epoxy and f'glass supplies. Be sure you use Stainless Steel hardware and/or aluminum pop rivets (preferably dipped in 3M 5200 marine caulk/sealant/adhesive (also at Lowes/HD) to attach items to the hull as well.
 
thank you all very much for the help!

i have stainless steel hardware already spec'd out, so i'll definitely go that route.

i'm leaning toward wood over aluminum just because i don't own the tools to work with Al.

the boat will be stored outside, but it will have a cover on it when not in use. so that will keep the weather off of it for the most part.

i'll be sure to take lots of pictures as the build is going so i can post them on here. thanks again for your help!
 
You don't need a lot of special tools to work with aluminum, a rivet setting tool (12-$20) and a bi=metal blade for a skill saw, miter saw, or jig saw, and a drill... that's about it. If your boat is a riveted boat a rivet setting tool will come in very handy... even if your boat is welded the rivet tool will still be handy.

Aluminum angle and/or tubing with a plywood deck has been the majority of the manufacturers OEM for decades.

Aluminum angle and tubing can be bought for scrap price from scrap yards and recycle centers, which is a fraction of the cost of hardware store aluminum.

Rivets are a fraction of the price of SS nuts and bolts, and much easier to install.

I'm a carpenter by trade, but would never frame a deck in a boat with wood, but I do prefer a plywood deck over sheet or plate aluminum.
 
How about a carpeted deck vs. paint? I've been thinking about a plywood deck painted with some sort of anti-slip paint additive. The idea of carpet turns me off. Any thoughts on a painted plywood deck?
 
there was another build on here that i saw where the builder used plywood deck and did not use carpet. i believe he painted everything and used kiwigrip for the non-skid. it looked really nice when he was done.

i prefer to go the carpet route.
 
samzerelli said:
How about a carpeted deck vs. paint? I've been thinking about a plywood deck painted with some sort of anti-slip paint additive. The idea of carpet turns me off. Any thoughts on a painted plywood deck?

I am not a carpet fan either. Holds water, harder to clean, etc. It does dress up the boat, nice with bare feet, and provide some sound dampening. I only have it in my bowrider, but can be pain with the short pine needles from the ADK. I won't use it in a fishing boat.

I have used painted plywood in the past (and may still on current project). It does require some yearly touch-up, but it is usually rather quick and painless. I am on the fence with using Tuff Coat. I'll probably go that way if I conince myself that it will be rather easy clean-ups.
 
are you decking the entire boat, Alum is the only way to go IMO, But nothing wrong with wood if the budget permits, I cant see spending the money to frame alum, and deck with wood myself, If you sheet alum it, you don't need any Structure to begin with, Have a look at my Busti'n Bass build, there is a link at the bottom. I should have it back in a few days, And will have pics of the finished product. It is a Fisher 18/60 made by Tracker of course, virtually same boat as you have probably.
 
Carpet is the worst thing you can put in any boat, it sucks up water like a sponge and retains moisture causing mildew growth at an unbelieveable speed.

Non-slip paint is ok, but not very durable. Truck bed liner is more durable and is ok on decking only. Neither paint nor bed liner are very attractive but they do shed water which is a big plus, and they're a lot better than carpet.

I personally like marine vinyl, it's cheaper than carpet, more durable, sheds water, and is stupid easy to clean... and it looks great!
 
jigngrub said:
Carpet is the worst thing you can put in any boat, it sucks up water like a sponge and retains moisture causing mildew growth at an unbelieveable speed.

Non-slip paint is ok, but not very durable. Truck bed liner is more durable and is ok on decking only. Neither paint nor bed liner are very attractive but they do shed water which is a big plus, and they're a lot better than carpet.

I personally like marine vinyl, it's cheaper than carpet, more durable, sheds water, and is stupid easy to clean... and it looks great!

I've never looked into marine vinyl before. Do you have any product suggestions?
 
samzerelli said:
jigngrub said:
Carpet is the worst thing you can put in any boat, it sucks up water like a sponge and retains moisture causing mildew growth at an unbelieveable speed.

Non-slip paint is ok, but not very durable. Truck bed liner is more durable and is ok on decking only. Neither paint nor bed liner are very attractive but they do shed water which is a big plus, and they're a lot better than carpet.

I personally like marine vinyl, it's cheaper than carpet, more durable, sheds water, and is stupid easy to clean... and it looks great!

I've never looked into marine vinyl before. Do you have any product suggestions?


I looked into it, but there are a few concerns, that keep it lower on the list. I like the look and the easy clean part. My concerns are down the road at the 5-6 year point. Older vinyl I have seen in boats seem to eventually crack, be it exposure to sun or wear. My concern once it cracks, the water wicks under and doesn't dry. The glues and priming may keep things good for a while, but you will have to replace it. I have never done boat floor vinyl removal, but the last time I did commercial vinyl that was put down with waterproof glue, over a concrete floor, was significant work. I'd think the plywood would take a beating and need replacing.
 
samzerelli said:
I've never looked into marine vinyl before. Do you have any product suggestions?

This is what I used on my boat:

https://www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1%7C10918%7C311409&id=311410

I took it from looking like this:
DSC02195.jpg


... to this:
DSC02252.jpg


I keep my boat covered so the only time it sees sun is when I'm in it... but if the vinyl should happen to crack in 10 or more years I'm still not worried. I sealed my decking with 4 coats of epoxy resin and it's like a sheet of glass between the vinyl and the wood:
DSC02217.jpg
 
I'm going to be doing a front deck on my boat soon. I'm going to use aluminum and rivets and some bracing around the edge and middle.

The deck is going to be 4ft long, and 4ft wide at the back to about 2.5 ft in the front. What is the thinnest sheet I can use for the deck so it doesn't flex when walked on?
 
casey6 said:
I'm going to be doing a front deck on my boat soon. I'm going to use aluminum and rivets and some bracing around the edge and middle.

The deck is going to be 4ft long, and 4ft wide at the back to about 2.5 ft in the front. What is the thinnest sheet I can use for the deck so it doesn't flex when walked on?

That depends on how close (centers) you put your framing. If you frame it on 12" centers you can probably get away with .04, if you go with 16" centers you probably need .06, 24" centers you'll probably need 1/8" plate.

It sounds like you need to go with 1/8 or 3/16 diamond deck plate.
 
jigngrub said:
samzerelli said:
I've never looked into marine vinyl before. Do you have any product suggestions?

This is what I used on my boat:

I keep my boat covered so the only time it sees sun is when I'm in it... but if the vinyl should happen to crack in 10 or more years I'm still not worried. I sealed my decking with 4 coats of epoxy resin and it's like a sheet of glass between the vinyl and the wood:


and the beautiful work you did, is why I can't drop it off the list. ;)
 

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