Unfortunately, many people falsely assume that they live nowhere near any place suitable for a boat. However, statistics show that 95% of people living throughout the United States live within 60 minutes of a navigable body of water. Considering that, you’re probably closer to water than you might think. With that in mind, many people prefer to place carpeting in their boats. In this post, you’ll learn how to install glue down marine carpeting on a boat’s deck.
Precautionary Marine Carpet Installation Steps
First, you’ll want to plan ahead when ordering and choose a little bit more carpeting than you might need. In addition, it’s also important to bring along a piece of chalk with you or a similar type of marking indicator.
Cutting Carpet to Fit Your Boat’s Flooring
In order to begin placing carpeting on your boat, you’ll need to cut this item down to size. It’s important to leave a bit of extra space, preferably three to four inches. After marking the back of your carpet with chalk, remembering to leave additional space, you can begin cutting.
Applying Carpet Adhesive
Next, it’s time to begin placing your adhesive. It’s important to use caution while applying this material to your boat. While it might not seem likely, many boat owners or uninformed guests have accidentally stepped on marine carpet glue. If you’re carpeting a particularly large amount of space, you might find it’s easier to apply marine carpet glue with a paint roller.
The Importance of Choosing Marine Carpet Glue
It’s imperative to choose the right type of marine carpet glue. Carpet for boats utilizes special types of backing. This allows boat carpeting to stand up to water and other weather elements. If you’re choosing any type of glue, you could risk damaging this backing. This is because adhesives that are too strong for this application can begin to wear away marine carpet backing.
Completing the Job by Stapling Overlaps
As mentioned earlier, you’re supposed to have a few inches of extra marine carpet handy. With that in mind, you’ll need a way to secure the carpet around the edges of your boat’s deck. Therefore, you’ll want to fold the carpet around the edge of this area. Next, you’ll simply staple the overlapping carpet to the underside of your boat deck
In conclusion, it’s wise to learn how to properly install glue down marine carpeting. For many boat owners, this type of carpeting helps to ensure that their boat remains protected from the elements. Statistics show that the average yearly expense of boat use and maintenance is only about 10% of a boat’s purchase price. Without items including boat carpeting, these costs could certainly rise due to having exposed flooring. If this project isn’t right for you, there are other boat flooring options including snap in boat carpets.
