Marinette Boat Forum

Hello to all
I hope everyone has recovered from their full bellies after Thanksgiving.
Our 32' Sedan FB is in need of a new aft deck and I plan on using this material.

http://versatex.com/pvc-sheet-material

I will probably cover it with some sort of material ( seadeck or?....) for non slip-y-ness.
I need to get a sample piece to play with as far as adhesive removal etc...

My question is whether to attach from the bottom as per original or from the top and countersink.

By the way my local supplier in Louisville sells a 4 x 8 x 3/4 sheet for around $180 or $190
However I will probably buy 4 x 10 x 5/8 as I believe 5/8 is the factory thickness.
Although a little router work around the salon sliding doors could allow for a thiker deck if needed.

For a waterproof material, people have successfully attached from both top and bottom. Mostly a cosmetic choice. When using plywood, it seems the best option is to screw in from the bottom to prevent moisture from wicking down the screw threads and rotting the wood over time.

I too am looking to replace my cockpit deck. (Current deck is original and has many rotted areas including one huge hole in the back corner!). So far I'm thinking marine plywood and painting it with this: http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product ... gi?i=73213

The Versatex seems like a cool product and good price point other than the lack of anti-slip texture.

There's also some old discussions about Marinette deck replacement here: https://marinetteboat.com/hull-and-pain ... deck-notes

You have probably already figured this out, but is Verastex strong enough to use for the deck? It looks like it is used for vertical trim. I'd check with the manufacturer to see if it is suitable for decking. They'd probably give you a good idea about what to cover it with--if you can paint the material, I'd use a good non skid deck paint.

Good luck.

Joe

Another thing to allow for is the amount of expansion you have with plastic. If you talk to the manufacture, ask them for the coefficient of expansion, or how much it changes per degree.You can lessen the effect by using more smaller pieces so you have more expansion joints and to screw it down tight in the middle only, letting each half move half as much as the total expansion amount. It will move, and it moves a lot so you have to allow for it.
I would (and did) countersink and screw down from the top. That makes it easy to remove, to work on everything underneath.--Ed

I'm an architect and spec the versatex products all the time....it is really good stuff and I can't see any reason why you could not use on deck...especially if you plan on overlaying a vinyl/rubber/or other material either in sheet form, or canvas style material.
I would not be afraid to screw from top using countersunk(duh) ss screws(they will get gunk in them but so what) and a per screw sealant. Be careful about paint reflectivity(no dark colors). Expansion/contraction issues not too bad with the stuff(remember, it is used for architectural trim that is almost always painted, etc.)
A bit spendy, but you are not sheathing an entire structure here...just the deck.

Double Sided Tape
http://www.amazon.com/3M-06394-DOUBLE-S ... sided+tape

I pulled one side of my deck on the 63 and they had used 1 or 2 inch strips of this instead of screws, worked great. The othe side is screwed down and a PITA to get them out after ?? years !!!

I used king starboard for the aft deck. I screwed down from the bottom side in easy to reach spots . The stuff has non-skid molded into one side and is easy on bare feet. Nothing sticks to it and is a breeze to clean. It's made for a nice clean looking deck that should last a very long time. On the bilge access doors I used pieces of aluminum angle on the back side for additional support.