carpeting my hull

[reacler]

I have a 17ft action marine and i just redid the fiberglass floor and seat mount. I ripped the old carpet out and i have a new roll of black marine grade carpet but im confused as to how i can get the carpet to glue down seamlessly. The hull has an irregular shape and nothing is square, how can i get around this?

[RB in NM]

once you have the carpet laid out in the rough shape, it will lay down fairly nice and flat when glued. You need to decide on what type of glue to use as there are several to choose from. I used a marine grade carpet glue a while back, but was not impressed with the time it took to adhere tight,,, too long for my liking, but the weather was cool. I just did some smaller sections on some party bote cabinets and used contact cement, it was tacky quicker and stuck easier , but it was a much smaller area too. One thing about the contact cement, emits strong odors and when temps are warmer, you better have your piece in the right place fairly quick.

RB

[whome]

A pattern would be very helpful. If the old carpet is too butchered to use, buy a cheap roll of paper and cut and tape it together until it fits well. Cut the carpet a little on the large side, because it won't bend quite like the paper. I had reasonable success re-carpeting a van with this method.

[Oz Dude]

I've always used contact adhesive and the trick with irregular shapes is to work them slowly. Have everything cut and test fitted but leave a little to be trimmed in areas where you'll have to push and pull.

It does emit REALLY strong odors as said above so be well ventilated. I got caught out once under the deck of my boat. I didn't realise it but as I was working away moulding carpet around and over ribs, etc, I got slower and slower until I was just staring at it. By this stage only the lower part of my legs wer out in the cockpit so I was in a very small enclosed space.

One of the guys helping me asked if I was ok and I couldn't even figure out what the answer was... He said "ok you've had enough then" and pulled me back out into the fresh air. I sat in the back of the boat for about 10min just staring into blank space.

Live and learn - next time I did someone elses boat, I made sure there was a fan blowing air into the workspace to keep the fumes from taking me down a second time

Oz

[Fcmarine]

I would go with what RB said and use the contact cement works quite well. I have done a few complete carpet jobs and they can be tough. The easiest way is to use a template (if you have one) then pre fit all of the carpet on the boat as if it were going to be installed to ensure a good fit. Then do the sides to bring them down to the bottom. After the sides are glued place the bottom piece down and it should take away all the seams and give it a 'seamless' look. This was just a quick way of telling you how to do it. If you need any help feel free to pm me but im sure others will chime in with some good advice.

[reacler]

thanks for all the advice guys. i have some experience with installing carpets and i also have been a victim of the fumes, it was an... interesting experience. I have only worked with squares and rectangles though and thats why i was looking for some advice. ill try to get some pictures up this weekend.

thanks again