To screw or not to screw

Counselorphil

Good Morning All;
I hope everyone is doing well today.
I am finishing a project where I am installing a 3/8 inch board on the cabin floor (under the V-berth table and in the galley)
I would like to know if it is safe to screw this board down (on top of existing carpeting) and into the floor structure???
Am I at risk of causing any structural integrity issues (water)....I am probably only screwing into structure about 1/2 inch at most.
Thanks
Phil

YYZRC

Look under the bottom edge of them for a small tab with a screw in it.  Likely 2 or 3 of them. Once the screws are removed, they should just pull straight up and off. 

YYZRC

The screws would not concern me as much as the possibility of having wet carpet under your 3/8 board.  Why not remove the carpet?

Counselorphil

Hello YYZRC
I do not do much in the way of remodeling and was concerned that if I rip out the carpet I would be opening up a project way beyond my skill level

Counselorphil

Counselorphil

Counselorphil

davidbrooks

I am going to recommend that you remove the carpeting first.  There are just too many possible ways for water to get under that flooring and would saturate the carpet, rot the wood and then smell and produce mold. Not gonna lie.  That carpet is going to be tough.  I just pulled all mine up last winter and redid it.  But get down to the structure.  Any screws are going to have to be predrilled.  Most folks just glue the flooring down.

MarkB

Remove the carpet, it's the right thing to do.  Also ... I think there fiberglass under that carpet?? If so, you should pre-drill the holes for the screws, so as not to cause stress cracking of the fiberglass.  

If you remove the carpet, you also have the option to just glue down the sheet (couple of points only, so you can pop it off later if you need to.

Aqua_Aura

That lower floor is just fiberglass and beyond that is the water I believe? I would just glue it and not do screws in that area. 

I'm sure someone can confirm that though. 

J3ff

Glue gets my vote. 

GMSLITHO

this was all glued down 

skennelly

3 inch deck screws.

mattie

@Counselorphil  said:

Hello YYZRC
I do not do much in the way of remodeling and was concerned that if I rip out the carpet I would be opening up a project way beyond my skill level

For sure peel up the carpet. Layering material over other material is generally not a good idea.

Extra work, but do it properly. As a boat owner it is pretty much required that you improve your skill level. Tear into it & you'll figure it out.

"How you do anything - is how you do everything".

earl1z19

skennelly said:

3 inch deck screws.

Or possibly 3" bolts with nylock nuts on the outside of the hull. Might want to add some 5200 to prevent them from leaking.....

Counselorphil

I ended up making the installation without having to screw into the floor decking....I used the planks by the table platform to push down and hold my sheet tight to the floor.

Counselorphil

Counselorphil

Counselorphil

Counselorphil

LaRea

Looks really nice!  Is that tinted polyurethane, or stain followed by a clear finish?

davidbrooks

Looks great. 

Counselorphil

Thanks.
I used Varathane (stain and poly combo)...3 coats with light sanding in-between applications.  The part that was not in the original plan was that carpeted shelf by the mid-berth...glad I did that section as it tied everything together.

Counselorphil

Next year we are having the cushions in the mid-berth covered with marine vinyl to match the cushions surrounding the table in the v-berth

Counselorphil

Counselorphil

I still am not sure how to remove the back cushions so I can re-cover them and get rid of the last area of the OLD coverings.

skennelly

Looks slippery..lol.