Carpet over rubber roof on houseboat

I'm brand new here guys!
Just bought a very old 14 x 40 houseboat that I plan to restore to magnificance.
The top is meant to be used as a sundeck. It has 2 X 6s, 18" oc, spanning 10 feet with some interior partions cutting up that span. I'm hoping we can host 4 or 5 people up there at a time.
The roof currently has a rubber roof covered by a well rotted outdoor type carpet. I plan to carpet over that with a good quality outdoor carpet.
Has anyone else experienced any problems with carpet over a rubber roof?

Mark

 

Anyone?

 

When I lived by a TVA lake that had billions of pontoon boats, what they did to repair rotten decks was replace the plywood deck and then cover it with a rubber roofing material that was like innertube rubber. It came in various widths of any length. They glued that to the ply and then glued outdoor carpet to the rubber, so the only holes that might let moisture through to the wood were where seats and consoles were attached, and they were carefully caulked. They said that protected the wood real well and lasted forever. I think the carpet is going to rot sometime no matter what you do with it. I don't see why rubber under it would make it rot any faster than anything else, like fiberglass or wood.

 

Welcome to the forum Mark.

I would suggest not using permanently secured seats or tables. Camp chairs are very comfortable and portable, as are lightweight tables. This would eliminate any holes.

Sam's suggestion of rubber roofing material sounds good. The stuff is very durable. Use a glue when securing your new carpet that will allow you to pull it up for replacement WHEN it rots. The underlining rubber should last through several cycles of carpet.

Take care.

Tim

 

There are several spots, mostly well out over the overhang, where they ran screws through the rubber to secure railings and a deck box. I want to seal those well before laying the carpet. What would be the best sealant?