Cabin sole covering ??

[VARNE]

I'm about to replace the old carpet which looks to be a fairly lightweight cord type. About 80% of the area is lift up panels to the bilge , so will have to be stuck down and cut around the panels.
Anyone got any suggestions for cheapish carpet? Anyone tried Vinyl---maybe a bit cold? Cork tiles?
Any ideas gratefully received.

 

[michael_w]

Stud rubber. Good non slip, warm to the bare tootsies, looks smart, loads of colours available. Only problem is it's a bit expensive. Try your local commercial flooring suppliers, not B&Q.

 

[capnsensible]

Cork tiles and matt varnish have worked great for us, plus a rug with non slip backing. Easy to clean and easy bilge access. Takes a hammering, we live on the boat (coming up for 10 years). When rug gets tatty, we just get a new one!

 

[alankilner]

We used Vinyl. After much agonising about non slip ability etc etc and having looked at all of the £££££marine coverings we put down B&Q vinyl. I stuck it to the individual floor boards in the workshop at home, I left the edges oversize by about an inch and cut to fit on the boat. I used a wad cutter to create a disc of covering over each screw hole so I can get em up again. If you are carefull it is almost imposible to see where they are. We also sealed the vinyl with another B&Q wipe on product. Been down two seasons now and is comfortable, shows no sign of wear and is not slippery even when wet. Whole saloon on our 30'er cost about £30! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[bazobeleza]

We use stuck down carpet tiles, easy to lay, easy to cut around awkward shapes as you are doing it in bits 500 x 500 mm, they're cord carpet so non slip and easy to replace if you have any spillages, you only need dabs of carpet tackifier at the corners to stick them down.

 

[calkin1]

Hi fellow Varne owner. I've been considering same problem for last few days for my own little Varne (Towermaid). Don't have enough money to justify flexiteek or a nice teak & holly flooring. Even if I had teh cash I doubt this would be easy to fit out nicely as the cabin sole has some awkward angles and curves. Instead I will try a granulated rubber paint (Protecta Kote, look it up on google for info.) The reviews for marine use seem positive so have opted for the UV tolerant tan colour paint. Advantages are that it is cheap, robust, will hide small imperfections and best of all is non slip. Will let you know how I get on once paint arrives.
Hope this helps, David.

 

[Rabbie]

I swear by Flotex.

 

[Searush]

My boat had shag pile in it when I bought it. How naff I thought - I'll have to replace that & it'll never last. But when I got out of bed with bare feet it suddenly seemed a good idea. "I'll keep it untill it's dirty" I decided. When it got dirty, I was anchored in a remote bay so I just took it on deck, shook & beat it & it came up like new. After 15 years, I decided to replace it as it wasn't coming up quite as good any more. It was replaced with an offcut of bathroom carpet (waterproof rubber backed) that cost a tenner. I wouldn't be without my cuddly carpet now! May change it a bit more often, but for a tenner, who cares?

 

[sarabande]

Flotex tiles are brill. They take a compund curvature easily, no nasty tar-type backing, and they don't harbour gunge as there are no twisted bits.

looky here

 

[VARNE]

Thanks All for suggestions.

Now confused at a higher level. Why must all boaty decisions be a compromise??

 

[castaway]

I agree with you.. I like my carpet and I change it every couple of years. I buy a roll of decent quality 'off cut' take up the old carpet to use as a template.

This year cost £15 and took me about and hour and a half to re new it all.. thats on 36ft with 3 cabins.

Regds Nick