Replacing boat carpet is something that almost every boat owner has been through. Boats typically have either snap-in boat carpet or carpet that is glued down. Annual expenses of boat use per year typically average about 10% of the purchase price of the boat, and replacing the carpet is one of area of maintenance included in that number. Replacing boat carpet may seem like an all day job, but there are a few things that you can do to make the job easier. Read below for some helpful tips when it comes to getting boat carpet kits to replace the carpet in your boat.
Cutting Carpet
You can choose to cut your carpet with a couple of tools. You can choose heavy duty scissors to cut your carpet if you choose. You can also choose to use a utility knife to cut your carpet. Scissors will provide less of a chance of cutting yourself compared with using a utility knife. Choose the best option when it comes to safety cutting the carpet from your boat carpet kits.
Glue
You will definitely need glue in order to install carper for boats, and knowing which type of glue and how much will go a long way in the installation process. Read and understand how much one container of marine carpet glue will cover and estimate how many containers of glue you will need. This will help eliminate emergency trips to the store during the installation of boat carpet kits.
Sections
When installing carpet for boats it is important that you work in sections rather than the boat as a whole. The carpet needs to be stretched to ensure that there are no wrinkles, and working in sections will allow this process to be done much easier. Stretching smaller pieces not only allows you to work more efficiently, but also ensures that you only have to fix one section if there ends up being wrinkles, rather than removing the entire piece of carpet off the entire floor of the boat.
Bonding
Once you have applied your carpet and you are sure there are no wrinkles you want to ensure a secure bond. Rolling a heavy object over the area will ensure that the glue and carpet bonds properly and there are no air bubbles. Objects that can be used for this step include a carpet roller, a wrapped piece of wood or the back of a shop broom.
Other parts
Since it is not only the floor that usually gets carpeted when using boat carpet kits, you should consider how to carpet vertical areas of your boat. It is important to consider this, because typical glues dry slowly, meaning vertical areas may not instantly bond and could slide down during the drying process. For this reason other adhesive products are recommended. Choosing an adhesive that bonds instantly will ensure that vertical carpeting stays put and doesn’t slide down. Working with smaller sections ensures an even cover, since these products bond instantly there will be no way to fix minor mistakes.
Helpful Tips
There are a few helpful tips which can make the process go even smoother. Remember to invest in a good pair of knee pads, since you will be working on your knees quite a bit. When removing old carpet try not to use many chemicals to release the adhesive. A clean surface is needed when laying new carpet and many of these products are hard to remove from the surface for the new carpet to be laid. Typical adhesive starts to set in about half an hour, so give it this much time before applying pressure to the new carpet. Use this time to begin cleaning up and washing tools.
Using these tips can help speed up the process without affecting the look. Consider these tips before getting started and you’re sure to love the outcome. Boat carpet kits and these tips combined can turn a weekend chore into a one day chore. Carpet replacement is something that has to be done, but that doesn’t mean it has to replace time that could be spent enjoying your boat.