Nautolex preparation

[Dan-Q]

Hi all,

How should the decking be prepared for Nautolex. I'm thinking marine BC Fir with perhaps 2 coats of epoxy.
Anything else I should know?
Thanks

[Bryan Mehus]

Reading from the Nautolex instructions, they recommend filling any gouges, screw holes, and seams. Sealing the surface to prime and reduce adhesive absorption(I think your epoxy would qualify). The surface must be very smooth and clean as any imperfection will telegraph through the vinyl.
I would recommend overlapping the shear if possible and make sure all edges are well sealed.
I've also heard that is important to use the adhesive recommended by the manufacturer"Nautolex No.88"
Bryan

[imported_Dutch]

you prepare the deck by telling it that its going to suffer an earli death due to a poorly chosen material soon being applied to it. It will be slow and painful, but not to worry-it will look pretty good till the end.

[JLM]

what is Nautolex :confused:

[Bill Berrisford]

Dan-Q
We use Nautolex in our production boats on floorboards and a custom version on decks (marine fir ply). Seal with CPES, sand lightly, glue both surfaces (Nautolex adhesive), staple. We expect it to last 20-30 years.

[nedL]

Nautolex has bee around for at least 50 years & I wouldn't knock its use in appropriate places. Lots of manufacturers usd it over the years (good ones to)& to me if you know the kinds of places it was used they just seem kind of wrong with another covering. I'd say that with care 20-30 years is not unrealistic either.
Oh yes, Nautolex is sort of the marine version of a sheet vinyl floor. It is a sheet material (comes in roles)that as I remember is pretty much a heavy canvas backing with a vinyl finish material/surface on the exposed face. It comes in a wide variety of 'finishes'(or used to anyway)-faux: teak deck, mahogany deck, solid colors, marbled colors.

[ 09-30-2002, 12:31 PM: Message edited by: nedL ]

[AngWood]

Is Nautolex a sort of vinyl covering, similar to that which covered automobile roofs years ago? I'm restoring a 1956 outboard cruiser that had some sort of vinyl over the cabin roof, sidedecks, foredeck, etc. I believe it was the original (46-year-old) vinyl. I've peeled it off and found rot where there were seams; otherwise the wood was quite sound under the vinyl. Was that Nautolex?

[Minor T]

I'm wondering if the decks on my Penbo were originally done with this.

Anyone have an idea?