Pro’s/Con’s of adding floor?

In my other thread, it was brought up about adding a floor to my G3. What are the pros and cons of doing so? Right now the ribs are exposed, and it hasn’t been an issue for me to walk around in it as is.

I have thought about it (probably adding closed cell foam between the ribs then adding a sheet of 1/2 or 3/4 plywood topped with Marine carpet), but has anyone just left it as is? I’m concerned about water getting under the wood and rotting it or affecting the hull, if this is a worry?

Never been a fan of outdoor carpet. Be sure to seal the wood.

If you want to add a floor, I’d consider the following options

1. Closed cell foam, then cut a rubber horse stall mat to size. Could use anti fatigue mat instead of horse stall mat

2. Closed cell foam, then fiberglass encapsulate the plywood and non slip/non skid coat over the fiberglass.
https://youtu.be/sjFNhMmTPRw

go to lowes and buy a piece of sundeck vinyl and wrap some plywood.it's way better than carpet and very inexpensive.it lasted for years on my boat decks and washes up great and keeps the weight to a minimum.i put 2 coats of thomsons waterseal seal and had zero issues.

Not sure what your boat looks like, pics would help. I am a fan of drop in floorboards in utility boats. It makes it nice to stand on and allows for standing closer to the sides without being uncomfortable. Also nice to set things on without tipping over ribs, tackle boxes etc. It does add weight which is sometimes a good thing depending on boat size. I just use 5/8 plywood and make a couple pieces from 2X4 to support from the bottom. I space them to just fit next to the ribs so the floor doesn't slide around. I have seen slide bolts used to keep them latched in to the bench seats. I have just left bare wood on some of my boats protect with a sealer. Carpet would look sweet as well. Wood lasts a long time if it's kept dry. Store boat with tongue up high to drain and take floors inside during off season.

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I put 1/4 exterior plywood down and covered it with vinyl from Defender Industries, though the Lowes vinyl may be perfectly fine. I didn't think about that source.

The closed cell foam that I added below the deck was cut into loose strips, with a 1/2 inch or more space between each of them. The purpose was to allow water to find its way to the stern/bilge.

However, in the Olden Days of my youth, lots of small boats simply had a wooden grid made up of 1x2's or 1x3's. It was just laid on the corrugated bottom. It allowed water (and lures) to easily slip through. You could see any water that accumulated. Very little did as when the boat surged forward that water was drained to the stern and the bilge pump.

Simple, easy, cheap and effective.

Candidly, I am old and decrepit, so walking on an unfinished floor would only lead to my tripping at some point. I need some sort of a floor/deck.

Have fun.

richg99 said:

However, in the Olden Days of my youth, lots of small boats simply had a wooden grid made up of 1x2's or 1x3's. It was just laid on the corrugated bottom. It allowed water (and lures) to easily slip through. You could see any water that accumulated. Very little did as when the boat surged forward that water was drained to the stern and the bilge pump.

Click to expand...

I remember those wood grids. Yes they were lure magnets.

Bigcountry said:

In my other thread, it was brought up about adding a floor to my G3. What are the pros and cons of doing so? Right now the ribs are exposed, and it hasn’t been an issue for me to walk around in it as is.

I have thought about it (probably adding closed cell foam between the ribs then adding a sheet of 1/2 or 3/4 plywood topped with Marine carpet), but has anyone just left it as is? I’m concerned about water getting under the wood and rotting it or affecting the hull, if this is a worry?

Click to expand...

One negative to adding a floor might be the added weight (unless it is needed for some reason as Weldor mentioned). I would expect just about any plywood floor to eventually get water damaged over time. If it is installed well and cared for, make that a long, long time. That is why it should be installed with an idea of how easy it will be to replace at some point in the future.

I agree with Rich. Having a smooth floor to walk around on is far superior to having to navigate over ribs, etc.

I also agree with Bcbouy about using vinyl. (I must be agreeable today, haha).

PS: I think 3/4" is overkill for the floor you describe and adds unnecessary weight. 1/2" should be fine, IMO. And, depending on the situation and support structure, I might look at 3/8". And, I note Rich went even thinner with 1/4" on his boat.

Yes. I did go with 1/4 inch.

But, please remember, that 1/4 was laying on a thin sheet of aluminum ( left over from a prior boat.) And the aluminum was over foam sheets that filled the cavities to the top. i.e. there was support underneath.

One could use 1/4 but I probably would add some bracing from below between the boat's own supporting structure. 3/4 is over kill, IMHO.