Fix for black cockpit carpet backing

FLcruiser · **Joined:** Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:00 pm **Posts:** 15

I have a 2005 Vista with a set of the original cockpit carpet with black rubber backing. Over time this backing has become dry rotted and leaves behind a lot of black residue. With the cost of replacing the carpet and the carpet itself in pretty good shape, I devised a simple fix.
[img][IMG]http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t554/bgaskill11/imagejpg6_zpsc4c34c9d.jpg[/img][/img]
First it took a stiff nylon brush and removed all the loose black backing. I purchased some rubber "shelf liner" this liner has holes all through it that will allow for water to drain through after the repair is made.
[img][IMG]http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t554/bgaskill11/imagejpg2_zpsc2dda862.jpg[/img][/img]
Next I sprayed the back of the carpet with a spray adhesive.
[img][IMG]http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t554/bgaskill11/imagejpg4_zpsc576447b.jpg[/img][/img]
After the adhesive becomes tacky, I rolled out the shelf liner and cut to fit with a razor knife. The results were great and I can now use the carpet without making the deck of my boat black with rubber dust.
[img][IMG]http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t554/bgaskill11/imagejpg3_zps6ec2dd0f.jpg[/img][/img]

Happy cruising!

alex8q4 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:25 pm

Very clever.

That black dust and scuffing got on my nerves with my last boat. Wish I would have thought of this solution myself!

TimBobCom · **Joined:** Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:23 am **Posts:** 44

Mine is starting to do this in a couple spots, I may need to do this to keep it in the boat for another year or two.

FireCapt6 · **Joined:** Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:40 pm **Posts:** 41

We have fixed several of our cockpit carpets with black silicon. Just smear it on and let it dry. Only takes a couple of hours to dry. We purchased it the automotive store.

babbot1 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:46 pm **Posts:** 570

NICE!
So does it still flake off through the holes in the liner or did the adhesive keep it in? I really can't stand my carpets because of the black dust and they are expensive to replace. I bought some plastidip in a white version at home depot. I haven't gotten the nerve to try it yet. I am afraid it will stick to the fiberglass when it is down in the hot sun.

jgreve75 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:50 pm

I did the silicone on the back of the carpet a couple of years ago and even after curing in the garage for most of a month, the silicone grabbed onto the anti skid in the cockpit and would not let go...i had to yank (literally) all the carpet sections back out, leaving large silicone/black rubber chunks all over my non skid, which then I had to scrub and pressure wash to get it clean again. I left the carpet out after that, and have had a happy cockpit ever since. Easier to wash down with no carpet, and we bought a long cushy bathmat the same color as the former carpet that runs between the cockpit door and the cabin door. We just pull it out a few times a season and throw it in the washer and let it dry, then back into service. Ghetto, maybe...but thats how we roll.

babbot1 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:46 pm **Posts:** 570

jgreve75, thats what I am worried about putting my own backing on. The mat that was glued by FLcruiser is probably the only way to ensure not having anything stick but even the adhesive could seep through the holes. I would be interested to hear how they work after a full season in the sun.
The bath mat is actually a very good idea. It isn't custom but probably does the job. They even have some nice shag carpet versions out there.

jgreve75 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 02, 2014 4:47 pm

babbot1 wrote:

They even have some nice shag carpet versions out there.

I had my heart set on the purple shag, but got vetoed on that one

FLcruiser · **Joined:** Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:00 pm **Posts:** 15

I have used the carpet over the last season and it doesn't stick to the deck and the adhesive stopped the black powder from flaking off. I have done all my interior carpet as well and it is all holding up well. To clean it, I brought the carpet in the house and tipped the Stanley Steamer guy $10 to steam clean all the pieces while he was there doing my home carpet. The adhesive even held up through that. I would recommend this as a fix to prolong the life and stop that black residue. I still will replace the carpets in another season or two.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Oct 23, 2014 8:07 am

this is how I fixed my carpet:

Jdpber · **Posted:** Thu Oct 23, 2014 8:58 am

ric wrote:

this is how I fixed my carpet:

I just did the same thing. Gelcot and non skit beats carpet any day of the week..

rpengr · **Posted:** Thu Oct 23, 2014 2:50 pm

babbot1 wrote:

NICE!
So does it still flake off through the holes in the liner or did the adhesive keep it in? I really can't stand my carpets because of the black dust and they are expensive to replace. I bought some plastidip in a white version at home depot. I haven't gotten the nerve to try it yet. I am afraid it will stick to the fiberglass when it is down in the hot sun.

I tried the black plasti-dip aerosol a year ago on the small carpet on the ski-locker. Just looked at it now 1 year later I can report that it still looks good and did not try to stick to the starboard at all. I have not tried it on the main carpet on top of the non-skid gelcoat.

rpengr · **Posted:** Tue Nov 18, 2014 1:31 pm

rpengr wrote:

babbot1 wrote:

NICE!
So does it still flake off through the holes in the liner or did the adhesive keep it in? I really can't stand my carpets because of the black dust and they are expensive to replace. I bought some plastidip in a white version at home depot. I haven't gotten the nerve to try it yet. I am afraid it will stick to the fiberglass when it is down in the hot sun.

I tried the black plasti-dip aerosol a year ago on the small carpet on the ski-locker. Just looked at it now 1 year later I can report that it still looks good and did not try to stick to the starboard at all. I have not tried it on the main carpet on top of the non-skid gelcoat.

OK, I finally gave Plastidip Spray a try on the rest of the carpet, not just the ski locker carpet which is holding up fine.

Picture of the badly damaged black backing. Some areas are completely void of backing now.

You can see an area that I have started to spray along the top.

Much of it is coated now, but I am still spraying.

Here is a close-up of one corner. It coats quite nicely where there is still rubber backing. Areas with no backing...it's hard to spray enough to feel like it's going to hold it together.

Altogether, I used 5 spray cans of plastidip at $5.98 each from Home Depot. 1 can for the bow area runner, 2/3 can for the ski-locker cover, 3-1/3 cans for the main cockpit.

The carpet will go back in the boat this weekend. Time will tell how it holds up over the non-skid surface, but the coating is quite "rubbery". I don't expect this to last too long since my backing was in such poor condition, but even for 1 year it's worth it.

Ray

www.iFourWinns.com

Fix for black cockpit carpet backing

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