How to Carpet a Jon Boat?
Last Updated on October 1, 2022
There is no special knowledge of how to carpet a Jon boat, although there are guidelines and procedures that will help you do it easily. The most important things to consider are getting the right measurement of the deck surface and reinstalling the objects that may get in the way of carpeting your Jon boat.
Jon boats are practical and basic. They offer the least comfort (except you customize yours), and that may hamper the great fishing experience you’ll expect to have on it. Although this is expected, because of its low cost and low maintenance, you can improve your sitting comfort by installing marine carpets on your Jon boat deck.
This piece is aimed at giving you the basic guidelines and procedures that help you install carpet on Jon boat with almost no difficulty. In essence, if you don’t know how to carpet a Jon boat or you think it’s impossible, you should know many have done it, and we will borrow from their knowledge to help you.
Materials to Carpet a Jon Boat
You will need to have some tools and materials in place to make your carpet installation an easy feat. Most of these materials and tools are easy to come by and you may already have some of them. They include:
- Marine carpet to lay over the deck surface.
- Adhesive to hold down the carpet and plywood.
- Plywood to give the deck an even flat surface.
- Hammer and Nails to hold down the plywood if the need arises.
- Cleaning supplies to clean the deck after removing the old deck covering.
- Measuring tape to measure the surface area of the deck.
How to Carpet a Jon Boat
Here are the procedures to follow to seamlessly carpet a Jon boat.
1. Remove objects from the boat’s surface
Chances are your boat has some features – such as fishing rod holders, seats, drink cup holders – installed on the deck. You will have to remove these installations to make it easier for you to install your marine carpet.
Ensure that the objects are cleaned and safely stowed away for later.
2. Remove existing carpet or deck covering
Once you have objects on the deck removed, it is time to remove the old carpet on the deck or if there isn’t one, there may be a covering on the deck. Remove that to expose the deck.
3. Clean the deck
The exposed deck should be cleaned thoroughly. It is time to use your cleaning supplies. The extent of cleaning depends on how dirty the deck surface is. However, you do not necessarily have to drown the deck surface in water. A simple sweep may be sufficient. If that doesn’t seem sufficient for you, you can scrub the surface, meaning you need to wait for it to dry before moving to the next step.
Ensure the deck surface is free of water before you do the next step.
4. Measure the deck surface area
Use your measuring tape to get the actual length and breadth of your deck. You may need special measuring tools to get the dimension of curves on your boat (that is usually rare). Repeat the measurements over and over, recording each outcome, to ensure accurate measurement figures.
Most Jon boats have flat ends, so you will probably have no difficulty measuring only lengths and breadths.
5. Ensure a flat surface
When the deck is exposed, you can easily see places on the deck that need work to ensure the surface is evenly flat. If there are such places on your boat, you can cut plywood to cover such areas. Hold the plywood down with nails.
Alternatively, if there are more areas like this on the boat, you may have to lay the plywood on the whole deck area. While doing this, ensure that the plywood does not flush with the sides of the boat. Make them dip a little; say about half an inch.
6. Cut the marine carpet to size
Transfer the measurements on your deck to the marine carpet. Mark the measurements on the carpet and give each measurement an excess of about one inch. For instance, if you measure the length of the boat to be 35 inches, mark your carpet at the 36 inches measure point.
7. Apply adhesive to the deck surface
Now, you have to apply adhesive to the clean deck surface. You will have to use a water-proof adhesive and apply it to the deck surface using a brush. Generously apply it to the surface, ensuring that you cover every inch of the deck.
You may have to avoid the points where you have removed objects if the adhesive will cause issues with reinstallation. However, apply the adhesive around the points where the objects will be.
8. Lay the marine carpet on the deck
Lay the marine carpet over the adhesive and on the deck surface. Because you have allowed an extra inch around the carpet, you should expect the marine carpet to overlap the flat deck surface. Also, the half-inch dip you allowed between the deck surface and tip of the boat sides should be occupied by the carpet.
You may need to apply adhesive to the underside of the carpet, which will rest on the inner sides of the boat. Apply some pressure to the surface, to stick the marine carpet to the deck surface.
9. Cut excess carpet
When you have secured the marine carpet and have it adhered to the deck, you will need to neatly cut the excess carpet hanging from the whole already on the deck. It is better to have measurement excesses than deficits, as it will make the installation neater.
Cut all excesses around the boat and add more adhesives if needed on the underside of the marine carpet.
10. Attach the object you removed
Retrieve the objects you removed, cleaned, and stowed away. Attach them to the deck as they used to be.
Conclusion
Stand back and admire your work. You now realize that it takes no special knowledge to get how to carpet a Jon boat. Now, you can venture into the waters and enjoy fishing in better comfort as the marine carpet provides some padding on the deck.
