carpet for boat

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davidfox

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I know there was a thread earlier on, But I have a piece of rubber backed bathroom carpet in fetching beige colour, is double sided carpet tape ok to use or does it give up the ghost when you keep lifting the carpet to check the bilges and what do you do to seal the edges to stop fraying.
 
I use carpet tiles, and secure them to the cabin sole boards in such a way that lifting a board brings the carpet tile with it, using screw-fixed ring pulls. That way the double sided tape doesn't wear out. Can't answer the bit about edge fraying, cos tiles don't fray.
 
I just rely on the rubber backing. It seems to work OK but it's also held in place because the two supports for the main saloon table come through holes in the carpet.

If you have to lift then how about velcro or cutting a flap out over the inspection hatch and just lifting the flap.
 
Re fraying
I have used a carpet shop to make up door mats the same as the existing carpets with left over cut offs, they run them through a machine which does some sort of running stitch all round the edges, not at all expensive. I'm sure you the same could be done with your boat carpet if you could find an old fashioned carpet shop. Not the General George or Carpetwise type places though.
 
Normally the rubber back will stop slip and slide ... Or you could buy some Velcro strip and put "corners down ....

As to fraying ...... Copydex glue .... worked into the edging works ... OR turn over a cm of edge and stitch through ...

My carpet is Office Grade Hessian cut and "edged" ...... very nice and hard wearing too .... every so often takew out and give a real hard brush .....
They've had their fair share of getting wet etc. over the years, but apart from the small "grease" stain when I was careless one day ... are fine.
 
Bathroom carpet should be OK without being oversewn on the edges. If using double sided tape, you will probably need to redo it each time you lift.

I use felt backed carpet, which normally stays roughly in place due to shape of the cut outs, but have often considered double sided on a piece that does move.
 
I used a good kitchen quality carpet supplied by a commercial carpet retailer. For all you will need it is not expensive. I then used the cabin sole boards as a template and then cut the carpet to match. Ended up with three pieces in the main cabin and one each in the fore & aft cabins. Allows me to lift a board section without having to lift the whole carpet.

As per Sryro's thread, I then took the pieces back to the shop and they bound the edges. Cost of that was minimal - 30p a running foot comes to mind - total cost of binding was £16.

Result - absolutely no need to fix the carpet pieces down at all and a perfect fit with no fraying.

Hope this helps.
 
There is a place in Colchester, Essex,(Colchester Rug Company Ltd:01206 575732) who will supply the carpet and run a line of stitching around the edge. I gave them my old carpet as a template. The whole job, inc.the carpet was £50.
Just a happy customer, no other connection or interest.
 
Neatest fitting method...

The neatest fitting method if you want to be able to remove the carpet is to use press studs. You only really need one in each corner and maybe another in the middle of a long side. You can buy them from lots of places, including online here. You'll also need to spend a fiver on a tool kit to fix the studs to the carpet.

I've got these on the carpets in my boat, and they work well.
 
I would suggest avoiding bathroom carper. Because it is inpermeable it tends to stay damp underneath. The best material I have found is a 100% polypropylene carpet which has a white felt backing. You can seal the edges with a hot knife or flame. Car trimmers sell special press studs for securing carpet; they have a thin ring that presses in from the top surface and is fairly unobtrusive. They should be available in stainless.
 
I have used carpet samples, often sold very cheaply and about 30" by 18".
However they tend to disintegrate with time so I have converted to bathmats.
I find the rubber backing is sufficient, certainly on a multi, and it's easier to
toss them outside for a brush or hose down.
IKEA are selling large cheap ones if you're anywhere near Croydon.
Was forced to drive there from Brighton yesterday! Also very cheap
neck bolstering pillows for all the bunks.
 
I'm a cheapskate. I use the "runner" stuff, it's like what office floors are covered with and is strong as bu££ery. And at £2.99 a roll (2mx 0.66?) from QD I am not complaining, especially when a local chandlers sells mats of it at several pounds a piece, hehehe. And for mats, like above, I use old shop samples- the charity shop over the road from this webcafe has swatch pieces with edging even for 30p a piece. I don't mind not having all mine the same colour.
 
Sorry, if it helps, I'm in Ipswich, and the charity shop is Sense. Going to wrap my keelbox in the runner too- it's like a big steel heatsink in my saloon.
Jem.
 
We carpeted our last boat with Flotex - really excellent as it is easy to lay and you can scrub it clean - very suitable. But expensive, even for boat-sized pieces.
 
I buy one of those carpet protector type carpet strips each year at £4 quid each from the local market. These are intended for misers to put on top of their entrance hall carpets to rpotect them from muck and wear. The width is just right for my boat and I have to cut off a couple of feet from one end. The strips breath well and come in colours to match most interiiors. They work well without any other carpet underneath and do not seem to slip round much. Suggest others try these
Martin
 
At last...

A valid argument for half-boats: you can carpet the saloon with stair carpet instead of needing 4 metre wide broadloom /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(ducks & runs for cover)
 
Re: At last...

Stair carpet is probably appropriate for walking across the half boat to windward.

Been a few comments on fastening carpet down. One method if the sole is not wanted to be fine finished is to paint it with a very light amount of non skid granules in it. The carpet does not slide then and also means that in very wet and tippy conditions the carpet can be stowed and one has a non slip surface to walk on when the boat is heeled (well important to us with half boats).

John
 
Re: At last...

Another vote for Flotex. Totally washable, non-absorbent (even dirty engine oil washes off), extremely hard-wearing but comfortable in bare feet. Not cheap, but most boats don't have a huge floor area.
 
Re: At last...

I've not fastened my stuff down (I suspect it is the same stuff you are talking about as stair carpet and miser's strip...), as it'll pick up dirt faster than I can vacuum it, and pulling up my cabin sole to wave around over the side seems hassle and risky. On a passage it'd just get wet, and once in a sunnier clime I'd prefer to walk on cool wood. Besides, it seems to grip rather well. Probably PVA/PU the bit around the keel box though. It certainly made a difference with the heat coming out of the vent straight onto it- a steel box of water sure soaks up the heat.
 
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