Cork decking for cockpit

alahol2

alahol2

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Portchester, Solent
www.troppo.co.uk
Hi all
The cork decking on my cockpit seats is looking decidedly shabby. It is smooth cork sheeting, maybe 2mm thick. Has anyone any idea if this is still available?
Otherwise any better ideas? I want something which won't tear the a*** out of my trousers. Also needs to be a DIY job to fit within a low budget.

This is what it looked like a few years ago... it is now chipped around the edges and there are a couple of holes in the middle.
cockpit.jpg
 
Looks like smooth Treadmaster. It's still available, can be overpainted but this won't do anything for the torn bits! You could maybe replace the bad ones and paint the rest. Beware that the correct adhesive is almost as expensive as the sheets.

Alternatively, TBS is quite good, I have some on my cockpit floor.
 
Looks like Treadmaster. Replacing it is a major job - not so much laying the new stuff as taking the old off - hard work.

You can replace with the same stuff but as you discovered it is hard on the body. Alternatives are fake teak such as Tek Dek or real teak either veneers or thicker strips. Robbins in Bristol sell 2.6mm veneers or machined strips in varying thicknesses and widths. Howells in Poole also sell the machined strips and will make up "kits" to your template.

Alternatively just strip it off and repaint, perhaps with deck paint in the areas you want non-slip.
 
I'm sure this isn't the smooth treadmaster. I see treadmaster is 2mm thick, this is rather thinner. I originally said 2mm but, thinking about it, it's probably only 1mm. It is self coloured and has no surface texture, all you can see are the grains of cork that make up the sheet. TBS is also 2mm thick. If I can't find a replacement material I will probably remove it, paint the area and fix teak strips. Before I go off researching, do you just glue the teak strips to the deck? Hmmm...I guess I cant paint it if you do.
 
Three potential methods for fixing teak (maybe even more!). Epoxy (thickened) and caulk the seams with either thickened and pigmented epoxy or Sika. This is OK for veneers. Or use Sika for both adhesive and caulking - both veneers or thicker machined strips. Have also seen panels made up with Sika in the seams and then laid as a panel on Sika.

The two suppliers I mentioned will give advice as well as providing materials.
 
Must say, although only a photo, the shadowing certainly suggests it's more than a millimeter thick. Even if it isn't Treadmaster, if it's been stuck down professionally with 2part epoxy it will be an absolute mare to get off. Had to remove some once for a customer, as he wanted me to teak deck the cockpit of his Fulmar. Tried sharp plane blades, chisels and heat. Would have been there a month of Sundays. Ground it off in the end using my 9" grinder fitted with a backing pad & 40/80 grit discs.

Now I know this might sound a bit of a bodge (low budget) but I'd consider doing this. If the present material is well glued, I'd make accurate templates of the panels with grease proof paper. Just tack tape the paper down over the panels and draw out the shapes with a pencil. Make sure you number them and note the face/top side. Get yourself some new cork material, T/master or whatever, cut out to template and glue on top of original with white Sikaflex. The damaged areas that you have in the original material can be locally repaired either by filling or cutting out with a Stanley knife and a new piece from off cuts spliced in. Apply the Sikaflex with a serrated edge piece of plastic.

Might sound like a lot of work, but dam sight less than trying to get all the original stuff off and then making good the damage to your grp surfaces. Given a bit of accurate marking with templates etc, you'll end up with a professional looking job for not a lot of dosh. You'll never notice the little areas you've repaired when the new material is applied.
 
Many thanks for the advice and links. I think I may try lifting just one of the small panels and see what it's like to clean up underneath. If it proves to be too time consuming I'll try saxonpirate's method.
 
Back again
I have been trawling the interweb for suitable cork sheeting. The longest sheet of cork on my cockpit seats is 1600mm and the Treadmaster and TBS sheets are all less than that. This would mean having a join in the middle of a sheet.
I have found this... http://www.tym.co.uk/product/RUBBER+CORK+SHEET/ which I can get as a 2m x 1m x 1.5mm sheet. I'd probably go for the 1120 version. It's really gasket material and the salesman reckons it smells a bit(!). Perhaps seal it with a coat of PVA? Does anyone think this may be suitable?
 
"Does anyone think this may be suitable?"

Dunno, but bear in mind that gasket material will be designed to work in compression, and won't take account of other forces acting on it. Impact and abrasion, such as happens in cockpits, might cause it to deteriorate more quickly than you'd like.
 
Last edited:
alahol2 said:
Back again
I have been trawling the interweb for suitable cork sheeting. The longest sheet of cork on my cockpit seats is 1600mm and the Treadmaster and TBS sheets are all less than that. This would mean having a join in the middle of a sheet.
I have found this... http://www.tym.co.uk/product/RUBBER+CORK+SHEET/ which I can get as a 2m x 1m x 1.5mm sheet. I'd probably go for the 1120 version. It's really gasket material and the salesman reckons it smells a bit(!). Perhaps seal it with a coat of PVA? Does anyone think this may be suitable?
Click to expand...

You might like to look at Marinedeck 2000 if you are now intending to replace the whole lot. Excellent product which I have had on my cockpit seats for many years.
 
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