Hey Gang,
So my OCD has kicked in and I'm replacing the carpet on my '12 Phoenix 721 and adding padding is functional areas. I received the carpet, glue, and trim from Tim at Phoenix so I'm hopeful for some experienced opinions to that tools is recommended for carpet removal and replacement. Also, if anyone has found some great step-by-step instructions or videos for fiberglass boat carpet replacement that would also be great!
Been doing it for 13 years now and learned how and how not to do it.
No razor blades!!! Get yourself a get set of sewing scissors. They're last a good 4-5 boat carpet jobs so you'll get your use out of them. So much more accurate cuts, no tears, clean edges, able to work into corners, should I keep going on? Having done over 20 boats with blades and now 9 with scissors I could kick myself for how much better and faster it is.
Accetone
Sanding discs (I lightly sand the adhesive off of the lids, faster and cleaner and saves using anything that will melt/destroy or cause the under laying foam to peel)
Pliers (to pull carpet edges up and lid corners up when removing)
Welwood Contact Cement. Only kind to use IMO having used a couple different adhesives (everything from carpet glue to others)
Cheap 3" .50 cent brushes from Lowes (You can also spray if you have a cheap Harbor Freight Gun. I have one and still prefer to brush. Easier to control glue)
6' Straight Egde
Sharpies
Plastic clamps with wood strips to hold edges down (I actually used cheap drumsticks being a music teacher)
That's what I use on every job and all I keep on hand.
Thanks arjone01!!
I second the scissors being better. I started using some razer blade that came with the carpet "kit" I bought. Makes certain things sooo much easier. I bought the best pair from walmart. I think they were like 30 bucks but well worth it.
A few things to remember:
Make sure wherever you're doing the install it is warm enough for the glue to dry overnight.
Like said above, make all cuts with a decent pair of scissors.
Get some 1X wood strips and 8 or 10 crimps vices for holding carpet edges on the lids while the glue dries.
Buy a decent carpet roller
A couple bags of play ground sand comes in handy if you have an angled or tough spot to hold down.
Get your shop Vac ready and keep everything clean after the stripping of old
A can of 3M spray carpet adhesive works great for any tough spots where you can't spread glue.
Make sure every piece of carpet you cut and place on the boat is going the exact same direction or you will end up with a plaid shirt look and nothing matching.
Since you got a pre-cut kit, if you have two identical pieces for lids and are unsure of direction, lay the pieces down and wipe the carpet hard on both pieces in the same direction with your hand. This will change the direction of the fibers and show a different color. You can do this with any of the carpet to make sure its all going the right way. Then do the same thing with carpet that is already glued down just to make sure it matches.
Take your time!
Last edited by Hammmerhead; 11-23-2017 at 10:09 AM.
Have you even used a hook knife ??? I was watching a video of the guys installing carpet in a Ranger and noticed they used what seemed to be like a hook knife. Whatever it was they would make cuts around edges etc at lightning speed.Originally Posted by arjone01
Whatever it was if I had to install carpet again I guarantee I would get whatever they were using.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!! I've made a list now it's time to place an order on Amazon. Any concerns with fumes from the non-aerosol glue? I plan on doing all of this lids indoors so I can keep an eye on my son during some of this process. My wife uses our dining table for all of her projects so I guess it's my turn.
Couple of things to add. For old spots of carpet that are hard to remove, I used a small block plane; just like you would when shaving down a piece of wood. Took all my lids and locker doors off and used quick clamps and spring clamps to hold stiff pieces of wood strips on the inner edge (inside of the lid/locker door) while the glue dried overnight.
Hey Arjone01 - While using the contact cement I've read where you should brush onto both surfaces, let completely dry, and then place the aligned carpet to the lid/deck and it will then bond. This seems like a lot of cement to go through with this technique but given the number of man-hours I've put into this project already I don't want to cut corners at this point. Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated before I begin this phase tonight.
I add cement generously on the Boat surfaces and try and get a decent smear on the back of the carpet. I do not wait till it’s dry. I like to work with it when it first gets tacky. The generous amount I put on the Boat surface now completely saturated the back of the carpet and the glue on the carpet makes it a little tacky. Gives me time to work it too not being an immediate fix. And when it’s too dry and you try to apply but have to lift and readjust it’s tough on the backing and pulls slightly. So, apply generously to the Boat, smear well on the carpet but not every square inch. And then wait till it’s gummy and when you put your finger on it it sticks and pulls and you’re set to go. Hope that helps.
the old glue on mine did not come up well with an orbital sander. may have had better results with a different kind of sander? I really don't know. I ended up vacuuming the dirt and loose material and then coating the old glue with acetone. After it say for a few minutes, I used a razor blade style paint scraper. the old glue would come up in strips. and I agree with everything else that has been mentioned.
Another recommendation I would do is when applying the glue with a brush try and always pull the glue with the brush in the same direction never go opposite direction this helps the glue to lay more evenly and keeps it from rolling up or causing lumps under the carpet, I used to install formica on countertops and this was really helpful info when applying the glue. I always let it dry before installing, and also i used a lot of wooden strips between the counter and formica to align before making contact, the strips will not stick just pull them out one at a time,not sure how to do it with carpet, possibly thin plywood the size of carpet being installed, just be careful because when it makes "contact" its "glued"
I just got done with my recarpet yesterday. I did all of my lids with a razor knife.a suggested in this post, I went to walmart and bought a nice pair of fabric sissors. They were an all metal that cost 29.99. made a huge difference. no frays and easier to cut and trim.
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