When my husband and I bought a 1998 Fisher pontoon for what we thought was theft, one of the first things we had to do was replace the dry, rotting carpet. The pontoon had been in the sun for ten years and the carpet was torn and had areas of dry rot. As soon as boat season was over, my husband started tearing down the pontoon. This is what we did to bring an old pontoon back to life.

Materials that might be needed for this project: camera, paper and marker, zip-loc bags, treated plywood to cover deck, stainless steel hardware, rugs (marine or indoor/outdoor), power drill, cordless screwdriver, glue carpet, paint roller or trowel, floor roller or roller, sharp scraper, sandpaper, clamps, stainless steel staples and a staple gun,

Step 1

Take pictures of your pontoon so you have a visual memory of where things are going. Use zip lock bags and labels to keep track of all hardware. Disconnect all the wiring from the console and tag it to make sure you can reconnect everything correctly.

Step 2

Draw a diagram of the platform and include precise measurements. Then go back and measure again to make sure everything is okay.

Step 3

Check all wiring under the deck and hardware to make sure everything is tight. Be sure to pay special attention to the fittings in the transom area where most of the loose bolts are.

Step 4

Remove furniture, railings, and rim cap.

step 5

If the platform is questionable, pull it out and replace it with. This material is a chemically treated wood that excels at withstanding harsh marine conditions and has an incredibly long lifespan. Lay all new sheets of treated plywood on top of the old plywood to mark all areas that need to be cut, marked, or drilled. Then remove the old plywood. Attach the new plywood to the studs. Install fasteners at studs where wood is not attached. Use at least three fasteners on all studs.

Step 6

Spread the rug out on the clean deck to make sure you have enough to cover the deck, then place it somewhere handy until you need it. If the rug came in a sturdy cardboard roll, save it for later use as a roll. The color of your rug is a very important detail to consider. Remember that dark colors attract and retain heat. Light colors will get dirty faster, but won’t require you to wear your shoes because the rug is too hot to walk on.

Step 7

If your plywood is still in good condition, you’ll need to remove the old carpet. Use a sharp knife and cut the carpet into strips at the seams of the cover and pull the strips by hand. There’s a good chance there will be some bits of carpet backing or other debris left behind and you don’t want clumps to form on your new carpet, so use a sharp instrument and scrape off as much of this material as possible. Some parts may stubbornly refuse to come off with a knife, so you may want to use a heat gun and scraper to remove any residue. In extreme cases, you may need to sand away residue with sandpaper or even a belt sander.

step 8

Use a paint roller to apply a generous amount of glue to the platform. Two gallons of glue are recommended for a 16 foot deck. Allow the water to “run off” the glue before applying the mat.

step 9

When the glue is tacky to the touch but before it becomes transparent, apply the mat. This should be done when the temperature is above 60°F and when the humidity is not too high. The cooler the temperatures (and higher the humidity), the longer it will take for the glue to dry. It is suggested that you keep the platform out of the elements and wait at least 24 hours, even when all conditions are optimal.

step 10

Put the rug in the back first. Lay the rug out flush with the edge. Keep it tight and straight. Remove wrinkles with your hands by pulling the rug to the front and sides. An efficient way to install the rug is to lay the rug in one go, fold back half of the rug and apply the glue paying special attention to covering the edges. Then place the glued half side down and use a roller to smooth out any air bubbles. Repeat this process on the second half of the rug. The glue should dry in an hour or so.

step 11

Staple the carpet along the back with stainless steel staples.

step 12

Using a floor roller, roller, or even the cardboard tube the rug came in, roll up the rug to make sure the rug is in contact with the plywood.

step 13

Staple the rest of the edges and trim off any excess carpet. Install the rim cap first. Place the entire rail on the platform and line it up into position. Use clamps to hold it in place. Some people suggest that you use all new stainless steel hardware. In our case, we were able to reuse the hardware that we retired.

step 14

Pull out the images to use to reinstall the hardware. Start with the rim cap and then return the rail to its correct location. Hold the railings in place. Place all furniture on the platform and secure using stainless steel fasteners with protective washers.

step 15

Reinstall the steering, throttle and shift cables. Recheck the pontoon steering by turning the steering left and right before the next launch to ensure a safe maiden voyage on your almost new pontoon.

step 16

Now is the time to protect your like new dock by purchasing an inexpensive dock cover with a 4 or 5 year warranty. This cover should eliminate the extra cleaning needed after the last rain storm or seagull flyby and will keep the look of your new carpet for a reasonable period of time instead of showing the rapid deterioration of the carpet that has been left behind. outside. in the sun for long periods of time.