# Non wood interior sole alternative



## Petar (Nov 20, 2005)

My 3/4" plywood sole with Teak veneer top needs TLC. Instead of sanding, and varnishing 6-7 coats which would take most of the winter to complete, i am interested in potential non wood alternatives. Something that would brighten the interior and is durable and requires less maintenance and that I can do myself. Any suggestions are welcome


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

First, why would it take most of the winter to sand and varnish the sole? 
Second, an alternative is carpet. Durable, no maintenance other than occasional removal and vacuuming.


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## Petar (Nov 20, 2005)

I would NOT put carpet in my boat EVER. To sand and apply 6-7 coats varnish on 50 square feet of plywood flooring that requires proper drying and light sanding between coats would definitely take a long time hence me looking in alternatives.


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## Michael K (Feb 27, 2006)

I've never seen it used this way but I suppose you could lay down Plas-Teak. Kinda looks like wood but never deteriorates or rots. There must be a variety of faux wood products that are durable and low mantenance, no?


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

Petar,

The real problem is that plywood is actually an incredibly good material for boat building. It is relatively light, and very stiff for its thickness. Unless you are willing to take a pretty significant weight penalty your options are pretty much plywood, carbon fiber foam sheets, and webbed metal grating.

Most engineered woods don't have the stiffness you would need, and things like starboard are both significantly heavier and not stiff enough.


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## Petar (Nov 20, 2005)

Thanks guys,

has anyone tried applying Nu-teak interior on top of plywood? This seems pretty easy to apply and my only concern would be its thickness. anyone has any suggestions on material similar to that that is 1/8" or similar.


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## overbored (Oct 8, 2010)

Teak Boat Flooring, Holly Boat Flooring, Maple Boat Flooring | PlasTEAK & PlasDECK

LONSEAL Flooring: LONWOOD MARINE - *Lonwood Marine* is Lonseal's high-performance, slip-resistant marine safety flooring. Our wood looks come in both matte and glossy styles, and have color coordinating trim.

Click on "Next" under the

http://america.amtico.com/vinyl-flooring-products/amtico-marine.aspx


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

Petar said:


> My 3/4" plywood sole with Teak veneer top needs TLC. Instead of sanding, and varnishing 6-7 coats which would take most of the winter to complete, i am interested in potential non wood alternatives. Something that would brighten the interior and is durable and requires less maintenance and that I can do myself. Any suggestions are welcome


Take a look at Welcome Aboard-Teak & Holly Sole


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## overbored (Oct 8, 2010)

svHyLyte said:


> Take a look at Welcome Aboard-Teak & Holly Sole


thats the same stuff as plasteak/ loneseal but at a higher price. defender has loneseal for $10 less a running foot


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## AirborneSF (Dec 14, 2010)

Petar, I used the fake deck boards in mine, and am happy with it. It is 'heavy' but the weight is down low, also it doesn't look as rich as teak and holly, but it isn't going to rot either!. I don't have any problems with it being 'flexible' to walk on at 3/4" thick X 5' long. I got it at H-D, but it ain't cheap. .02


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

In Drake Paragon's cabin tour of a Nunsuch 26 they have starboard floors, but he does say they are hard to keep clean.


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

overbored said:


> thats the same stuff as plasteak/ loneseal but at a higher price. defender has loneseal for $10 less a running foot


Lonseal Lonwood #401107 offered by Defender is essentially the same material as that offered by Welcome Aboard. Welcome Aboard's price is $8.95/sf while the Defender price is $8.83/sf or about $0.12/sf (1.34%) better. The advantage will rest with the vendor that does not charge sales tax to the buyer, if either. Of course, being able to purchase the material by the running foot is a sizable advantage; and, Defender also sells the edge trim that can nicely finish out an installation.

FWIW...


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

Flooring on boats is made with the assumption that it will only be walked on on sunny weekends and a three week summer vacation, max.
Linoleum is made to be walked on 24-7,year round ,especially the industrial grade,and is far better made. From more than 2 ft away, it can be hard to tell apart from wood.
So why would you use inferior material with a higher price tag?


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

Brent Swain said:


> Flooring on boats is made with the assumption that it will only be walked on on sunny weekends and a three week summer vacation, max.
> Linoleum is made to be walked on 24-7,year round ,especially the industrial grade,and is far better made. From more than 2 ft away, it can be hard to tell apart from wood.
> So why would you use inferior material with a higher price tag?


Because products for interior use are designed to work in a fairly narrow temperature range and are not designed to withstand the motor oil, diesel and solvents you spill when working on your engine. Most manufacturers will tell you that installation in a damp or unheated environment voids the warranty.

When you look at products designed for interior use you find that they won't hold up in a boat that sees temps from -10 to 120F. The problem is expansion and contraction with temperature, the flexibility of the fiberglass sole and its movement with temperature.

I got some samples of a couple of types of flooring and applied them to 24x24 squares of 3/4" plywood and hardboard and left them on my patio for over a year to see how they reacted to temperature/moisture changes.

NuTeak interior flooring still looks like new, even on the hardboard sample that warped badly after a year. Diesel and PB Blaster wiped off it with no staining. Most importantly it looks really good. I'm a woodworker so I'm very particular about the look. Too many products look like plastic. I'm going to try an install this spring. We'll see.

Here's their interior products.


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## HeartsContent (Sep 14, 2010)

I noticed that Catalina is using some type of synthetic flooring in their new boats. It looks great and provides excellent grip. It's a little soft, not hard.

It looks like it would be an excellent replacement for real wood floors that have a limited life to them and require frequent maintenance (if you use the boat).


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

HeartsContent said:


> I noticed that Catalina is using some type of synthetic flooring in their new boats. It looks great and provides excellent grip. It's a little soft, not hard.
> 
> It looks like it would be an excellent replacement for real wood floors that have a limited life to them and require frequent maintenance (if you use the boat).


It's Lonseal, SvHyLyte mentioned it above. Very good stuff from what I've read. The only downside is it comes in sheets; wonderful for builders but can be a little challenging with all the curves and cuts in a boat for a retrofit.

One of the things I liked about NuTeak is it comes in strips which is a bit easier to handle on the install.


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

Linoleum I put down 28 years ago is in better shape than wood or other materials I put down a few years ago.It's had lots of diesel ,etc spilled on it. In my 3 boats over 40 years, that has always been the case.
Claims it wont hold up as well as "yachtie " stuff, are a scam


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## blutoyz (Oct 28, 2012)

"Linoleum" is the wrong term being used. Sheet vinyl, specifically fiberglass backed sheet (ie "FLexitec, Tarkett Fiberfloor, Armstrong cushionstep) id the product to look at. It can be installed with two sided tape if you like and is a simple DIY cut in. Hatches can be trimmed for access.

Real lino will be pricey and start to smell real musty real quick I am afraid

(yes I am in the flooring business...LOL)


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## CLucas (Feb 10, 2007)

*Real-world experience with Lonseal?*

Just ordered some samples of Lonseal Teak & Holly for possible use on my cabin sole. Can anyone here speak from experience as to its durability in an application such as this?

I live in the northeast (LI), so the boat (Pearson 30) does experience some temp extremes. Existing cabin sole is fine, just looking to dress her up a bit.


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## overbored (Oct 8, 2010)

*Re: Real-world experience with Lonseal?*



CLucas said:


> Just ordered some samples of Lonseal Teak & Holly for possible use on my cabin sole. Can anyone here speak from experience as to its durability in an application such as this?
> 
> I live in the northeast (LI), so the boat (Pearson 30) does experience some temp extremes. Existing cabin sole is fine, just looking to dress her up a bit.


I have some 1 foot sq samples glued to the sole for a test of wear and slip resistance when wet. seems to hold up very good. the dull finish gets the dirtiest but looks the most real. the matte finish is the slipperiest, but not that much difference. so far the gloss finish is the best for slip when wet, who knew, but it does show the scratches the most . I am thinking of using the matte finish. if I use the gloss it will require me to put gloss on all the other teak so it will look as good as the new flooring.
biggest problem I have is how to finish the edges as it is a fiberglass sole and is rolled up into the sides with a large radius. I think all the dirt will catch around the edge of the Lonseal and may start to peel up.
I have samples of all the brands of this material and it looks like it is all made by the same manufacturer all samples look identical. I would guess it is made by Lonseal as they are the only one that is a flooring manufaturer


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## CLucas (Feb 10, 2007)

*Re: Real-world experience with Lonseal?*



overbored said:


> ...biggest problem I have is how to finish the edges as it is a fiberglass sole and is rolled up into the sides with a large radius. I think all the dirt will catch around the edge of the Lonseal and may start to peel up...


Lonseal's matching trim moulding would fit the bill for hatches and access panels -- probably not the the edges as you describe. See Lonseal - Lonwood Marine


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## jimrafford (Jan 7, 2011)

I replaced my cabin sole w/ marine lam synthetic laminate bonded to 1/2" marine plywood last winter. The sheets are about $300 a piece. No more varnishing. Very durable and good nonskid. They have a couple color choices. Came out very nice.
Jim


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## overbored (Oct 8, 2010)

*Re: Real-world experience with Lonseal?*



CLucas said:


> Lonseal's matching trim moulding would fit the bill for hatches and access panels -- probably not the the edges as you describe. See Lonseal - Lonwood Marine


i tried the edging and it sticks up to high, it looks cheep and the colors are way off and hurts when you step on it barefoot.


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