pros and cons to carpet ?

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V8_TITAN

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just curious what are the pros and cons to adding carpet to your boat ? I like the way it looks but am worried about the maintenance of it. I use my boat in salt water most of the time and occasionally take it on the river. thanks
 
I like carpet. Cool to walk on and non-slip. I don't know much about salt water and carpet. I'd think it would clean up ok.
 
I have a 16' Smokrcraft that is carpeted and I use it on the intercoastal. I also have a 14' jon that I carpeted and put plywood on the benches and removable flooring which I use on a local lake (small) and freshwater canals. Its convenient and I stapled the carpet down. I can easily change it over if it gets beat up, but I keep it in my garage. Having said that, I am selling my 16' and planning in getting a new fishing machine but without carpet. Having this been my first "boat" (4 months) excluding jon boats, I decided that carpet was one thing that I did not want for a future purchase. There is carpeting all over, the floors, sides, decking etc. It just gets all ratty a while IMO and it happens to be glued down. For salt, Id prefer something I can just rinse down after a day out. Just my 2 cents...
 
your local auto parts store carries all kinds of foam cleaners.spray on and vac. most are for car upholstery and carpet,but works really well.
 
The only good thing about carpet is your boat will sell quicker if you install new carpet just before selling it. It is what most people want, but most people don't know what is best for their boat.

Carpet absorbs water/moisture like a sponge and this can lead to wooden deck rot and is a breeding ground for mildew. Carpet also reatins fish slime, blood, and poop. Carpet is high maintenance and requires a lot of time cleaning it to keep it looking decent. Carpet is also short lived only lasting about 5 or 6 years.

Trying to sell your boat with nappy and stained old carpet in it can take away from your boats resale value.

I prefer the deck finishes that shed water instead of absorbing it. like marine grade deck vinyl and some of the non-slip paint/roll/spray on products. These finishes are easy to clean and stay newer looking longer. Plus they don't promote mildew growth, did I mention damp/wet carpet is a breeding ground for mildew?

Manly fishermen don't install carpet in their boats. 8)
 
i planned to carpet my boat, because it looks so nice and i admire it on most of the amazing builds here and the super shiny bass boats.

my style of fishing involves a lot of getting on/off the boat in secluded coves, inlets and beaches, and the floor looks like a disaster after a day of fishing. having tried cleaning the muck off my boat after each trip, i don't think i'll be happy with carpet. cleaning the bare boat is difficult already, it would be twice as difficult if there's carpet to catch all the twigs, leaves, sand, mud and pebbles.
 
J.P. said:
i planned to carpet my boat, because it looks so nice and i admire it on most of the amazing builds here and the super shiny bass boats.

my style of fishing involves a lot of getting on/off the boat in secluded coves, inlets and beaches, and the floor looks like a disaster after a day of fishing. having tried cleaning the muck off my boat after each trip, i don't think i'll be happy with carpet. cleaning the bare boat is difficult already, it would be twice as difficult if there's carpet to catch all the twigs, leaves, sand, mud and pebbles.

You got that right!

Carpet is for chick magnet boats that never see a rod and reel or shotgun, and the guys that have those kind of boats spend more time cleaning polishing them than they do on the water.
 
let me say i have nothing against guys who choose to carpet their boats.....

i fished off a carpetted bass boat a few times and i loved it.......but i'm glad i'm not the one who had to do the cleaning.... not that it was very dirty, the owner made sure everybody had clean soles everytime they came aboard...........
 
Pros

Cheap
Easily replaced
Keeps heat and cold off feet
Good grip
Looks good IMO

Cons

Hooks get snagged
Moist carpet can lead to mold
Must be cleaned often
Gets dirty fast

Try vinyl if u can afford it. I've never looked in to it to be honest
 
Nautolex vinyl is actually cheaper than a lot of marine carpets, it's about $9.50 per square yard (3'x3').


https://www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1%7C10918%7C311409&id=311410
 
I have carpeting in my boat, it's not real marine carpeting but from Lowes I think. Looked real good when I bought the boat this spring but now it's showing wear in some places. I like the looks but that's about it, hooks get caught in it all the time and it's not fun trying to keep it clean.

When I decide to replace it I will either go with vinyl or hydroturff instead of carpeting.
 
jigngrub said:
Nautolex vinyl is actually cheaper than a lot of marine carpets, it's about $9.50 per square yard (3'x3').


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

Is this stuff similiar in thickness and weight to the vinly flooring for one's kitchen?
 
I have owned 3 boats and all have had carpet. I hate the stuff and my next boat will not. It is just a pain to clean after every darn trip to the river. I prefer something that I can just rinse off. On boats that don't see a lot of getting in and out of in mud carpet is great but it only takes one gumbo mud filled boot to really make a mess on carpet.
 
Andy Taylor said:
jigngrub said:
Nautolex vinyl is actually cheaper than a lot of marine carpets, it's about $9.50 per square yard (3'x3').


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

Is this stuff similiar in thickness and weight to the vinly flooring for one's kitchen?

No, this isn't your cushioned interior house vinyl.

Nautolex is a little thinner than house vinyl, and it's extremely tough. It has a pebble grain finish on it that is non-skid/slip. In it's loose form right off the roll it's fairly supple, but when bonded to plywood decking it's hard and very slip resistant... it could even be called abrasive. I skinned my knuckles on it several times when embedding it into the glue with the rollers. It also eats the rubber sole off of my boots in the boat, kinda like sandpaper would.

If you'll click on the link in my above post you'll see they sell a Nautolex vinyl sample card for choosing color and so you can get the "feel" of it. To get the best feel of what it's like on a deck you should glue some of the samples to a piece of plywood or wood.

I'm thinking about using it on my bathroom floor downstairs when I finish it.

I really like this product and plan to use it in all of my boat restorations.
 
bulldog said:
I have owned 3 boats and all have had carpet. I hate the stuff and my next boat will not. It is just a pain to clean after every darn trip to the river. I prefer something that I can just rinse off. On boats that don't see a lot of getting in and out of in mud carpet is great but it only takes one gumbo mud filled boot to really make a mess on carpet.


AGREE +1
 
I've had the pretty carpet in a fancy bass boat and it is a pain to keep clean. Fish slime, blood and mud are horrible to get out not to mention any grease or gas that might get rubbed in.

My every day boat just has an aluminum floor that is super easy to clean but does get hot and is loud.

I'm building a 16' flat bottom and the floor will be insulated with foam with either a 1/2" wood or 1/8" aluminum floor. I have been looking at either a non skid coating or Nautolex.

My wife likes carpet though. I was looking at Lowes the other day and they have commercial style carpeted mats that are 36x48 with the rubber back for $15.98. I'll probably get one or two of those to toss in the floor when she goes out with me. She'll be happy and I can pressure wash them if anything gets on them.
 

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