If you’re one of the lucky ones that own a pontoon boat, you most likely spend your summer days hanging around with your friends while enjoying a cold glass of your favorite beverage. However, all of this will require you to have a solid and safe pontoon deck, which might not be the case if you’ve used your boat for a couple of years.
So, if your pontoon deck is showing signs of decay, you must replace it as soon as you can, mostly because it can pose a major safety hazard. However, with so many material options available on the market, you might be wondering which one you should opt for. To make things easier for you, here are the top wooden materials that you could use for a pontoon deck:
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Plywood That Has Been Chemically Treated
One of the first materials that you could opt for is plywood that has been treated with various chemicals so that it becomes completely resistant to liquids. According to Atlanticboat.ie that provides pontoon services, the chemicals used will prevent it from rotting and decaying, thus, it’s considered to be a high-quality material. Besides it being resistant to water, rotting, and decay, it can also repel different insects, algae, and fungi, and it’s incredibly durable and strong, meaning that it’ll last for a long time.
Besides these amazing benefits, you should be aware of some drawbacks as well, mostly because it’ll make it easier for you to opt for new decking material. For starters, it’s extremely heavy, meaning that you might not be able to install it because of the boat you own. Also, stains can appear if your drop food on it and it’ll always require you to use protective equipment while installing it, hence, it might end up costing more than you initially planned.
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Marine-Class Plywood
There is a wide range of marine-class plywood that you could opt for, and although most people think that it’s water-resistant because of its name, it isn’t. Why isn’t it waterproof? Well, it’s simple, it won’t be treated with different chemicals, thus, they won’t be able to repel water, rot, and algae. Nonetheless, it’s still one of the most durable and high-quality options available on the market, which is why you might want to consider it.
Some of the benefits that might appeal to you are that it’s incredibly lightweight, meaning that it’ll be easy to install it on your pontoon boat, it’ll last for a long period because it’s quite strong and manufactured with waterproof glue, and in most situations, you won’t be able to find any defects that could impact how safe your deck is. The only disadvantage to choosing this option is that it’s not waterproof, which is why you might want to add the following material option…
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Mini Mesh Anti-Slip Grating
If you opt for one of the options that aren’t waterproof, you could opt for placing a mini mesh anti-slip grating over it. This particular material is completely lightweight, it’s durable and strong, and it’s suitable for a wide range of surfaces including pontoon decks. It’s worth mentioning that it can last for over five decades, it’s completely anti-slip, and it can guarantee the safety of your deck, so, if you want to, you can opt for directly replacing your deck with it or placing it on top of a different surface to ensure safety.
You should keep in mind, there are companies that offer a wide range of sizes, colors, and finishes for their mesh grating, hence, before you opt for something specific, it might be best for you to consult with an expert just so you could choose something suitable for yourself. Because of this, it might make the entire process of replacing your pontoon deck a bit more time-consuming, which is one of the drawbacks you might want to be aware of.
Check out https://www.minimeshgrating.co.uk/ for more details.
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Boards Made From Composite Materials
The most popular option on this list is, perhaps, boards manufactured from composite materials. In most cases, they consist of a mixture of wood and plastic, which means that they’re incredibly lightweight, easy to maintain, and resistant to mold, insects, water, and algae. Additionally, the surface of the boards is completely smooth, which means that you could install them without the screws being visible.
But, like all the other materials we’ve mentioned, this one also has some drawbacks that you should be aware of if you want to make a suitable decision. Now, even though they’re completely easy to maintain, you cannot use a pressure washer on them, mostly because the color and coating will peel off. Also, out of all the things we’ve mentioned, it’s more expensive, meaning that it might not be suitable for you if you’re working with a tighter budget.
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Vinyl Boards
Last on our list of options, but definitely suitable for pontoon decks are vinyl boards. Although they aren’t wooden, people still opt for them, mostly because of how they look. Like everything else we’ve mentioned in our list, they’re also quite durable, water-resistant, low maintenance, and they’re also quite skid-resistant, hence, you won’t need to worry about your deck rotting or decaying after a year or two.
However, it’s worth mentioning that you won’t be able to install it by yourself. What does this mean? Well, it means that you’ll have to hire a professional to do it instead of you, mostly because it can get quite complicated to set and install the boards to suit the surface you’re working with. Also, the boards are incredibly expensive and it’ll cost you additionally to hire a professional, which might not be suitable for you.
Conclusion
If you’re getting your pontoon boat ready for the summer, more specifically, if you want to replace its deck, you should opt for one of the materials we’ve mentioned in our article above. Not only are most of the water-resistant, but they’re also incredibly durable, which is something that can guarantee that your deck is safe for your use.
Since you’re now well aware of the options you have, you really shouldn’t spend any more of your free time reading articles similar to this one. Instead, you should open up your browser, do some additional research on the options we’ve mentioned, and once you make a decision, start looking for an organization that’ll provide you with high-quality, durable pontoon deck materials.
