carpet reinstall

[skip smith]

I have an aft cabin 40 1987 in N.J. near Sandy Hook and am looking to replace the carpet this winter. Anyone know of any good installers in the area? Also has anyone used the snap down carpet? With the tack down I currently have I cannot access the large hatches over the engines and I'm getting too old and fat to get through the smaller hatch for routine maintenance.

[wshelton]

Try looking at www.snapincarpet.com. These people can make anyhting you want.

[skip smith]

Thanks, that is the one I have been talking to.Due to a computer crash he doesn't have any photos of a snapin with the heaver pile carpet.Would like to know if anyone has used this as opposed to the typical glue down or tack strip.

[wshelton]

I have used the snap in style carpet on my aft deck due to its marine backing and material. However, in my saloon I use regular house type carpet. It is made to fit just inside the floor diminsions and bound. (not snap in or tacked). Any carpet installer can do this around here. When I need to access the engines I just roll up and remove. I have my center hatch where I can access it without the removal of the carpet. I have a 43 DC.

[skip smith]

Just bound without any perimeter hold down? It doesn't move? Sure would make life easier to get into the engines. Guess with the sofa,chair and table it doesn't really get a chance to move. I assume it's permanently attached to the small hatch opening with a coping around it. The aft and forward cabins can be tacked down without interfering with anything. Thanks for the info.

[Genesis]

No hold-downs necessary. It won't move.

I recarpeted the Salon in my Hatt a couple of years ago for about $100. Went and got the carpet, rough-cut the new piece in my living room using the old as a template (close but slightly large) and then trimmed it up in the boat.

Heat-sealed the edges, and that was that. No problems over the last two years and taking it up for engine work is a 30 second deal.

[67hat34c]

i use commercial grade carpet, has better backing and different glue. still not an outdoor but better than household carpet. i also made template and had a carpet guy cut it and bind it. i purchased som 1/8 to 3/16" thick vinyl to use as backing. helps it stay in place. this can be glued to back of carpet. sound barrier as well as skid pad.

[mgernes]

I am also in the process of re-carpeting both the aft deck, and the salon in my 53 MY. I have three kids who will be swimming alot off the boat and am wondering if I needed an indoor/outdoor carpet for just my aft-deck, or if I should look at indoor/outdoor carpet for the salon also? I saw some indoor/outdoor carpet today and it did not look real appealing to put in the salon.

[Genesis]

... commercial carpet (close-cut, thick, dense pile) and closed-cell urethane pad (not the composite crap usually used in houses)

I just laid the pad, cut it to size (three main pieces and a strip in the front) then lay the carpet over it. The pad provides some anti-skid for the carpet and also some sound-deadening (not much, but every bit helps.

The commercial pile has held up well. Remnants are almost always available in a size suitable for boats, since you don't need big single pieces in most vessels, and they're a LOT cheaper than buying "by the yard" off full rolls.

I figure I'll get 4-5 years out of it, then change it again. The pad looks like new and will likely outlast the carpet.

We dive off my boat a lot so there's a lot of salt-water that gets tracked in the salon. That's real rough on the carpeting, thus, my expectation that it will be time to replace it again in a few more years. For $100 - all I have in it - I don't care.

[rmaher]

Karl,

Pardon my ignorance but how did you heat seal the edges - a heat gun? I remember installing commercial grade carpet on an older Hatt we had and the subsequent unraveling of the ends but can't picture heat sealing!?!

Rob