"John" ) writes:
This is slightly off topic since I building a swim platform rather than a
boat, but they use the same materials and both float...

don't use tounge and groove. have yoyu ever see what happens to T&G
hardwood floors when they get wet? they swell and rise inte wierd non-flat
shapes. exterior flooring needs the gap between the boards. when laying
exterior wood floors lay the wood outside up so the edges won't cup
upwards. by "outside up" is meant the outside of the tree from which the
wood is cut should be the top side of the floor. look at the end of the
boards and make sure the tree rings are higest in the centre of the board.
if not turn the board over.

polyester resin may or may not adhere sufficiently to the wood floor, but
if you are leaving expansion gaps you don't want the resin adhering to the
flooring. if you want a fibreglass swim platform I'd make it like an
upside down boat, or an upside down fibreglass box srewed to a floating
wood frame. it will be heavy and cost more than a stright wooden swim
platform. another thing to consider is making a fibreglass sheet separate
from the wood frame and then attach it to the wood floor with edge strips
so the wood is free to move underneath teh floor. you can put a thin
sheet on and then build it up with more layers. the polyester will have to
be protected from the sun with paint. I don't know if tinting the
poylester white with titatium oxide will keep the sun from breaking down the
resin. On boats gelcoat is used to protect the resin.

on the whole I don't think fibreglass flooring is a good idea but who
knows?
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