duck boat floor

chris k

chris k

Active member
I was thinking about putting a rubber mat down on the hull of my boat to keep noise down. Just wondering what others have done. It's aluminium boat. I know people put astroturf or carpets I was thinking some sort of rubber easy to clean. Any suggestions?
 
Chris,

When I built my Devlin Black Brant II 22 years ago I decided to use U.S. GI surplus sleeping pads. They are closed-cell foam and are warm, quiet (should a shell or other item drop) and come in Olive Drab. They can be easily cut up and attached with adhesive. Several others on this forum have followed suite.

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http://www.amazon.com/Olive-Drab-Army-Issue-Sleeping/dp/B004X6UENK

Hope this helps.

*
 
Another vote for the closed cell foam, glue it down and forget it. When I built my Poleboat I made a removable floor but that turned out to be a royal P.I.A., glued in some sleeping pads and never looked back.
 
Tom~

I use these all the time - never thought of gluing one in place. Do you recall what you used for an adhesive?

Thanks.

SJS
 
Another good product is Hydro Turf. You can get it with adhesive already on the back. Not as thick as the mats above but very durable.


Tom.
 
Tom~

I use these all the time - never thought of gluing one in place. Do you recall what you used for an adhesive?

Thanks.

SJS
Click to expand...

Weldwood Original Rubber Contact Cement works very well.
 
i was thinking about the sleeping matts glueing them seems like they would be "stuck". you didnt have any problem with the mat getting ripped i would just hate to glue it down then come time to replace it and having to scrape all the glue off.
 
I think I am going to go with hydroturf this spring on my aluminum boat. Looks like great stuff with a lot of good reviews. Plus you can get it in a ton of different colors.
 
i was thinking about the sleeping matts glueing them seems like they would be "stuck". you didnt have any problem with the mat getting ripped i would just hate to glue it down then come time to replace it and having to scrape all the glue off.
Click to expand...


It is hard to get up once you contact cement it in place. However it is very durable and foot traffic doesn't degrade it very much over time. If you have a router and a template you can create professional looking installations. It also doesn't fade, crack, mildew, smell, or look like crap in just a few years like some other more expensive products. Best of all it is CHEAP. Price hydroturf, neomats, or some of the other products out there and, at least for me, good old GI bed mats are the clear winner.
 
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Good question. I'm having an aluminum floor fabed for my boat. Should be water jetted and formed tomorrow. I've been wondering what I might put on the floor. I never thought of gluing the pads down. Also like you I wonder about durability especially with a dog getting in and out of the boat. I was leaning towards Marine vinyl over carpet.
 
I just looked camo hydroturf up. A 42" x 60" sheet is $83. I can buy 24" x 72" bed mats all day long for $15. Doing the math bed mats are $1.25 a square foot while hydroturf is $4.75 a square foot. Sorry, but no way can I justify that cost differential for a product I don't know to be better.
 
This is not the exact style I have down in my boat. Lowes has these right now for $21.80. The ones I have in my boat have an edge that interlocks with the next section. They are 5/8" thick with rubber studs on the deck side that elevate the rubber grid, allowing water to drain through and back to the bilge area. They provide some level of insulation in cold for you and the dog, as well as allowing the water that drains-off your retriever to not pool around the dog. They can be removed to clean the deck, but they are heavy. Ice does not build up on them as well.

http://www.homedepot.com/...artialmax&NCNI-5

I use the US Army sleeping pad rolls as foot insulation and as a dog pad. I also have one in my Poke Boat's floor. I have one that is Really beat up, that has outlived three retrievers. Yes, their claws do knick the surface, but the foam is dense enough to "heal".
 
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I just looked camo hydroturf up. A 42" x 60" sheet is $83. I can buy 24" x 72" bed mats all day long for $15. Doing the math bed mats are $1.25 a square foot while hydroturf is $4.75 a square foot. Sorry, but no way can I justify that cost differential for a product I don't know to be better.
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I don't know if the expense is justified in comparison to the sleeping matts in northern Alabama, but hydroturf is not slippery when wet, doesn't saturate or get icy, and is very tough and resists dog claws tears.
 
In my aluminum boat I have a cedar slat floor to improve footing and a mat much like RL showed. The anti fatigue mat is great when weather gets bad and doesn't get slippery when snow is on them. They are a little heavy but will last a lifetime of abuse and easy to remove when needed.
John
 
Tom~

I use these all the time - never thought of gluing one in place. Do you recall what you used for an adhesive?

Thanks.

SJS
Click to expand...

Weldwood Original Rubber Contact Cement works very well.
Click to expand...


Use double sided foam tape. Very durable, the foam will not move, it will stick to the foam and your boat material and when it needs to be removed, much easier to do so.

Mark W
 
I have been using Styx River Neo Mats for the last 2 or 3 seasons they are heavy enough no need to glue them down. After the season i take the whole rig to the car wash and clean 'em up. A bit pricey but worth it.
 
Look at Home Depot for some heavy rubber floor and porch mats that you can hook together to make a bigger mat. They have some different styles. Also, you could check at a farm store like TSC for heavy mats for horse stalls.

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