Carpet on the floor

[thinwater]

Area rugs. Boats get wet, sand and salt come inside, and moisture is trapped too easily. Mildew an installed carpet and you will feel the fool.

As others have said, they can be chosen for interest. In my case, at least, the deck is teak/holly, so if bits show, that is OK too. But if it were painted ply I would have the same answer.

[onestepcsy37]

We use throw rugs over the teak and holly sole. Easy to roll up and shake out on deck or stow away when out sailing. Very comfortable underfoot and gives the Admiral a homey feeling.

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[Tayana42]

We are using GelPro kitchen standing pads. Soft warm and non-absorbent. Easy to roll up for cleaning and they do not slip while heeling.


S/V B'Shert

[Rustic Charm]

Yeah, I'm starting to move towards having carpet I can pick up and take outside now then. I like the idea of the 'boarded' edges, I might see if there is anyone around that does that. I think I could have two pieces or perhaps three pieces if I did that. And perhaps an extra piece where I have a small 300 x 200 hinged cover to access the bilge pumps.

[captainwireman]

Ripping out all carpet and replacing with some fine Jacote Fraile hardwood was the best thing I ever did. Mold and mildew was just rampant and horrible. I am in the humid Caribbean so everything cloth is a magnet.

[JPA Cate]

Rustic Charm,

You've probably gleaned this already, but your climate has a lot to do with carpet choice.

Notice the reactions of the tropical types.

Your climate is cooler, but large carpets tend to accumulate various moulds, including mildew, and also grunge (dirt from shoes, dust from the air, etc.). Mostly, I think they are best done without. But, like I said above, if you want to insulate your feet from your ply plus non-skid, small polypropylene throw rugs will do that for you, be easily cleaned and kept mold free, and visually change your boat's interior.

Ann

[cruiser_wannabe]

Our original carpet's rubber backing disintegrated- yes, in the tropics. That carpet was kept in place with snaps in the carpet and on the floor. When we were in Turkey we took our hated carpet to a Turkish carpet seller. He used the pattern from our old carpet and cut a Kilim rug, installed snaps, and we made the carpeted area smaller - not in the galley. Other than the sheep smell that we had originally - we have been extremely pleased. It looks great and unique, doesn't move and it feels good on the feet.




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[Patrigo]

I have had "carpet" glued to my cabin sole panels for 20 years. It does not rot, or smell, or look tatty, because it is Flotex, made in France and England, one of the very few synthetics usable in operating theatres. It is a synthetic fibre electrostatically flocked to a fibreglass backing and can be bought with or without a rubber backing. At nearly 8 million fibres per sq metre and the fibreglass, it is virtually indestructable. A cut edge needs no reinforcing, bugs leave it well alone and it IS waterproof. If you walk dog dirt, dirty grease, paint, food, you name it, in to it, the problem is solved by scaping away excess and scrubbing with whatever solvents are suitable for the contaminant. It comes up like new. I used quotation marks above because it is actually a technically very advanced material which is used as carpet. I have also used it on most horizontal surfaces in my vessel with teak trim. Google Flotex, go look at some and blow your mind.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Patrigo

I have had "carpet" glued to my cabin sole panels for 20 years. It does not rot, or smell, or look tatty, because it is Flotex, made in France and England, one of the very few synthetics usable in operating theatres. It is a synthetic fibre electrostatically flocked to a fibreglass backing and can be bought with or without a rubber backing. At nearly 8 million fibres per sq metre and the fibreglass, it is virtually indestructable. A cut edge needs no reinforcing, bugs leave it well alone and it IS waterproof. If you walk dog dirt, dirty grease, paint, food, you name it, in to it, the problem is solved by scaping away excess and scrubbing with whatever solvents are suitable for the contaminant. It comes up like new. I used quotation marks above because it is actually a technically very advanced material which is used as carpet. I have also used it on most horizontal surfaces in my vessel with teak trim. Google Flotex, go look at some and blow your mind.

Z
Flotex, yes wonderful product. Didn't think of that. I had it installed in seven classrooms in our primary school. Very very expensive compared to carpet but surely I wouldn't think I'd use much at all.

[Juho]

As people have said, different climates may set different requirements. Our original carpets have sailed 18 years, mostly at the Baltic sea, and we have no moisture related problems with them.

Some of the press studs do not work any more, but the mats stay very well in place, also when sailing. The material is quite heavy, so even missing one stud in some non-critical place does no cause any problems.

The thing we worry maybe most is getting sand or gravel between the mats and the teak floor. But we haven't had any problems since the rule is to leave dirty shoes out (and preferably take them off or brush them already before entering the boat and the teak deck).

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Patrigo

I have had "carpet" glued to my cabin sole panels for 20 years. It does not rot, or smell, or look tatty, because it is Flotex, made in France and England, one of the very few synthetics usable in operating theatres. It is a synthetic fibre electrostatically flocked to a fibreglass backing and can be bought with or without a rubber backing. At nearly 8 million fibres per sq metre and the fibreglass, it is virtually indestructable. A cut edge needs no reinforcing, bugs leave it well alone and it IS waterproof. If you walk dog dirt, dirty grease, paint, food, you name it, in to it, the problem is solved by scaping away excess and scrubbing with whatever solvents are suitable for the contaminant. It comes up like new. I used quotation marks above because it is actually a technically very advanced material which is used as carpet. I have also used it on most horizontal surfaces in my vessel with teak trim. Google Flotex, go look at some and blow your mind.

Same thing as Interface,System six etc on this side of the world..

[Doug Brown]

We put down some of the "carpet" / "sound deading" that they use in the trunks of cars.

It is cheap, comes in a couple of basic colors and is easy to cut to fit.

You can use Gorilla tape on the bottom to piece together a weird shape.

It's pretty comfy on the feet in port, and catches every bit of dirt and trash that would have ended up in the bilge. A vacuum works or take it outside and beat it. You can hose it off - it dries really fast.

We don't fasten it down and it stays in place pretty well.

However, we won't be taking it with us offshire. We have new floorboards with the industrial rubber sheeting cut to fit and glued on them for the trip.

But the carpet has been a nice....

[Bobcat]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Hi all,

My floor in my 32 foot steel ketch is 20mm thick ply which I've put a black rubber matting of round black stubs on it. I think the matting is often seen in trailers and trucks for non slip properties.

I've been given some new grey carpet tiles with rubber backing which looks like it would be nice and comfortable and easy to clean.

Does anyone have any input about carpet on the floor inside?

Good quality carpet tiles work great - easy to lay and easy to take up at the end of the season to keep the air sweet in the bilges. Get a colour which doesn't show the dirt!