Question on deck tiles

[CaptLuke]

What is the purpose of deck tiles? Is it for cushion? Or traction? How do they adhere to the deck? Are they removed easily?

Im going to look at a boat that has them in a few weeks. From the pictures they look to be in poor shape and sloppily laid around the deck. The boat isn't really on the market right now but the owner said he's willing to sell. Ive been told the boat has been cleaned up a bit since the pictures just wondering if the tiles come off easily.

 

[F/V First Team]

The deck tiles I've put on were for added weight and to limit the amount of wear on the deck. Maybe some traction. The sheer weight of the 4'x6' interlocking tiles kept them in place.

 

[CaptLuke]

Thanks first team! They look smaller then 4' x 6' maybe 1' x 3/4' or 1.5' x 1' in the pictures they look kinda all over the place so I guess they aren't glued down. they must be just protecting the deck. It's on a BHM so I don't think they are looking to add weight it's no speed demon!

 

[steveinak]

I think what your talking about is bridge plank & i think they are bedded in a roof cement(tar) like product. I'd think heating them up with some kind of propane torch to soften them up a bit and peel them up with a ice chopper/scraper or a flat shovel would do the trick. When i worked on draggers we would use one of those funnel shaped tar containers(like used by hiway crews) to seal the seams and painted them with white line paint to keep them from getting to hot and soft in the summer sun.

 

[Roy-c]

Our 44 Stanley has deck tiles. They were on it when we bought it. The 12"x18" tiles are no longer made since last year. The company even scrapped the machinery so I don't think they will be made by anyone in the future. We removed some to do some deck work and it is a real bitch. Even heating with a shrink wrap torch didn't help much. They are held down with roofing tar and the clean up afterward is also a time consuming dirty job. We were fortunate to get the last of the existing tiles to patch the area but if you buy a boat with shabby ones you need to take the huge amount of work to remove them into account when you talk price. They are also very heavy.

 

[CaptLuke]

Our 44 Stanley has deck tiles. They were on it when we bought it. The 12"x18" tiles are no longer made since last year. The company even scrapped the machinery so I don't think they will be made by anyone in the future. We removed some to do some deck work and it is a real bitch. Even heating with a shrink wrap torch didn't help much. They are held down with roofing tar and the clean up afterward is also a time consuming dirty job. We were fortunate to get the last of the existing tiles to patch the area but if you buy a boat with shabby ones you need to take the huge amount of work to remove them into account when you talk price. They are also very heavy.

I think those are the ones on the boat. I have no need for them I was hoping to just scrape them up and repaint the deck. I can imagine the tar is a real b**** to get off. Ill have to see what the whole story is. The boat isn't on the market anymore but I contacted the broker it was originally listed with and he claimed she was cleaned up after she was taken off the market. Maybe he did the work for me. Ill have to see if I can get some updated photos. Thank you guys for your help

 

[Prdlobster]

We use gas and a rag to clean the tar off of our steel decks. Don't know if it would damage other types of deck surfaces...

 

[twister]

E-10 gas is bas news for resin nit sure if it would be bad since it could evaporate washing a deck

 

[jwalka51]

is it that blue one with the big volvo in it by chance???