Any alternatives to carpet?
 

I was tossing around the idea of doing something other than carpet for the floor. Has anyone tried this and if so what route did you go? Are there any downsides to doing something else? Thanks.

Re: Any alternatives to carpet?
 

Someone on here did a teak platform for the bow area. A lot of work went into it, and it looked good.

I'm actually having carpet made for mine as we speak, the only real alternative I know is Flexi-Teak. They're using it on the new express cruisers a lot. It looks awesome, is fairly soft to the touch, and is much less maintenance than real teak. However it's pretty pricy, if i remember correctly.

I was impressed by the new Four Winns express cruisers interiors, they use Flexi-Teak and have carpet with a teak pattern to match. Very classy looking. However, it all comes with a price through the roof!

Let us know what you figure out, and what you're planning on doing. It'd be great to have a writeup or photos of the process!

Re: Any alternatives to carpet?
 

I was thinking something along the lines of a spray in liner type material or possibly just seal it with fiberglass because I just dont like carpet. Obviously temperature in the summer would be an issue as we would have to be able to walk on it and it would be nice to be able to just spray out the interior and not have to worry about wet carpet. I am mainly curious how these options would adhere to the existing floor. I will definately take pics before during and after if/when I do something. Thanks for the input.

Re: Any alternatives to carpet?
 

I was thinking about the garage floor epxoy that is textured. Until I started to repair my floor.The fuel tanks are located dead center of the boat. I thinks its best to retain access to the tank just incase. I want a clean finish so I will be installing new carpet.

Re: Any alternatives to carpet?
 

Wow, I didn't realize you guys were thinking of those type of options...

Trust me, I've had the straight fiberglass floor since I got the boat in 2006. And I'm just getting carpets made now. There's a reason too, because the plain fiberglass with non-skid is uncomfy as hell! It's hard as a rock to stand on, hot in the summer, shows dirt like crazy, shows each and every imperfection (spider cracks, screw holes, uneven areas), gets slippery when wet (even with the textured non-skid), and definitely isn't easy on the feet for any long periods of time. I don't know why i kept putting off the step up to carpet.

I'd just urge you not to epoxy the floors, or do any kind of makeshift flooring job, there's all sorts of floor coverings in different textures, finishes, and looks. Plus think of the resale value if you try and sell it in a few years. You want to keep your boat looking top notch, to go with the Mariah brand name! :)

Re: Any alternatives to carpet?
 

I'm just considering my options and honestly I was not even sure what the options were. The boss is a little uneasy about anything but carpet and I'll bet I would like it 100 times better if I installed new clean carpet. Are there any tips and tricks to removing and installing new carpet? Any brands to stay away from, brands to lean towards? Thanks.

Re: Any alternatives to carpet?
 

I am replacing my carpet and going with Shaw carpets. It has a very good rubber backing. It is not cheap I'm doing the install and still spending 425.00 materials. Check out my floor repair thread in the project thread.