# Carpet Gap



## BassBlaster (Mar 10, 2013)

I got the framing finished up yesterday for my front deck. Today, I would like to build the hatch doors and start cutting the floor panels. My question involves spacing for carpet. How much spacing should I leave around the hatch doors to get a snug fit once carpet is installed? Also, for the flooring, I'm useing sheet aluminum roughly .090 thick. They are actually old road construction signs. Very stout!! I was planning to wrap the carpet around the bottom side of eack panel before installing them but the more I think about it, it may be difficult to fold the carpet aroound something that thin. Has anyone done this? Does it look okay? I dont actually have my carpet on hand to see how it folds. I'll be using a 16oz rubber backed marine carpet from a company called Lancer if that helps. Thanks.


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## bleumunkie (Mar 10, 2013)

I think that would all depends in the thickness of your carpet and how "snug" a fit your looking for.

If you have some scrap I would suggest measuring the thickness of your carpet and go from there. Make some tests and figure it out before going at your finished work. 

I would take two pieces of wood, carpet half of each edge, Put the carpeted edges together and measure the gap between the non carpeted edges.

Other than that I haven't made it to that point so I don't have any experienced tips to offer sorry.


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## BassBlaster (Mar 10, 2013)

Hey, thats a good tip for finding the proper gap. I think I'll hold off on the hatches untill I have the carpet on hand. I dont want to have to remake those.

Anyone have thoughts on wrapping the carpet around the aluminum versus cutting it at the edge of the aluminum?


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## juggernot (Mar 10, 2013)

I just finished helping a friend re-carpet his 20' Champion bassboat and we wrapped/folded the carpet around the turned down edges of the .100? hatch covers just fine, they were thinner than highway signs. The carpet glue dries quickly so you have to act fast when gluing. I would cut out V at the corners carefully so they will fold under w/o overlapping each other and about 2" or so wrapped around the edge all around and check/trim etc. before gluing, cheap plastic spring clamps work well for holding the carpet down briefly while the glue sticks . I think i would cut the carpet long and glue the top down first. Then flip the panel over after 5 mins and then cut the desired overlap along the edges and cut/fit the corners, and then paint w g glue/fold press the edges one side at a time. It's nice to have help or extra hands when gluing the carpet down too. one guy can be laying the glue down w a paintbrush while the other is working the carpet


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## csimmons0885 (Mar 10, 2013)

on my carpet i cut my hatches out then took off 5/16 off 2 sides of the hatch door a long side and a short side and my doors fit snug and have nice spacing all around wait till you have the carpet the do your deck first and dry fit it 1/4 off 2 sides make it tighter push down tight so its up to you hope this helps


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## csimmons0885 (Mar 10, 2013)

dont glue it staple it once that glue drys you will have to toss the deck if you want to ever replace the wood you remove the staples and now you have your template trace it onto your new wood and reuse your old carpet DONT GLUE


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## csimmons0885 (Mar 10, 2013)

ill try to post a video on the how to of this project


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## BassBlaster (Mar 10, 2013)

Thanks for the tips guys. I just didnt know how well a rubber backed carpet would fold around something this thin. I dont plan to make the hatches now till I have the carpet. I will start cutting the panels for the deck and flooring though. Worse case scenario is I have to trim them up a bit when I get the carpet.

Staples huh? Theres no wood on my boat to staple anything too.

Any thoughts on useing contact cement like whats used for formica and laminates rather than messy carpet glue? I was thinking it may be better. I'll use the normal carpet glue if thats better. Just thinking I guess.


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## TheMaestro (Mar 10, 2013)

I have had excellent results with rubber backed carpet glued to wood and metal using 3M spray adhesive. You spray both pieces after youve measured/dry fit, press together for about 1 minute, and youre done. Has held up in wet and cold weather. Heres the stuff im talking about:

https://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/bro...s/PRD~0670304P/3M+Super+77+Spray+Adhesive.jsp


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## BassBlaster (Mar 10, 2013)

TheMaestro said:


> I have had excellent results with rubber backed carpet glued to wood and metal using 3M spray adhesive. You spray both pieces after youve measured/dry fit, press together for about 1 minute, and youre done. Has held up in wet and cold weather. Heres the stuff im talking about:
> 
> https://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/bro...s/PRD~0670304P/3M+Super+77+Spray+Adhesive.jsp


Thats what I used to glue my carpet on my trailer bunks. That and stainless staples. It didnt work real well there but the staples are holding great. I could see how it would be better with a rubber backed carpet. I may give it a try and see how it goes.


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## juggernot (Mar 10, 2013)

By all means wrap it around the edge, it will go around the edge and stick just fine w the right glue, I think it might get kicked loose or peal off on the edge if you just run it flush w the edge. We used a gallon can of rubberized carpet glue painted on the carpet and the aluminum and fiberglass on my friends boat. This glue is tacky and would stick the carpet to the surface quickly and we would pull and smooth it tight as we applied the carpet to the surface. Once dry the bond is pretty tight.


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## BassBlaster (Mar 11, 2013)

Do you happen to know what the brand of this glue is? Lancer sells a marine adhesive that I am also considering when I order my carpet but it looks like regular ole carpet adhesive that is suppose to be troweled on.


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## juggernot (Mar 11, 2013)

I'll have to get back to you about that. My buddies at work and can't remember the brand either. It comes in a gold metal gallon paint can and is sprayable which we tried on some pieces but it seemed to work better when we painted it on w 2 or 3" paintbrushes, It is too thin to trowel. We would paint the lids/carpet and stick/smooth it down, doing the edges last after flipping the lids upside down on the floor and then painting/ folding the edges over the the lip of the hatch covers. It would stick quickly and bond in minutes. I should get back to you this afternoon maybe 5 ish.


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## BassBlaster (Mar 11, 2013)

Cool, thanks. I'm definately inerested in this as it sounds so much simpler than troweling thick carpet glue.


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## juggernot (Mar 11, 2013)

The can he has has no label and was filled at the boat/upolstry shop from their drum, he said it was contact cement for vinyl floor, I've googled around and think it might be Henry 473 GP contact cement. The discription matches what we used ( brush on, fast tack ) and is safe for rubber acording to their website.


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## BassBlaster (Mar 12, 2013)

Thanks. Ill definately look into it.


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## Driftingrz (Mar 12, 2013)

i chose to stay away from glue on my build since the previous owner used it.. and it left me with this mess after ripping the carpet out. took me 2 days to grind that stuff out it was like concrete. so i opted for some waterproof contact cement and sprayadhesive in some places

i decided a few weeks ago i wanted to add more storage and luckily i was able to carefully peel back the carpet far enough to router out my new hatch. and glue the carpet back down


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## juggernot (Mar 12, 2013)

We faced the same hardship removing the old troweled on adhesive my buddy used to re-carpet his boat about 10 yrs ago. Scrapeing and and carving it off the fiberglass and alumn. hatches w solvent and razorscrapers/putty knives etc. for days!! The contact adhesive or glue he got stuck much better/faster w less applyed than the thick, pasty stuff he used before, according to him, and is what the upholsterer recomended to him when he bought the rubberized marine carpet there.


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## BassBlaster (Mar 13, 2013)

I was able to find some water resistant contact cement at the local HD. I do believe thats the route I would like to go. The issue now is that the can says the stuff being glued(boat and carpet) must be at least 65 degrees for 24 prior to application and 72 hours after application for proper adhesion and curing. The issue with that is, were not gonna see 65 degree constant temps in my area for another month or longer. I can heat the garage for a few days except this stuff is extremely flammable. I dunno what I want to do now. I can bring the panels in and do them in my basement but there are sections of the boat such as the benches that I just planned to cover with carpet. Theres no pannels to bring in for those.


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