Hatch carpeting question

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Cory5129

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May 15, 2011
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Logandale, NV
I just cut out the holes and hatches for my plywood deck. I'm carpeting the deck and hatches with 20 oz. marine carpet. I'm using aluminum piano hinges on the hatches that's 3/16" thick at the top of the hinge. I'm wondering if trimming the hatches so there is 1/4" gap will be enough room for them to close snug. Do I need to cut the piano hinge side wider or will the carpet compress enough? I don't want to screw this up and have the hatches to small and flop around. Thanks.
 
I generally use a 16 ounce marine carpet, on aluminum hatches, and I'm finding myself giving 1/4-5/16" per layer of carpet. Thus, if the hatch lid has carpet on both sides, as well as has carpet on the side of the deck it is up against, I'm usually giving 1 - 1 1/4" clearance.

Best way to say for sure, especially since you are using thicker carpet, is to use a couple spring clamps to hold a piece of carpet on a couple pieces of scrap, in the configuration you are going to have it installed, then hold them together, and see what kind of gap is needed.
 
Wow. I didn't figure on giving that much room. Good idea. I'll definitely experiment with a scrap piece before I make the trimming cut on my hatches. This was my first time buying marine carpet. I thought about just going with 16 oz., but not knowing anything about it, I figured with all the work I'm putting in on this modification it would maybe last a bit longer.
 

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