Hardwood Flooring

[davidwigler]

I'll be ordering the new galley cabinets next weekend so now I need to select some hardwood flooring to put down first. I know engineered or laminate is recommended, but I installed 3/4" naildown flooring on my last boat (38" flybridge cruiser) and it worked fine. These boats don't really get "wet" inside, at least the way I use Windsong, and I live aboard so temperature changes are not so severe.

Problem is, all the teak flooring I have looked at is a brown color that really doesn't match the gold and reddish Aformosia paneling and cabinetwork. I found an oak that is stained pretty close, but I'm not wild about oak. There is a maple that looks pretty good. Any other ideas?

I only need 655 square feet plus waste for the whole vessel. The upper level should go pretty quick, but the steps and cabin soles will slow me down. I remember the last time having to cut nearly every board.

[jim rosenthal]

See if you can find cherry that you like. The grain may look better with what you are planning to put in.

[TROUBLE]

David,
When I did the floor in "Trouble" two years ago, i had specially ordered a hardwood cherry floor. After it go wet the finish started checking off. I had spent two months trying to find something close and was really upset that my final choice after special ordering all the boards was unacceptable.
I was in lowes one day and saw a laminate flooring in stock that was perfect.
here are some photosboat floor february 015.jpgboat floor february 019.jpg

[TROUBLE]

here are two more. its the closest thing to the walls i could findboat floor february 029.jpgboat floor february 031.jpg

[magnawake]

Very nice Trouble. You access your ER through the galley correct? I wonder how difficult it would be to make my ER access panels with the wood. I have four panels for access to the ER. One small one in the middle of the salon to quickly jump in, then two giant ones over the engines. Then one above the genny. Do you think the (wood) floor would look OK installed with the panels ?

[bobk]

Not to pour water on the wood floor idea, but we used prefinished solid maple in our galley. Looks good, more than acceptable color etc, but it sure dents easily. Wine bottles, dishes etc. I'd use a nice linoleum if I had to do it again. And it's not that we are clumsy. We had a large bottle of wine sitting along side the sink in our slip at BYC (no wake zone) and some one came by throwing a wake so large that the boat slammed the dock (didn't think it was possible the way we were tied) and the bottle slid 10 inches, hit the floor making a new dent. Little by little it is getting distressed.

Bobk
1981 48MY

[Angela]

I used 12 mil thick laminate flooring with an African Mahogany finish. I dropped a hammer on it twice and it didn't dent or leave any kind of mark. The sharp tip end of the dinghy's 4-stroke outboard did leave a tiny ding, but that thing was heavy! I'm happy with my floors. No carpet anywhere.

[GJH]

Angela, any pics of that? I like the mahogany idea and laminate makes a lot of sense. Any floor of ours is going to take a real beating.

Every boat I've seen with Maple has had a lot of black staining from water intrusion. We had it in one of our houses and agree it lightens things up nicely, which I liked, but is soft. We have a lot of oriental rugs so that protected it.

[magnawake]

I've seen some of that laminate stuff take a beating. You can hit it with a hammer, even put a cigarette out on it. I dont know what water will do to it though. Most people just put rugs over it anyway. I guess I would hide the engine access panels.

[TROUBLE]

All of my hatches are still there. The installer did a great job. look closly and you can see the lines

Art