Heads interior finish

[Gadget257]

I’ve had to replace two of the heads bulkheads due to rot. I’m looking for recommendations for impervious and easy to clean surface for the vertical walls in the heads (plus recommendations where to buy ideally in the Solent area). My first thoughts is High Pressure Laminate such as Formica.

 

[Refueler]

What about Vinyl Emulsion ? The stuff used in Bathrooms ? Its easy to apply - once dry is a wipe down waterproof surface.

 

[V1701]

If you do decide to paint have a look at the Zinsser range I've had better results with them than with others. E.g. perma-white mould resistant...

 

[salar]

If the problem with the rot is water from the shower and splashes, then you will need to have both an impervious surface and good sealant around the edge. My go-to would be to buy a suitable perspex or acetate or acetal or similar, cut to shape, from companies such as www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk and stuck to the ply. You can get all sorts of thicknesses and finishes. This is what is used in wet areas in houses and industrial units. Then seal with a silicone bead.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Use one of the proprietary shower claddings as used on shore based installations available in full 8*4 foot sheets at most B&Q type places. As long as you have correctly bonded the ply bulkheads it will provide a waterproof easily cleanable surface.

 

[PCUK]

I now use vinyl flooring for interior trim. It is attractive, hardwearing, available from Ebay or your local flooring shop and very reasonably priced. My thinking was if it can be walked on it's going to be OK on the bulkheads.
Also mould is easily removed with Wonder Wipes!
No decent pic' of the heads but here's one of the dog house roof and sides.
I use Saba 750 as the adhesive but any Sika style sealant will do the job. Seriously, have a look!

 

[geem]

Have a look at hygiene board. Comes in different thicknesses. White shiny or matt. You can even get in in colours. Not expensive. We did our aft heads with it. After 3 years of fulltime liveaboard, it's still looking great

 

[pandos]

I used vinyl flooring on several campers and in the shower/heads on my boat 16 years ago. Still perfect...stick it with normal flooring adhesive (not the contact stuff) seal the corners with sikaflex.

Easy to work with and very cheap...

 

[Refueler]

Vinyl flooring is useful in so many areas .... but please try stay away from what I call the 50's look stuff ... you know that off-white stuff with square black patterns ...

I went on one boat which was really nice - till I went in the heads ..... it completely destroyed the whole effect.

 

[Geoff Wode]

Wet wall?

 

[Rappey]

You can buy 8x4 sheets of 3mm white pvc. Easy to cut, glue and clean. Many of haslar marina showers are lined with this.

 

[geem]

You can buy 8x4 sheets of 3mm white pvc. Easy to cut, glue and clean. Many of haslar marina showers are lined with this.

That's hygiene board

 

[Gadget257]

Thank you. I had not thought of using floor vinyl. The solution is now toss up between hygiene sheet and vinyl floor.

 

[pandos]

Hygiene board is great if you have plenty of space to work with it, and are very good at making templates. It is pretty rigid and it would not be much fun wrestling with it in a small heads compartment.

 

[geem]

Hygiene board is great if you have plenty of space to work with it, and are very good at making templates. It is pretty rigid and it would not be much fun wrestling with it in a small heads compartment.

It's surprisingly flexible. We used heavy grade lining paper to make templates first. Then we cut out the panels with sheet metal shears. You can sand the edges with a belt sander or drum sander on a drill for radius bits.
Once fixed in place its super durable and easy to clean.

 

[pandos]

It's surprisingly flexible. We used heavy grade lining paper to make templates first. Then we cut out the panels with sheet metal shears. You can sand the edges with a belt sander or drum sander on a drill for radius bits.
Once fixed in place its super durable and easy to clean.

I have used it many times..I cut it with a battery powered 4 inch angle grinder and it is really easy to be precise.

But the fact remains that if your template is not spot on you will be in a small compartment with a pretty rigid panel which either won't fit or is too small..

 

[geem]

I have used it many times..I cut it with a battery powered 4 inch angle grinder and it is really easy to be precise.

But the fact remains that if your template is not spot on you will be in a small compartment with a pretty rigid panel which either won't fit or is too small..

Of course. Templates need to be accurate, but the benifit of a good cleanable hard wearing surface, its worth the effort to do it precisely. It's easy to trim a little off the board also using an electric plane.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have used formica covered ply for my head B/Hs but next time I will use white PVC board that can be 10, 12 or even 20 mm thick. The 3 mm would be ok if fitted onto stiffening frames of glued to ply.

I have used 12 mm PVC for a sun / rain cover over my cockpit in place of acrylic canvas after the canvas wad damaged in a storm