DIY Boat Floor

Measure the inside hull with a tape measure. Measure the length of both sides of the hull, inside, from the bow (the front of the boat) to the stern (the back of the boat). Measure the width of the boat at the widest point, in the middle of the boat, and at the bow and stern. Write all the measurements down on a piece of paper.

Cut a 8-by-4-foot plywood sheet, 1 inch thick, to match the measurements of the hull, using a tape measure and jigsaw.

Mark the cut plywood sheet at the places where the seats of the boat are. For example, a simple wooden boat will usually have two flat seats. These seats resemble a flat board that sits the width of the boat. Mark the plywood sheet with the location of the front and back of each seat on the boat.

Cut 1 inch away from the plywood sheet in the middle of the two areas drawn to represent the seats, width-wise, across the plywood. This will make three sections of boat floor.

Mark the inside hull at the level where the boat floor will sit, using the tape measure and marker. This will be 16 inches down from the edge of the boat.

Install a 2-by-2-by-2-inch wooden cleat for holding the plywood floor along the mark on the hull at 6-inch intervals, using 3-inch deck screws and a cordless drill.

Cut a 48-by-2-by-2-inch wooden board to 4 inches shorter than the width of the hull at the middle, stern and bow, using a circular saw.

Insert the three lengths of 2-by-2-inch wooden boards at the middle, stern and bow of the boat between two cleats. Screw the boards to the cleats using 3-inch deck screws at a 45-degree angle and a cordless drill. These three boards are the support boards.

Lay the plywood boat floor sections on the cleats and support boards. Screw the plywood to the cleats, support boards and the legs of the seats, using 3-inch deck screws. The legs of the seats are 2-by-4-inch boards coming down from the seat into the hull.

Cut outdoor carpeting to the same measurements as the plywood boat floor, using the tape measure and a utility knife.

Spread epoxy across the entire plywood boat flooring using a paintbrush. There must not be any section or edge that has not been covered. The epoxy will glue the carpeting to the flooring and assist in waterproofing the boat floor.

Place the outdoor carpeting on the boat floor, pushing from the middle of the boat out toward the hull to eliminate air bubbles under the carpet.