World Sailing Charters: Boat flooring options

Your boat flooring options are Linoleum or Vinyl, Wood, Specialty Paints, Canvas, and Carpeting.

Linoleum or Vinyl Boat Flooring

Linoleum boat flooring is made from recycled rubber tires. It’s available in many colors and textures, typically with a vinyl overlay which makes it waterproof.

It has the benefits of being easy to clean, can be applied over plywood or directly to fiberglass, and is durable.

Vinyl boat flooring is also known as sheet vinyl, boat carpeting, and marine flooring. It works best if you start with clean fiberglass or plywood with no previous coating.

It has the benefits of being easy to install yourself with adhesive, is inexpensive, and comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

The cost of vinyl boat flooring is generally lower than the other options.

However, vinyl is susceptible to mildew growth, fading from sunlight over time, and may tear if it gets caught on something sharp.

Sheets come in 4’x8′ sections which can make cutting around complex shapes difficult.

It is also less durable than other options because it offers no protection against punctures or moisture.

Wood Boat Flooring

Wood boat flooring is made from a type of marine plywood treated with urethane and teak oil in order to forestall rot and resist stains.

It has the benefit of being inexpensive, is the quickest boat flooring option, and offers a more traditional boat appearance.

The cost of wood boat flooring is usually less than linoleum, but more expensive than vinyl.

It also needs to be maintained with oil and wax treatments on a regular basis to look nice and avoid wear and tear, as well as dings from debris like sand or seashells.

Wood can warp if exposed directly to water without proper treatment and it’s generally not as thick as other types of flooring.

Specialty Paints Boat Flooring

Specialty boat paints are available from boat flooring manufacturers, boatyards, boat builders, boat repair shops, online boat stores, or boat paint stores.

It has the benefit of being quick to apply and easy to touch up. It’s attractive because it can be custom matched to any boat color.

The cost of specialty paints boat flooring is generally higher than linoleum or vinyl.

However, it won’t give you the same protection as other types of flooring and will wear out over time.

Canvas Boat Flooring

Canvas boat flooring is made from boat sails and can be installed on boat decks. It’s also available in boat porthole covers with a skylight option.

It has the benefit of being durable, it can be custom designed for your boat, and offers a unique boat flooring option.

The cost of canvas boat flooring is generally higher than vinyl or linoleum.

However, it can be difficult to keep clean and is expensive to install.

Carpeting Boat Flooring

Carpeting boat flooring is boat carpeting made of boat-safe materials and is typically fitted to boat floor and boat interior. It’s available in a variety of boat carpet styles, like Berber or loop pile.

It has the benefit of being comfortable underfoot, easy to clean, and boat approved for your protection.

Cost of carpeting boat flooring is generally higher than linoleum, vinyl, or specialty paints.

It’s also the most labor-intensive option to install and maintain because it can be difficult to cut around furniture and intricate shapes. However, this type of boat flooring is easy to remove for cleaning or replacement.

As you can see from the variety of options available, there’s no one-size-fits all type of boat flooring.

You’ll need to consider your budget, aesthetic preferences, and any special requirements before making a choice.

Now that you know all about boat flooring options, you can choose the boat flooring option that’s right for your boat!

How to pick the right boat flooring?

Picing the right kind of boat flooring can be overwhelming at first. Consider if you know the answers to these:

What are the benefits of each type?
Are any boat flooring options picky about cleanliness?
Do any types need to be replaced every few years?
Do you know what you’re looking for when it comes to pick boat flooring?

Benefits of each boat flooring type:

Linoleum or Vinyl: easy to clean, waterproof vinyl overlay, durable, available in many colors and textures.

Vinyl: easy to install yourself with adhesive, inexpensive. Comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

Wood: cheap but requires time and experience for installation; can be stained or painted.

Specialty Paints: quick to apply and easy to touch up, attractive because it can be custom matched to any boat color.

Canvas: durable, unique option.

Carpeting: comfortable underfoot, easy to clean, picky about cleanliness.

Cleanliness pickyness of the boat flooring:

Linoleum or Vinyl: picky about cleanliness.

Vinyl: picky about cleanliness.

Wood: picky about cleanliness; will rot if not coated correctly.

Specialty Paints: picky about cleanliness; can be damaged by chemical cleaners.

Canvas: picky about cleanliness; can be damaged by chemical cleaners.

Carpeting: picky about cleanliness; typically requires machine washing.

Re-replacement pickiness of the boat flooring options:

Linoleum or Vinyl: usually doesn’t need to be replaced unless it starts looking bad.

Vinyl: usually doesn’t need to be replaced unless it starts looking bad.

Wood: picky about replace.

Specialty Paints: picky about replace.

Canvas: picky about replace.

Carpeting: picky about replace but typically lasts a really long time without needing replacement. So the type of boat flooring that pick is most likely wood. Linoleum or Vinyl picky about cleanliness, while carpeting picky about cleanliness and usually picky about replace.

Now that you know all eight options for bloat boats, you can pick the right one for your boat!

Boat flooring

Options for your boat floor