# Why do we build floors? Alternatives?



## FishyItch (Jun 18, 2014)

Okay, so here is a big question... *Why do we build floors for our boats?* I'm not talking about raised decks; I understand the reasoning there. I'm just talking about flat floors on the bottom of the boat. I'm currently rebuilding the interior of my boat and I understand I need benches so I have something to anchor the seats to; but why do I need a floor? Last season I had scraps of carpet that fit the floor sections and I just put them on the aluminum bottom. I thought that was just fine. If I don't put floor sections in my boat it will be a lot less work and there won't be as much added plywood weight in the boat. 

Maybe a little information would help. I have a 16' Deep-V Lund. There are three benches. Excluding the area in the stern where the gas tank is, there are three floor areas in the boat. Two of them are pretty flat, but the one near the bow isn't very flat at all because of the V-shape of the bow.

So here's two questions I pose to your collective mind.

1) Why do we put floors in our boats? Is there something I'm missing? 

2) If I don't want to build a floor for my boat is there another alternative you guys have used? Maybe a thick pad between the aluminum and the carpet?

Thanks.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Jun 18, 2014)

You don't need floors but they are nice to have in a boat.. To save weight, spend the coin and use aluminum.


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## overboard (Jun 18, 2014)

In my case, it was those 1 1/2" high ribs that I kept stepping on. Also up toward the bow, on a Tracker "GRIZZLEY", it leveled out the incline. 
Used all aluminum, and am glad I did it!


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Jun 18, 2014)

I duck hunt out of my jon boat. I don't like tripping on the ribs while holding a loaded shotgun.


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## ccm (Jun 18, 2014)

My old v hull flattens out in the back so I didn't need a floor but I did need something to cut down on the noise from dropping thins & just regular movement that might spook the fish I'm after. So I went down to my local farm supply store ( Tractor Supply ) & bought some 3/8 inch rubber matting ( I believe it was what they call horse stall matt ). It works quite well & is slip resistant even when covered in fish slime & water.


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## FishyItch (Jun 18, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356289#p356289 said:


> ccm » Today, 16:52[/url]"]My old v hull flattens out in the back so I didn't need a floor but I did need something to cut down on the noise from dropping thins & just regular movement that might spook the fish I'm after. So I went down to my local farm supply store ( Tractor Supply ) & bought some 3/8 inch rubber matting ( I believe it was what they call horse stall matt ). It works quite well & is slip resistant even when covered in fish slime & water.



That horse stall mat is the kind of thing I was wondering about, but after looking it up it looks pretty heavy. A 4'x6' piece is 100 lbs. 

Does anybody know of anything similar that is lighter?


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## Captain Ahab (Jun 18, 2014)

On my V hull I like the level surface and ability to keep it clean


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## earl60446 (Jun 18, 2014)

I also had a Lund at one time, the floors in Lunds are flat, ribs are under the boat (bow to stern) but most aluminum boats, especially jon boats have ribs inside (side to side) and they are a trip hazard and uncomfortable. As soon as I saw your post title, I figured you had a Lund. All I had on my Lund floor was some outdoor carpet mats.
Tim


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## ccm (Jun 18, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356300#p356300 said:


> FishyItch » 18 Jun 2014, 20:36[/url]"]
> 
> 
> [url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356289#p356289 said:
> ...



If I had gotten the 1/4 inch thick I probably could have cut over half the weigh out but when I went to buy they only had the 3/8 in at that time ( FFA had bought all of the 1/4 out ) & it would have been another week and a half before they got it in. It doesn't seen to affect my speed all that much; I've ran with & without it never really saw a difference. Before that I had an old truck bed mat, it was lighter than the horse stall mat but was not as slip resistant ( Maybe because it was 20+? years old? ) I'm not for sure if a new truck bed mat would be as slip resistant as the horse stall mat. It just might be worth looking into.


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## Bob E (Jun 19, 2014)

I've been thinking about trying closed cell foam, like they use on those aluminum sportspal canoes.
"Lined with ethafoam (closed cell polyethylene)" Supposedly makes them real quit and unsinkable.


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## onthewater102 (Jun 19, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356272#p356272 said:


> lckstckn2smknbrls » 18 Jun 2014, 17:06[/url]"]I duck hunt out of my jon boat. I don't like tripping on the ribs while holding a loaded shotgun.



Very good logic - my concern was for my small kids tripping and making a sh!t ton of noise in the process, though I have a number of clients through work that I fish with and it's just prettier...



[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=356347#p356347 said:


> Bob E » 19 Jun 2014, 12:39[/url]"]I've been thinking about trying closed cell foam



I used closed cell expanding urethane foam in my build - all you need is a $30 sheet of FRP from home depot to form your decking surface and the whole thing is light as can be. I called the FRP manufacturer to make sure my Tuff Coat paint would bond to it & found it's chemically the same as the body filler used on cars with a bit more fiber mixed in and a nice gelled surface. 

I don't get why people take aluminum boats (whose main advantage IMO is light weight) and load the hell out of them with plywood and 2x4's...then they strap oversized and heavy engines to the back to move the over-laden wood barges they've constructed around. I want my oversized heavy engine to make me move like a bat outta hell - not keep me on pace with the guy with the stock boat and half my HP...


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## Y_J (Jun 20, 2014)

Personally I'll be adding a "flat" floor to my old tin mostly cause I'm not as stable on my feet as I used to be and the curve of the hull bottom don't help matters much at all. With the flat floor I'll have better odds of staying in the boat rather than in the water scaring the fish away. And of course the side effect will be that it's quieter as well.


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## Ranchero50 (Jun 20, 2014)

You add the floor so you don't get splashed with water after the rock opens your bottom.

You add a floor so you can lose your lures under it.

You add a floor because carpet doesn't do compound corners easily.

Etc...


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## 03sp500 (Jun 20, 2014)

I have a thing called a "Bed Rug" on the bottom of my sea nymph. its is a foam like material with a carpet type stuff (sorry for the technical stuff) bonded to it. I cut it to fit, put cut up pieces of rubber mat between the ribs so it sits flat and it works awesome. You can take it out and pressure wash it if it gets too dirty and then it looks like brand new again. its pretty durable, light weight, and when not fishing just boating its great on the feet. I got it for 125.00 it fits a 8' pick up bed. just google Bed Rug maybe that will help.

Cheers


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## bobberboy (Jun 20, 2014)

_I don't get why people take aluminum boats (whose main advantage IMO is light weight) and load the hell out of them with plywood and 2x4's...then they strap oversized and heavy engines to the back to move the over-laden wood barges they've constructed around. I want my oversized heavy engine to make me move like a bat outta hell - not keep me on pace with the guy with the stock boat and half my HP...
_

I can't say for sure but I'm guessing that people aren't loading up their boats because they don't know any better. Wood construction is familiar to most of us, the materials are easily available and cheap relative to working with aluminum and can be worked with tools many of us have. I'm also guessing that people may be less interested in tear-assing around the lake than they are in making their boats work well for them. Having storage and platforms to fish from is important to many and even with the wooden construction the aluminum boats are still lighter than fiberglass. Personally weight was one of the reasons I chose aluminum but I really don't want to work with fiberglass anyway. I have to believe aluminum is much easier to work on and modify (at least for those of us who aren't shipwrights or body shop guys) and so makes a good starting point for boat projects.


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## Kismet (Jun 20, 2014)

WHY? well, because I want to step on something flat when I move in the boat, and I want a flat surface when I put something down on the floor. I have no desire for a casting deck, but a bit of flooring. 

I tried a couple of light-weight, functional alternatives to constructing substructure and it's worked well in each attempt.

The Model A example (see build link) particularly pleased me. Gave the dog and me a non-slip surface, allowed for some water to splash in the boat but be under the flooring, materials were easily obtained, and they lifted out with a simple tap on the wedges. They were stable in boat while trailering and fishing.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/download/file.php?id=57867&t=1

Under the flooring, I put some lengths of closed cell foam, which I then compressed with the wedges under the bench seats. The tension held the flooring in place. Should the foam become less resilient, I'll either replace it, or put in thicker wedges.

But...it's really just a functional solution, and doesn't give the satisfaction of some of the extensive and elaborate structural builds that many guys create.

The '59 flooring is heavier and a bit taller, but the model F is a larger craft.

I don't have the carpentry skills that others do. My solutions work for me. 

Be safe, have fun.


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## Bob E (Jun 20, 2014)

Adding wieght to the bottom of the boat can lower the center of gravity and help make the boat more stable. Not a bad thing as long as you have a trailer, a motor, a tow vehicle, and a boat that can handle it...


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## bcbouy (Jun 23, 2014)

floors are real nice on bare feet,they wash really easy (fish blood goes right into the bilge and pumped out).flat is nice atfer a few hrs. in the boat.and best of all dry and quiet.you guys with thin hulls know what i'm talking about :wink:


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## OleMiss (Jun 25, 2014)

Where did u find that closed cell foam planks u used?


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## onthewater102 (Jun 25, 2014)

Extruded polystyrene is a closed cell foam available from either lowes or home depot - they offer a number of insulation types, including different polystyrenes -but only the extruded type is closed cell. You can find it here

https://www.lowes.com/pd_525751-210-UB24241LOWES_0__?productId=50089444&Ntt=extruded+polystyrene&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dextruded%2Bpolystyrene&facetInfo=

https://www.lowes.com/pd_511270-210-L48056LOWES_0__?productId=50035176&Ntt=extruded+polystyrene&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dextruded%2Bpolystyrene&facetInfo=


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## OleMiss (Jun 25, 2014)

That's not the stuff in the Kayak's. That stuff looks flexible. The stuff from HD is very stiff.


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## OleMiss (Jun 25, 2014)

Is the stuff you posted in the links flexible? Can't tell from pictures. I thought y'all was talking bout the pink and blue insulation boards.


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## onthewater102 (Jun 26, 2014)

To be flexible you'd be looking for extruded polyethylene which is extremely expensive (comparably speaking)


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## Bob E (Jun 26, 2014)

Search for pool wall foam.


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## hipster dufus (Jun 26, 2014)

i have a diamond plate aluminum floor in mine. hot as hell. covered in carpet. carpet wore out so i just put in eve foam gym mats. 1/2 in thick soft and quiet. ribs do have a tendency to trip u up.


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## One Last Cast (Jul 14, 2014)

Duck hunting in 25 degree weather, snow and 20mph winds in an aluminum boat is COLD! Give me carpet to try and trap whatever heat I can inside the boat blind.


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## Stumpalump (Jul 14, 2014)

We all don't build floors and the alternative is to rip them out to save weight and make the boat faster, better on fuel and to handle larger swells. The first tin to that I ever owned that still has a floor is the one I have. It's such a deep V the factory put it in but only in the two main areas between the seats. The main advantage to tin is weight. Why add more if you don't have too?


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## Stumpalump (Jul 14, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=359470#p359470 said:


> Stumpalump » 14 Jul 2014, 06:53[/url]"]We all don't build floors and the alternative is to rip them out to save weight and make the boat faster, better on fuel and to handle larger swells. The first tin that I ever owned that still has a floor is the one I have. It's such a deep V the factory put it in but only in the two main areas between the seats. The main advantage to tin is weight. Why add more if you don't have too?


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## txninja (Jul 14, 2014)

I build mine to walk on. I don't just sit at in the boat and troll all day.


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## turbotodd (Jul 14, 2014)

All it takes is one time to trip over a rib, fall into the drink, and survive multiple attempts to get back into the boat to make you want a flat floor. Some boats have REALLY 'tall' ribs (like 4 1/2" tall) and without a floor on top of those, you WILL trip on them. May not be a fall-into-the-drink type trip, but at some point you will lose your balance.

Another reason-if you have closed cell floatation under the floor, you stand a better chance of recovering the boat if the plug comes out. Or like the one guy I saw a few weeks ago, gets a little out of shape crossing a shoal (well...more like rapids than a shoal), boat went under briefly. Luckily, it floats when completely swamped so they were able to recover it. I couldn't get to them as I was above the 'shoal' and they went down /over it.

If you use aluminum for the floor material over the correct thickness floatation, you can use thinner material-which is obviously lighter-and reap the benefits of more floatation, a floor that's easy to move around on, high resale, and not much of speed loss (if any). I pulled my entire floor out, along with all the floatation, and the boat was no faster and no slower. Made no difference on mine. My floor is .100" aluminum and takes up about 6 feet of the boat floor, from the rear seat to the front deck. The whole thing might be 25 lbs including floatation and rivets.


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## Y_J (Jul 14, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=359470#p359470 said:


> Stumpalump » July 14th, 2014, 9:53 am[/url]"]We all don't build floors and the alternative is to rip them out to save weight and make the boat faster, better on fuel and to handle larger swells. The first tin to that I ever owned that still has a floor is the one I have. It's such a deep V the factory put it in but only in the two main areas between the seats. The main advantage to tin is weight. Why add more if you don't have too?



Unfortunately some of us don't have the luxury of youth any more and need a flat floor to be able to stand without falling. Especially in a V-hull. I understand everyone has their own likes and dislikes for their own reasons.  That's what keeps the world not so boring. For me, personally, Got to have a flat floor or I'll spend more time swimming with the fishes than trying to catch them...


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