[dagnarble]

Was going to use indoor/outdoor glud to plywood with contact cement. Home Depot guy says this will not work as contact cement requires smooth surfaces. What do you guys use or think should work

 

[hawg hunter]

I used the indoor outdoor carpet on plywood, stapled. I first varnished the plywood with spar varnish then put the carpet on, wrapped over the edges then stapled underneith. It seems to have held up nicely for me.

 

[arrgh!]

Bet Marine Goop would work. When you staple you pierce the wood allowing water ingress.

 

[STLHDR]

A clean rough surface with the right amount of glue would be better than a surface as smooth as glass. Think of patching a bicycle tire tube, before applying the contact cement you rough up the tube for a reason, that is what the glue "grabs" onto.

 

[Fishaholic]

You might want to look for a non-backed carpet so the wood can dry. Or a rubber backed outdoor carpet of some kind. That would not need to be glued and if you are out on a wet day it can easily be removed from the boat to help it dry

 

[professori]

First off, apply a coat of contact cement to both surfaces. Once that has dried, apply a second coat-I don't care what the Home Depot guy said, I have glued carpet to many wooden surfaces using this technique and have never had it fail. That said, I would never glue carpet to a wooden boat floor, you are just asking for trouble. Wet carpet only hold the moisture at the wood and will hold a lot more of it than you get without the carpet. Stapling invites even more chance of wood rot as you are providing an ingress for the water to the wood through the staple holes. Carpet (especially rubber backed) cut to fit the bottom of your boat, and just laid in place, is really all you need. It will not slide around, and can bre removed if it gets wet, dirty, etc. It's what I have been using for the bottome of my boat for years. Once it gets too worn, toss it and get a new piece. Stop by a carpet place, and you will find they often have carpet they have ripped out of a home when replacing it and will give it to you for free,

 

[arrgh!]

or you could just glue velcro strips to carpet and boat and have the best of both worlds....