Anyone Line X'd a boat interior?

[quadrafire]

I'm in the middle of tear down of my 2002 16 ft Fisher deep V. Previously carpeted on the wood decking and it has rotted out. Wood is marginal so will be replaced as well (Maybe), unless you convince me of some other options. Say diamond plate or other products I haven't thought about.
The decking is wood the sidewalls are aluminum w/ carpet glued to them. The Flooring was easy enough to remove but the side wall carpet does't look like a fun job to remove. Please post up some ideas if you got'em.
I'm open to consideration of lots of ideas, Not sure if the Line X would even be in price range. Stopped at local shop today and they said they can do it but couldn't quote me until they see the project.
Wish I had sold it before I started the tear down, but i'm gonna finish it out now.
Don't know if it matters, but it has a 60 hp 4 stroke merk and bow mount trolling motor.
Post up your ideas, thoughts, concerns with different decking materials etc.

[RadSav]

What is your budget?  How much weight gain is acceptable to you?

[huntnphool]

Diamond plate gets very hot, so does Line-X. A buddy replaced his floor and covered it with LineX, I began peeling off the marine plywood after a couple years too.

 I polished my boat and trailer and follow up a couple times a year. After a couple years of going around each diamond to clean the black polish residue I finally had enough of that and had the diamond plate on the trailer Line Xed, it actually turned out better than I thought.

Your typical marine type floor vinyl is hard to beat.

[quadrafire]

What is your budget?  How much weight gain is acceptable to you?

Don't have a set price. Would like to keep it under 1-1.5K. I'd rather not add much wt as it's a pretty heavy boat already for the 60merc

[quadrafire]

Diamond plate gets very hot, so does Line-X. A buddy replaced his floor and covered it with LineX, I began peeling off the marine plywood after a couple years too.

 I polished my boat and trailer and follow up a couple times a year. After a couple years of going around each diamond to clean the black polish residue I finally had enough of that and had the diamond plate on the trailer Line Xed, it actually turned out better than I thought.

Your typical marine type floor vinyl is hard to beat.

Nice rig. If you have a pic of the interior i'd like to see it. I'm looking for ideas, i'd like to add/change. I have full canvas for mine, but am tempted to remove the windshield as it is at a horrible height for boating. And is a nuisance when bass fishing in such a  short boat.

[Russ McDonald]

I have a 18.5' bass boat and tore up the wood and carpet because it was nasty.  I installed new marine plywood and put down marine non skid type paint.  http://www.basspro.com/Tuff-Coat-Rubberized-NonSkid-Coating/product/74554/.  Works great and have had it on it for 5 years now. 

[Sakko300wsm]

I've never line -x'd an interior , but the last boat I built for myself the whole outside was line X and it was awesome!! Raptor liner is what I use in most boats I build now on the inside. And diamond plate does not really get that hot on the inside like a lot of people think as its reflective.

[KFhunter]

carpet is easy to remove. Squirt toluene on the top and let it soak down through the carpet until it's wet and it'll peel right off then rub more toluene until it's clean sides. use rubber gloves and respirator, Toluene will go right through your skin in seconds.

I'd paint the sides with zolotone paint, reduce weight.  Marine vinyl on the floors.

you should replace the flotation, while flotation is out check for cracks in the frame, replace all fuel and vent lines, replace bilge pump and lines. 
Spray in new floatation, shave it flat then replace floors.  Stick in a new seating arrangement and you got a nice boat.

[PolarBear]

I helped a buddy build and rig a bow picker. I had him spray the whole interior with off white bed liner stuff and then drizzle paint to break it up. He commercially fished with it for 6 years and when he sold it, it looked like brand new. He loved the durability, ease of cleaning and the extra grip when covered with salmon slime.

[Sakko300wsm]

I would never ever use zolatone again on the inside of a boat! I have done a bunch of my boats in zolatone - Raptor Liner is a much superior product for the interior of an aluminum boat

[KFhunter]

Do you use an etching primer? 

I said zolotone because it's been used for a long time and doesn't add a lot of weight to a boat.  I've never seen a bed liner applied inside of a boat but I'm interested in seeing it done.   

[huntnphool]

Diamond plate gets very hot, so does Line-X. A buddy replaced his floor and covered it with LineX, I began peeling off the marine plywood after a couple years too.

 I polished my boat and trailer and follow up a couple times a year. After a couple years of going around each diamond to clean the black polish residue I finally had enough of that and had the diamond plate on the trailer Line Xed, it actually turned out better than I thought.

Your typical marine type floor vinyl is hard to beat.

Nice rig. If you have a pic of the interior i'd like to see it. I'm looking for ideas, i'd like to add/change. I have full canvas for mine, but am tempted to remove the windshield as it is at a horrible height for boating. And is a nuisance when bass fishing in such a  short boat.

 I'll take a pic when I can but here you can see some of the vinyl flooring.

[quadrafire]

Good ideas guys. Keep it coming. I left out a bit in the opening thread, the main floor is covered in vinyl and has held up well. Not sure what the flooring has done under it however, so think it will come out as well. The decking/carpet I have removed is from bow and stern raised decking.
I'll try to start taking some pictures as I go.

[Antlershed]

No complaints about my diamond plate floor after 3.5 years. In the summer I fish in bare feet a lot with no issues. I don't polish mine though. I wash it a couple times a year with simple green, so it keeps a "dull" look to it.

My old vinyl floor had multiple tears in it from age/buddies that can't swing a fish club accurately, etc. don't have to worry about any of that with DP.

[quadrafire]

Antler does the DP get slick?

[Brad Harshman]

We used line X on one of our 17ft aluminum boats at work.  Since LineX comes in an array of colors we chose light gray.  It worked great for the interior, however it began to peel really bad on the outside of the hull.  We only had the top half of the outer hull covered and after a couple years, the water was cutting under the lip and peeling it up.  Therefore I'd only recommend it on the interior.  It was very slip resistant, and I don't remember it being hot.
Good luck.  PS it costs us between $1,500 - $2,000.  It's been several years and we've since surplused the boat.

[Antlershed]

Antler does the DP get slick?

I have fished in Muck Boots, Romeos, Running Shoes, flip flops and barefoot. I have never slipped on my diamond plate. I spray the fish slime off with the wash down pump after a fish hits the deck, and have never had a problem.

[quadrafire]

Antler does the DP get slick?

I have fished in Muck Boots, Romeos, Running Shoes, flip flops and barefoot. I have never slipped on my diamond plate. I spray the fish slime off with the wash down pump after a fish hits the deck, and have never had a problem.

Well the Romeos would be the test. I slip in my garage on them if the soles are wet.

[Sakko300wsm]

If you're ever going to Line-X the outside of the hull of a boat - they have to use a urathane seam sealer around the perimeter. I used my jetboat that the whole outside was linex in salt water for 4 yrs before I sold it- with zero problems

[bullfisher]

I've replaced several floors.
Diamond plate is nice just be aware that it will be bright until it dulls, and may require some additional structure depending on the span. No reason to linex it, its diamond plate!
If you stick with a wood floor, its hard to beat marine vinyl. You can usually find it at mcclendons and its easy to install.
You can also vinyl the interior sides if you get it clean enough. A diy linex material will work for the interior sides as well.
If you go with a composite floor or don't like the vinyl, its hard to beat kiwigrip for boat floors, but its spendy.

[baker5150]

I wouldn't recommend LineX for anything.  I've ran it on multiple surfaces, truck beds, bumpers, tool boxes etc. ad it just doesn't hold up.  They always warranty the work but still a PITA to get it in and fixed.  Better than Rhino liner, but not by much.

I went to Full Metal Jacket.  That stuff is incredible.  Been running it in work truck beds for 8 years with no issues, not even fading.
Only complaints are they put it on thicker, so it adds some weight, and they only had black at the time.

[quadrafire]

Thanks for all the info. Post any interior pics if you have  'em. I'll try to start taking pics tomorrow to give you an idea what I'm working with.

[Antlershed]

Here is a picture of my floor bracing and the floors just after they were installed. I don't have any full interior pics on my phone and my boat is two hours away.

[cohoho]

Replace my crappy vinyl covered floors also with Diamond plate, best thing I did on my Wooldridge and half the weight of the water logged floors...  Super easy - but Martin helped me make the cuts.   Normal circular saw with carbine bit...  Too many whacking fishies and must have missed not to mention it is a fishing boat so it gets used.  First installed was like holy freaking crap this is going to suck cause it was so bright, but salt water dulled it within a couple weeks of service, now super easy to clean and to tell you the truth way less slippery than the original vinyl is.  On the vinyl I know several slipped wow out on the water, but so far no one has busted their butts on the Diamond plate and normally there is lot of fish slime to contend too.... It does get hotter for sure than the vinyl on those 3 or 4 sunny days of the year.... 

So I have this question for those that claim the Bed Liner stuff puts a whole lot of weight on the boat - if it weighs the amount of when it is in the gallon paint can, it is going to weigh the same amount spread out on top your surface.  Does it magically add weight as it dries?  Always wondered why people state that, maybe I am missing something? 

[cohoho]

I then rolled on the grey bed liner stuff after a friend nut shell/blasted all old zolotone off the inside of the boat.  The stuff I put on has lasted two summers so far without a crack nick or chip.  Herculiner type in grey, easy to do, but prep first as directed...  It is even on swim deck and front bow..

[RadSav]

So I have this question for those that claim the Bed Liner stuff puts a whole lot of weight on the boat - if it weighs the amount of when it is in the gallon paint can, it is going to weigh the same amount spread out on top your surface.  Does it magically add weight as it dries?  Always wondered why people state that, maybe I am missing something?

Going to weigh less than a gallon of oil.  So less than 7.3# per gallon.  Then I guess it depends on how thick you want it.  When I looked at the Hurculiner stuff a few years ago they said .050-.0625" thick = about 50sq.foot per gallon.

[fishngamereaper]

Careful that anything you put a thick cover coat on is totally sealed. Ive seen Line-x and other sealers on aluminum and once salt gets underneath it corrosion starts.  If you go the marine plywood route stick with vinyl then get some of the 2'x2' foam interlocking floor covering pads. Cut to fit and cover your floor. Easy to remove and clean, keeps your vinyl clean, takes the abuse of downrigger balls, pipe jigs, fish etc.  You get the idea with this pic of my boat.

[BigGoonTuna]

diamond plate sure would've been nice in my boat, but man that stuff is expensive.  looked into bedliner, still a little pricey as well(a gallon wouldn't have been enough, and 2 would have been overkill, and i didn't have $300 burning a hole in my pocket).

i went to cabelas, and picked up "scratch and dent" can of duck boat paint(my boat is OD green anyway), and built a new floor out of 1/2" MDO.  i sealed the underside of the plywood, then put 3 top coats of duck boat paint on the floor, followed by a 4th mixed with a bag of rustoleum grip additive.  it's like a very fine particle that suspends well in the paint(it's not like just adding sand).  ended up with a very positive non-slip floor.  only downside is that it gets dirty easy, but it's a fishing/hunting boat so it just l don't really care.

[quadrafire]

Good thing I did a complete tear down. Found what looks like a carpenter ant nest. Weird..... We've had them in our house but a boat spray in foam insulation....... Come on???
Here is a before and after as well. Just below the cockpit is the ant colony.

[quadrafire]

Sorry for the crappy iPhone pics. Will try to get some better ones as the project progresses.