EVA Foam Synthetic Teak Decking

[Inquisitor]

Has anyone any experience with the EVA foam Synthetic Teak Decking?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marine-Floorin ... 4820720338

I did a search on the forum and only found one reference of someone suggesting this stuff instead of heavy, very expensive Teak decking, but hadn't used it themselves. Maybe its ugly up close? (Can't be worse than my non-skid from standing position.) Maybe it wears out quickly? I'm a little surprised that I didn't find something.

A ~4' x ~8' sheet is only ~$60 on eBay. It looks like it comes rolled up and has a stick backing. YouTube videos show demos of even doing boarders so it looks like real decking. It is light, 6mm worth of padding. I'd think it'd quiet down the boat a little. One sheet should easily do the interior and cockpit.

The only drawback I see so far... it won't stick to the diamond non-skid. Maybe I could sand the diamonds down. I'd guess there'd not be much structure in the diamonds because its mostly (guessing again) gel-coat. Otherwise, maybe fill with Bondo, then lay the stuff down.

Has anyone tried it?

[Highlander]

I seen on Y/T a guy who put it on his boat decks say,s it,s great on the feet soft for walking on but after a about 3 yrs the top finish was startin to flake off
J

[Herschel]

I haven't used this kind of thing on my Mac, but I did install Seadek brand deck covering on my O'Day Sprite dinghy restoration. Seadek is a little pricier, but foam backed coverings do really make the surface softer and add some pizazz. I have been tempted to do my Mac cockpit and cabin deck in the stuff, but haven't gotten around to that project, yet. I'll throw in a pick of the Seadek I used just for kicks/comparisons.

[Inquisitor]

Highlander: I guess more homework researching this stuff is necessary. I guess its that clever marketing on million $ boats implying it'd be a good product.
I naively assumed it would be like the plastic house decking (Trex, etc) where the "grain" coloring is deeper than just printing.

Herschel: I checked the Seadek website... I'm of the philosophy, if I have to ask how much, I can't afford it.

[adudinsk]

I did look into this as well for interior.. and cockpit application.

The asian ones were cheap.. but did not last as long as other made in USA brands..

Pros.
Soft
Easy to cut/install
Nice looking.
Cheap (even considering the lifespan)


Cons.
Lasts only a few years of "normal MAC use"
Have to strip/unglue and reinstall

[Herschel]

Highlander: I guess more homework researching this stuff is necessary. I guess its that clever marketing on million $ boats implying it'd be a good product.
I naively assumed it would be like the plastic house decking (Trex, etc) where the "grain" coloring is deeper than just printing.

Herschel: I checked the Seadek website... I'm of the philosophy, if I have to ask how much, I can't afford it.

There are three options with Seadek. One is custom manufacture, which is what I did for my Sprite. (See above and below). They send you a roll of thin plexiglass, and you cut it to fit the space you want to cover with Seadek. They manufacture the piece with machined edges from your pattern. They send multiple digital proofs until you are happy. You peel off the backing and stick it down. It wears amazing well. As you can see mine is in the bottom where the sailors actually sit, kneel, or otherwise ride. The other option which is less expensive is just to buy a roll of the stuff approximately the size you want and cut it to fit. The third option that is available for some boats is to buy from their stock plans. I would hazard to guess that no one has yet ordered anything for a Mac X or M, so we are probably confined to the first two options. I paid about $400 for my three custom pieces about six years ago. Since it was a restoration of a 1959 classic O'Day one design that had been in the family from the get go in 1959, I was prepared to go the distance on the cost thing.

[adudinsk]

Trying to contact my local certified installer.. no reply to email/phone/etc.
May just get a template kit... and hope for the best as far as the quote...Installing my self sound be no biggie..
Wonder if I can get unroutered foam... so I can cut my own lines into it.....


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[adudinsk]

Went to seadek website.. for the life of me.. it appears they ONLY ship the template kit to USA !

But they email me lots... in Canada
?

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[StuNorman]

Here's a great video of a Canadian couple who installed it and I reckon it came out great. I'll probably do the same.

[adudinsk]

Very cool.
I looked at Tek-Deck.. (and others with similar names.)
They would actually border the template with a strip.. and glue it using Locktite 412 (I think that was it..)
Once all the splices/trim/etc were glued the put a backing material under the EVA and glued it down.. (looked like construction adhesive)

Another product used a track UNDER the splices.. that was crazy glued.. to hold it all together.
Then in the seam made by the track, you tucked a filler strip thing.. and melted it in..(some special tool thing) then saved it flat (*no grooves in the material.. all perfectly flat.)
Looked very nice..

I wonder how long the "amazon" eva foam would last.. with sunlight.. wear/tear...
Many comments say not long.. and other comments say they bought 2-3 pcs.. and the color was not a 100% match at all.


Three different methods below..that allow for bordering... etc.





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[OverEasy]

Just a couple of cents on EVAFoam coverings…

Not all are created alike!
Some definitely lack UV protection/longevity.
Some definitely lack a durable adhesive.
Nearly all when they do stick are aPITA to remove.

Based upon the prior research we did, The better brand names like SeaDeck are generally better products that are thicker, denser, more UV resistant and with more durable adhesives.
But they will all eventually fade, stain, flake and delaminates over time in repetitive sunlight, weather and freezing conditions exposure.

We went looking at several boats with various installations of EVA foams both professionally and DIY installed.

From our adhoc survey,
- The better brands looked better longer than the budget brands.
- The denser foams were more durable to use traffic.
- Cleanliness of surface and a lack of porosity of surface was VERY important at time of installation if the product was to have durable adhesion.
- Factory milled bevel edges seemed to resist edge damage better.
- Good installation starts with good surface preparation and good follow through. Several mentioned that THIER installations used a weighted roller (like that used for quality linoleum floor installs)
- All had some level of fuel/oil staining over time.
- All were cooler than bare fiberglass with the exception of the decks coated with a rubber grip anti skid surfaces. Those were about the same.
- Those who had removed and redone thier EVA foam decks mentioned that getting the old foam was to use a sharp wide putty knife and a clean solvent soaked rag pressed into the flap to gradually dislodge the old foam. After which to go back over any residual areas still with adhesive. Any surface with old adhesive seemed to be problematic later.
- It looks and feels a whole lot better than indoor/outdoor carpet as many Bass boats have.

It was one of those things that we agree looks nice and feels nice but didn’t really want to contend with for ourselves.

Personally we wouldn’t want to sand down the deck grip embossment as it is durable and functional. If we were to change a deck surface we would go with the rubberized crumble grit resurfaced approach.

Your boat - Your rules

[adudinsk]

Good points!

And the "better stuff" is really expensive.. some $60/$80 a square foot installed...
And agreed.. carpet does get pretty beat up .. even in the interior..

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