Pontoon decking material

[radiopontoon]

Hi guys,

I'm curious to find out about marine safe decking material. I am overhauling a pontoon from the ground up, and I'd like to use something other than carpet for the boat.

Is there any wood, besides the expensive teak (and synthetic teaks) that would work well? I'm looking for something in the $10-$15 per square foot price range (or less!)

Thank you,
RadioPontoon

[alan white]

Western red cedar or luan will hold up well and they aren't too expensive. Otherwise, Port Orford cedar or atlantic cedar or cypress are also rot resistant and reasonably priced.

[radiopontoon]

Thank you for that information.

PLEASE don't laugh, but would something like this:

http://www.lumberliquidators.com/cat...bCategoryId=58

be appropriate for flooring on top of the marine grade plywood?

[Landlubber]

since when has a pine been a hardwood............

[radiopontoon]

Originally Posted by Landlubber

since when has a pine been a hardwood............

Haha, yeah I found that funny too

So, would hardwood floors like this make for a suitable pontoon deck? Would there be a big worry about the floor buckling after exposure to water? And would the weight of the floor be too great for the pontoon?

Black locust is the timber of choice when you like to avoid Teak.

Lauan is not worth talking, and carpet a killer!

Regards
Richard

[alan white]

Heavier pieces of Lauan have good properties, like spanish cedar, but overall, WRC is the best choice.
No, prefinished flooring is a crazy choice due to the finish having been applied for one thing. Best to oil whatever deck material you choose unless you paint, which is my recommendation, but paint the underside as well if you do.
Richard is right about carpet. Silly on a boat.

Originally Posted by alan white

Heavier pieces of Lauan have good properties, like spanish cedar, but overall, WRC is the best choice.

I do´nt like that Alan, but have to disagree here. WRC is not very long lasting as a deck, and the (today) common qualities of Lauan, being mostly Shorea polysperma especially in the US, are really hardly worth being burned.

Black Locust is a very durable, hard and long living deck.

Regards
Richard

[Landlubber]

Definately avoid the composite wood flooring or coated wood flooring materials, they are all designed for indoor use, the UV would destroy the top coats in weeks, and the glues are simply not designed for outdoor decking. One of the best cheap materials is form board, used to frame up concrete prior to pouring, it has a redish/purple coating on the both surfaces and needs protection only on the sawn sides.
Carpet is nice to live with on a pontoon, just remember that it will have to be replaced every few years, and it is a devil to clean. Use ones that allow the carpet to dry easily, looking after the plywood underneath better.
It works well here in Brisbane, maybe not so in other climates of course.

[radiopontoon]

So, how do you go about getting this nice wood? Do we need to buy it rough and mill it down ourselves?

[Landlubber]

...the form board I am referring to is a plywood sheeting, available from any decent hardware house.

[alan white]

Originally Posted by apex1

I do´nt like that Alan, but have to disagree here. WRC is not very long lasting as a deck, and the (today) common qualities of Lauan, being mostly Shorea polysperma especially in the US, are really hardly worth being burned.

Black Locust is a very durable, hard and long living deck.

Regards
Richard

I'm speaking from experience Richard, but I can only speak for what is happening in my area. I'd like to see some black locust available around here but what locust we see (like that next to my barn) is too small to mill into boards, at least for the most part. Regarding WRC, I see no reason not to use it for the stated purpose, or even port orford, which is sold around here for decking and is a rather hard cedar for an American cedar, with small light knots and a reputation for rot resistance.

Originally Posted by alan white

I'm speaking from experience Richard, but I can only speak for what is happening in my area.

That will most probably be a source of misunderstanding (apart from the sometimes very sloppy labeling)

Port orford has a very good rep. in northern Europe for example, Locust a far better, WRC is known as a nice planking, when perfectly protected, but not as a timber to live on a deck.

There are too many differences, I guess when we are talking the same name, we are not talking always the same timber (or quality).

Regards
Richard