How To Fix A Rotten Floor In A Boat

Replacing a rotten boat deck is a fairly common task and it s a lot easier than you might think.

How to fix a rotten floor in a boat.

Start removing the old damaged material using an electric saw to cut it. Once you are confident that the rotten sections have been removed you can start to repair the floor as needed. You cannot repair the boat floor while rotten wood remains as it will only continue to rot. Repairing a rotted boat floor is never considered an easy task.

Replace the carpet or use a fiberglass repair kit to finish the surface of the floor. Add thin strips of wood under the edges of the repair patch to make it flush with the floor of the boat. Over time boat floors begin to show wear and tear from repeated exposure to the elements specifically water. However the need for replacing a boat floor does not mean the end of your boating days.

The length of the wood screws is equal to the combined thickness of the floor and the marine plywood. But if you buy a fixer upper or have an older boat you love and don t want to part with there s a fair chance you ll need to replace part or all of the rotten boat. If the stringers and bulkheads are rotten get them replaced with fiberglass ones. But with the right tools and enough know how it is possible to make the repairs without a lot of problems.

Hopefully when you bought your boat you gave it a thorough pre purchase inspection and didn t get any nasty surprises. The need for a new boat floor becomes inevitable when the floor has a soft spongy feel that is a sure sign of dry rot. Step 1 remove the damaged flooring.