new carpeting
new carpeting
new carpeting::The pontoon had been sitting in the sun for ten years and the carpet was torn and had areas of dryrot.As soon as the boat season was over my husband started tearing down the pontoon.
Here is what we did to bring an old pontoon back to life.
Use zip lock bags and labels to keep track of all the hardware.
Disconnect all the wiring to the console and labeled it to be sure that you will be able to reconnect everything properly.
Draw a diagram of the deck and include precise measurements.
Then go back and measure again to be sure you have it all right.
Check all the under deck wiring and the hardware to make sure that everything is tight.
Be sure to pay special attention to the fittings in the transom area where most loose bolts are found.
Remove the furniture, railings and the edge cap.
If the deck is questionable, tear it out and replace it with.
This material is a chemicallytreated wood that excels in weathering harsh marine conditions and has an incredibly long lifespan.
Lay all the new sheets of treated plywood on top of the old plywood to mark all the areas that need to be cut, marked, or drilled.
Then remove the old plywood.
Place the new plywood on the cross members.
Install the fasteners on the cross members where the wood is not butted together.
Use at least three fasteners on the entire cross members.
Roll out the carpet on your clean deck to insure that you have enough to cover the deck, and then put it somewhere handy until it is needed.
If the carpet came on a heavy duty cardboard roll, save it for later to use as a roller.
The color of your carpet is a very important detail to consider.
Remember that dark colors attract and hold the heat.
Light colors will get dirty faster but they will not require you to wear your shoes because the carpet is too hot to walk on.
If your plywood is still in good condition, you will need to remove the old carpeting.
Use a sharp knife and cut the carpet in strips at the deck joints and pull the strips up by hand.
Some bits might stubbornly refuse to come off with a knife, so you may want to use a heat gun and a scraper to remove the residue.
In extreme cases, you might have to sand off the residue with sandpaper or even a belt sander.
Use a paint roller to apply a liberal amount of glue on the deck.
Two gallons of glue are recommended for a 16 foot deck.
When the glue is tacky to the touch but before it turns clear, apply the carpet.
It is suggested that you have the deck out of the elements and you wait at least 24 hours even when all the conditions are optimal.
Lay the carpet down in the rear first.
Roll out the carpet flush with the edge.
Keep it tight and straight.
Work out the wrinkles with your hands by pulling the carpet toward the front and sides.
An efficient way to install the carpeting is to lay the carpet down all at once, fold one half of the carpet back, and apply the glue while paying special attention to coat the edges.
Then, lay the glued half down and use a roller to smooth out any air bubbles.
Repeat this process on the second half of the carpet.
The glue should dry in an hour or so.
Using a floor roller, rolling pin, or even the cardboard tubing the carpet came on, roll the carpet to ensure that the carpet is in contact with the plywood.
Staple the rest of the edges and trim any excess carpet.
Install the edge cap first.
Set the entire rail on the deck and align it in position.
Use clamps to keep it in place.
Some people suggest that you use all new stainless steel hardware.
In our case we were able to reuse the hardware that we removed.
Pull out the pictures to use to reinstall the hardware.
Start with the edge cap then place the railing back in its proper location.
Clamp the railings in place.
Set all furniture on the deck and fasten it down using stainless steel fasteners with fender washers.
Reinstall the steering, throttle, and shift cables.
Now it is time to protect your almost new pontoon with the purchase of a low cost, 4 or 5 year warranty pontoon cover.
