Teak & Holly flooring

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Yachtlink
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Joined: 2/2/16
Posts: 8
Teak & Holly flooring

Can someone tell me what the thickness of the teak & Holly flooring is in a 1983 Catalina 36? is it 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch?

pierview
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Joined: 9/27/09
Posts: 598

I don't have an actual measurement handy but I replaced my floorboards with marine plywood and vinyl T & H on top of that. The plywood was 1/4"  and then the vinyl on top of that and it fits perfectly so it must be 3/8". When I dry fit the flooring before I put on the vinyl, it sat a little too low.

Chuck Parker
HelenRita 2072 Mk II
2002 Tall Rig - Winged Keel
Atlantic Highlands, NJ

TippingPoint
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Joined: 8/11/16
Posts: 48

Hi Chuck   where did you find the vinyl T&H?   How does it look?   thanks!

Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA
1984 Catalina

pierview
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Joined: 9/27/09
Posts: 598

Hello Yachtlink...!

I got the  vinyl from Defender; its a Lonseal product. I did this about 15 years ago so costs and what they provide may have changed. When I went to Lonseal direct, they sent me a small package with samples of all the cabin sole products they had at the time. They had a cherry and something else (which I can't recall) and they come in both satin (which I used) as well as glossy. They still show if you go to Defender.com and type in "teak & holly" in their search bar.

I really like the product because it is maintenance free other than a wipe-down if you spill anything on it. Also, with the wood T & H veneer, if you drop anything heavy on it it cracks the surface and then moisture can get into the wood. With the vinyl this doesn't happen. If you don't tell anyone, they will never realize the sole is vinyl.

I wrote up what I did and if you send me your email address, I'll forward it to you though I believe my write-up is in the Tech Section files. 

Two suggestions for your consideration. First, many of the new boats aren't using teak & holly anymore; they use other types of sole coverings that look woodish. I've noticed this particularly on French boats. When I did this, the total cost was around $800 (10 years ago). You might want to see what kind of vinyl you can get at a local flooring store if you want to go other than traditional. It will probably be cheaper.

Second, if you do want the T&h look, the most difficult part is lining the holly stipes up between pieces that are contiguous. Mine came about 1/8" off, which doesn't sound like much but when the two pieces are next to each other it's noticeable (I solved that problem by using throw rugs over the places where the sections meet).

I use Velcro strips to hold the boards in place in the boat... no screw holes to let moisture in and I can pop the boards out quickly to clean. If I was doing this again, here's what I would do to ensure the stripes line up:

  1. After you cut all the pieces, seal them all around with epoxy (make sure you use marine plywood... regular plywood will curll when you cut the pieces).
  2. Get a large work surface (either a 4x8 sheet of plywood or something similar) that can allow you to lay flat the two largest pieces of flooring that will be contiguous and on which you can put Velcro tabs.
  3. Velcro  two contiguous pieces to the work surface so they wont move but leave about 1" between the boards
  4. Use the old pieces you are replacing to figure out exactly where the holly stripes should be.
  5. Lay the vinyl in one sheet across the two floor panels and glue down (if you have enough work space you can  do the 3 floor panels (forward - amidship-aft) at one time... I don't think the Velcro would stick to concrete if you tried to do this on a garage floor). The small, non-contiguous, floor panels (under the game table, under the main cabin table and in the aft cabin are not a problems you can pretty much eyeball them to get them lined up.

I laid the vinyl with about a 1" overlay and trimmed it proud after the glue set. Laying the vinyl is a two person job btw.

Hope this helps.

Happy Holidays!
 

Chuck Parker
HelenRita 2072 Mk II
2002 Tall Rig - Winged Keel
Atlantic Highlands, NJ

pierview
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Joined: 9/27/09
Posts: 598

Hi Ed...

Sorry about the "Yachtlink"... your message came thru my email and that's what the "sender" showed as. After I responded I saw your "real" name!
 

Chuck Parker
HelenRita 2072 Mk II
2002 Tall Rig - Winged Keel
Atlantic Highlands, NJ

TippingPoint
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Joined: 8/11/16
Posts: 48

Chuck,   Thanks for the very detailed response!   I checked out defender and it seems pretty reasonable :

Lonseal IMO Lonmarine Wood Marine Flooring Matte - Teak & Holly
1' by 72" is $60 .   I have to go back and measure I might be able to do this for 360 dollars if my math is right.  I am guessing 6' by 6 ' not including the front berth since that is like new.    Thanks for the recommendation, I am sold on the idea of 

Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA
1984 Catalina

pierview
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Joined: 9/27/09
Posts: 598

Ed... one more point since I see you are in a winter cold temp area. When I did mine I spoke to the flooring people and they recommended a particular type of glue. I don't remember the name of it but I do remember them saying I should use that because of the extreme differences in temperature between seasons for those of us in the NE. Lessor glue might not hold with the changes between seasons. You might want to call their tech support desk direct even though you purchase the product from Defender.

Chuck Parker
HelenRita 2072 Mk II
2002 Tall Rig - Winged Keel
Atlantic Highlands, NJ

TippingPoint
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Joined: 8/11/16
Posts: 48

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the heads up on the glue, I will certainly research my options with this in mind.   I received the flooring today from Defender, I am very impressed, did not expect an industrial quality vinyl.  Looking forward to installing!   Thanks for your comments.

Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA
1984 Catalina

TippingPoint
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Joined: 8/11/16
Posts: 48

Hey Chuck,

I am ready to do this but where the heck does one buy 1/4 "Marine Grade" plywood?  This seems to be a challenge.

Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA
1984 Catalina

pierview
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Joined: 9/27/09
Posts: 598

I did it so long ago I don't remember where I got the marine ply. There is a millwork near me in New Jersey and I think I got it there...they have all sorts of exotic woods so try searching out mill works. If you Google marine plywood you can find sources. The trick is to find something near you to avoid excessive shipping.

Sorry but that's the best I can do.

Chuck Parker
HelenRita 2072 Mk II
2002 Tall Rig - Winged Keel
Atlantic Highlands, NJ

phandly's picture
phandly
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Joined: 6/21/21
Posts: 6

I know this is an old thread, but the flooring in my C36 was 3/8". I sourced okume plywood out of Chesapeake Light Craft which I then covered with Plasteak. I used their 3/8" stock and even with the layer of vinyl the floor still looks great. 

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