You might have to add extra support pieces. The Trex and other man made
boards will not span the same distance a wood board will. I think a 2x6 can
be on 24" joists, while the plastic wood will be 14". Check their specs.
Bill

"Michael Knight" wrote in message
om...
Ed Edelenbos wrote in message
...
There are 2 types... one is all plastic (recycled) and the other is
wood fibers encapsulated in epoxy/plastic. The one with wood fibers is
not recommended for marine use (i.e. docks, boats, etc.) The other (all
plastic) is.


I'm using the all plastic type. They come in 5/4 X 6 size (standard
decking size). The wood fibers type is lousy looking...can't believe
anyone would want it on their house or boat.

The stuff I'm using is grey, with simulated wood grain on one side. I
took the tiny teak swim platform off my transom and used the two
supports to make a platform that spans my entire transom. I've had
this for two years and its holding up just fine. I painted it with
regular latex gloss white house trim paint (no primer), and even that
his holding up well.

This stuff is entirely watertight, and apparently barely degrades due
to UV exposure. I know it was tested for many years in full sun in
Miami. You can cut it and drill it with regular wood working tools.

It only has two downsides that I've noticed.....its expensive compared
to treated lumber and its heavy. It's probably lighter than
waterlogged wood decking, but not as light as dried pressure treated
lumber. Pound-for-Pound, its definitely going to be heavier than
marine plywood. But you should never ever have to replace it, and you
wouldn't need to carpet over it unless you just wanted to. It looks
pretty nice with the simulated good grain.

I believe it will also hold regular wood stain if you prefer that
look. Come to think of it, it would look pretty nice on a pontoon
boat, painted whatever color you wanted.

If you decide to use it, just make sure you put some extra bracing
in....a bunch of wood planks isn't going to have the same torsional
stiffness of a full sheet of plywood. But I wouldn't let that deter
me from using the composite stuff. If you can build a deck onto a
house, you can tackle one for a boat.

-Michael




wrote:
I'll be needing to replace the deck on my pontoon boat after
the boating season is over and am asking for some
suggestions on what materials to use.

One fellow where I have my boat docked at used regular
high-grade plywood. Others have used treated plywood, and
still others marine plywood, which is very expensive.

For the covering, I'm thinking of going with a simulated
carpet (Nautolex marine flooring) if I use treated plywood.
However, it occurred to me that I might have another option,
one that might not require a carpet or covering at all . . .

Has anyone successfully used a composite plastic material
(either in sheets or "boards") for decking on a pontoon
boat? This stuff is completely waterproof and makes nice
decks for around the home but I don't know if there are any
reasons I shouldn't use it on a pontoon boat.

My idea is to place the boards lengthwise (staggered) and
fastening the ends together where a cross brace exists. This
stuff seems to be somewhat non-skid and will accept screws
as well as nails. It weathers quite nicely to a less
"plastic-like" appearance in a year or two.

If this sounds like a good idea, would carpet be necessary?

If so, since the plastic would probably not be a surface
glue would readily stick to, should I simply stretch the
carpet with a "carpet kicker" and staple it around the
underside to keep it taught?

While this post is primarily concerned with the composite
material, I would like to know what some of you have done as
far as re-decking a pontoon boat. As for the "Tuff-Kote"
stuff used for pickup truck bed liners, it looks like that
would be too hot (being black and absorbing heat) for my
preferences, but there might be a lighter color available.

Thanks in advance for any and all who comment on this post.

Don
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