Nowadays, people use different types of materials for flooring their boat. The most commonly used flooring materials are wood, fiberglass and aluminum. All the types of flooring materials have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Before you choose one, make sure you have done enough research on it.
In this article, we have discussed about some of the most common types of boat flooring materials. Some of them are mentioned below along with their benefits:-
- Aluminum –
Aluminum is becoming more and more popular in the floor boating industry. It is preferred by boat owners for the simple fact that it is easy to install and has very low maintenance cost. One another important benefit of opting for aluminum is that it is very light weight, making your vessel as light as possible.
Like every other material aluminum also has a disadvantage. The only disadvantage is the initial cost. The aluminum used for boat flooring is different from the normal one that is used for doors and window frames, making it unique, which is why it is expensive.
- Fiberglass –
Fiberglass material is very economical. The best thing about fiberglass is that they are very easy to install for any type of floor design. You can be creative with the fiberglass material, and decorative flooring.
There are some disadvantages of installing fiberglass for your boat floor. Fiberglass can be easily cracked and requires a lot of high maintenance. Even though the maintenance cost is not too much, but the time taken to fix a crack in your fiberglass flooring is minimum 3 to 4 hours. Fiberglass is prone to stains, and thus it should be cleaned regularly. Or else you will end up with stains, which are hard to clean.
- Wood –
Wood is termed as the most strongest and durable flooring material for a boat. As a matter of fact, wood does not require a lot of maintenance as it is very rugged. You can choose from different types of wood materials like oak, teak etc. The best choice for boat flooring is oak, as it is flexible as well as durable. It also has an advantage of being water resistant.
A good quality wood is expensive, but at the same time it is a lifetime investment. You can consider it as a long term investment. Even though wood material is strong, it fades and loses its original color with time. You would have to refinish the boat flooring time and again to maintain the original golden color.
The choice and selection of a boat flooring material for your boat depends upon your budget and the ability to maintain it in the best possible manner. You can choose either of these flooring materials, but before you do so, you need to consider your sailing habits and schedule.
Some materials are great for regular sailing while some are good for rare sailing times. Therefore, while looking for boat flooring materials, make sure that you research well and gather as much information as you can.