Installing New Carpet On Bunks

[Disciple]

I watch This Old House on PBS every week. Watching some of the shows where they are installing siding or cedar shingles for roofing; they use a breathable under layment under both. For the siding they use Benjamin Obdyke Home Slicker Rain Screen. For a wood shingle roof they used Benjamin Obdyke Cedar Breather. It made me think if one of these products; or one like this; could be used under the carpet on the bunks to allow the carpet to dry quicker.

https://www.benjaminobdyke.com/produ...ainscreen-6mm/

http://www.roofprosstormdivision.com...r_Brochure.pdf

[leonreno]

Interesting idea, for the sides of the bunk it might work, for the surface the boat sits on I don’t think it will help as the weight of the boat will probably flatten out the mesh. It’s not designed to have much weight on it.

[wmitch2]

Not sure if it would work as I think it's designed for vertical or pitched drainage. If you wanted to protect the wood, you could wrap it in Tyvec. It's water repellant, yet breathable. You could probably get a scrap piece or two at a new construction site. I'd only wrap the 3 sides under the carpet.

[mikeky]

Anything you use is going to get wet. I would use only carpet. Less is more.

[Luke]

I just got done replacing the bunks on my boat.
I did something a little different and really like it so far. I used the normal treated board for the bunk like most do and stainless lag screws to attach them. but I didn't put carpet back on.
I looked into doing gatorbak, I looked into synthetic bunk boards. all were in the $400 range.
what I did was I used Composite Deck boards. if anyone has ever seen or used them they are a synthetic material, probably the same type of material as a synthetic bunk board. you can buy them at Lowes.
I cut them to the same width as my bunks and drilled holes and counter sunk them and screwed them down to the treated 2x with stainless screws. They are roughly 1" thick so sat the boat up a tad higher on the trailer but other than that they work perfect.

now I will say if I would have a normal type of Gel coat hull I would have went with carpet but mine has a Gator hull on it so I don't have to worry about scratches and so on. but for some its another option. think I had $40 in treated 2x, 30 in stainless lags and $100 in the composite boards and stainless screws for them.

[mikesxpress]

If you want the bunks to dry install the Gatorbak XP bunk covers.

[fishnfireman]

the last two I've done, didn't cover the bottom of bunks, just the top and sides. seems to dry much faster.

[Idaho Sandman]

the last two I've done, didn't cover the bottom of bunks, just the top and sides. seems to dry much faster.

I did something similar but left a 2” gap in the carpet on the bottom of the bunk, attached the carpet with galvanized roofing nails every 3” to further allow draining and drying. Bunks are nice and dry the next day.

[1bluemcm]

You all do just one layer on top, correct? My EZ Loader custom came with two layers on top. In the process of ensuring by bunks were level and appropriately contacting the hull I had to remove all the carpet, which is how I discovered the two layers. I put only one back. May not make much difference, Gatorbak's are in my future, just a matter of when I can find time to do it.

[ifishinxs]

The two layers of carpet is there to cushion the bunks! Bass cat does the same thing. I re carpeted last summer. I used Bass cat carpet and continued with two layers on top.

[1bluemcm]

Seems like it would hold a lot more water. And just how much cushioning is to be expected from two completely flattened out layers of carpet anyhow?

[fishnfireman]

Seems like it would hold a lot more water. And just how much cushioning is to be expected from two completely flattened out layers of carpet anyhow?

That would be my thoughts.
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