Heads bulkheads... flooring or vinyl tiles?

KevO

KevO

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I didn't want to hijack the other thread about heads refurbishment but I have a related question or two.

The bulkheads to either side of the Jabasco in our Hustler are covered with formica. They have lifted away in places (large bubbles etc, poorly fitted in the first place I think) and I want to replace them. Now... having used formica before and knowing what a complete biatch of a job it is to mark, cut and glue/fit large irregular formica panels/shapes in tiny spaces with little room to manoevre and I really don't want to go down that route again (EVER!).

My son has suggested 6mm laminate flooring boards (suitable spec for bathroom/kitchen use) to panel them out in a T&G stylie. When I said I was concerned about how they would hold up in a boat environment he threw in a comment "Well, use vinyl tiles instead then if you're worried about damp".

Each would be far, far easier to cut to size and fit than formica. Thoughts? :confused:
 
pvb said:
Really don't think vinyl tiles will look very nice. Had you considered using vinyl headlining (not foam-backed)?
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No I hadn't... Mmmmm... I presume I would have to mark and cut a board to fit the bulkhead and hull then stick the vinyl fabric to that before fitting the whole shebang to the bulkhead. Will have to ponder on that a bit more I think. :confused:
 
KevO said:
No I hadn't... Mmmmm... I presume I would have to mark and cut a board to fit the bulkhead and hull then stick the vinyl fabric to that before fitting the whole shebang to the bulkhead. Will have to ponder on that a bit more I think. :confused:
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Or remove the formica and stick the vinyl material direct to the bulkhead.
 
I just went and had a mooch around a laminate and hardwood flooring place. The laminates just don't stand up to close examination (which it will be subjected to by vertue of being to either side of a seated heads user :rolleyes: ) and with vinyl tiles not being recommended either then it looks like a real wood finish is gonna be the best solution. So... given that I am inclined to shy away from ply due to the difficulty in marking and cutting it accurately enough given the shapes required, what hardwood strips (lapped or T&G) would be thought appropriate given that they will be suitably sealed, stained and probably woodskinned to match all the other wood below? Any woods I should specifically avoid? :confused:
 
I'm pretty sure my shower walls are covered in vinyl flooring, cut to size, glued to the wooden bulkhead, and sealed at the joins. Seems to work well!
 
How about ceramic tiles. I have used them in the heads/shower .They were 25mm square ones and they come on a sheet with a backing so easy to lay.

Martin
 
If the tiles are on a stable bulkhead then they will not move. Grout them in the normal way with epoxy grout and seal the edges with bathroom sealant.

Have you considered just cleaning the substrate and painting with an acrylic paint as recommended for bathrooms? There is nothing special about loo compartment that needs a fancy surface unless you are going to have hot steamy showers! BTW would not use T&G as it is not easy to keep clean, and is a lot of work fitting into tight spaces.
 
HeadsBulkhead_zpsbb09bed2.jpg


I hope you can see the bubbles on the photo... 2 x large ones close to each other, almost merging into one. The rest of the surface is fine, but the bubble screams at me every time I see it. It's been fitted badly and the bubble was trapped then I think, it isn't just a case of the formica lifting away with time which might have given me the poss of drilling and injecting an adhesive to stick it back down.
 
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On my previous boat I painted the plywood bulkhead in the heads with two pot polyurethane paint.It gave a very glossy, moisture and scratch resistant surface.The paint can be matted down with a matting agent or talc if preferred.I had tried applying formica but the hole thing went wrong so I removed it and painted after sanding the contact glue off.
 
KevO said:
I hope you can see the bubbles on the photo... 2 x large ones close to each other, almost merging into one. The rest of the surface is fine, but the bubble screams at me every time I see it. It's been fitted badly and the bubble was trapped then I think, it isn't just a case of the formica lifting away with time which might have given me the poss of drilling and injecting an adhesive to stick it back down.
Click to expand...

It would look fairly easy to replace that with a new sheet of Formica.
 
pvb said:
It would look fairly easy to replace that with a new sheet of Formica.
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Mmmm.... Personally, I would never put the words formica and easy in the same sentence... it's a b*gger to cut anything other than a straight line (especially a curve when not bonded to a board already) and it's also a b*gger to stick IME. I suppose an adhesive other than an instant grabbing contact adhesive would help though :rolleyes:
 
KevO said:
Mmmm.... Personally, I would never put the words formica and easy in the same sentence... it's a b*gger to cut anything other than a straight line (especially a curve when not bonded to a board already) and it's also a b*gger to stick IME. I suppose an adhesive other than an instant grabbing contact adhesive would help though :rolleyes:
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I used Thixofix when lining a shower cubicle with Formica.
 
You can get acrylic sheet and various other types of plastic sheet.
Ceramic tiles are an interesting one-I did a really neat job on my wetroom toilet shower that was until several winters ago when extreme cold caused some of the tiles to lift and others to explode as moisture in the clay had expanded causing the fired surface to shatter throwing glass like shards all over the compartment.Whilst I am keeping some of it in other areas I am painting.
 
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