Stepping onto a boat and hearing soggy carpet squish under your feet can take some of the joy out of a day on the water. Flooring has lots of obstacles, including sogginess, to overcome in a marine environment. Houseboaters need to take extra care to ensure their flooring can overcome these challenges because they spend extended periods of time on their boat. These flooring options can make houseboaters’ lives easier with features ranging from durability to easy of installation.

We have collected different flooring options currently on the market to help you find marine flooring that is suitable for the marine environment and your houseboat. Feel wonderful while walking around your houseboat with these flooring options.

Chilewich Basketweave

Chilewich produces marine flooring in a variety of sizes and forms, ranging from 18-inch square tiles to 72-inch wide rolls to meet your flooring needs. One of their most popular marine flooring options for houseboats is Basketweave. Like many other Chilewich products, Basketweave’s construction consists of signature Chilewich fabric and a vinyl backing. This construction gives Basketweave durability and versatility since it is strong enough to withstand outdoor and indoor use. This product’s durability is also seen in its ability to retain its color and texture over the years. In addition to its durability and the versatility of its application possibilities, Basketweave flooring comes in a range of color options so houseboaters can find a style they love.

Like Chilewich’s other flooring products, Basketweave flooring is kept in peak condition with maintenance. Fortunately, it offers easy maintenance. It can be spot cleaned with soap and water or vacuumed. In addition to being a family-owned company, Chilewich makes all of its flooring products, including Basketweave and other products, such as their Wave and Dart collections, available in the USA. (www.chilewich.com)

Infinity Diamonds

Infinity manufactures multiple Luxury Woven Vinyl marine flooring products that can make a houseboat feel more like a home. Their Diamonds collection, a product in their Classic Collection Series, provides flooring that is both durable and aesthetically-pleasing. Like other Infinity flooring products, the Diamonds collection offers a heavy-traffic rated backing system that resists delamination, has antimicrobial properties, and uses stain-resistant technology. These features provide a level of durability suitable for a houseboat’s marine environment. In addition to durability, the Diamonds collection offers a beautiful pattern that blends seamlessly with any houseboat's decor since it is available in seven different colors. 

These aren’t all the features Infinity’s Diamonds Collection can offer houseboaters. Houseboat flooring has a lot of room and tight corners to cover, and Infinity is prepared to meet these needs; utilizing their CNC table with its 10- by 22-foot cutting capacity, Infinity is capable of handling difficult templates without sacrificing precision. Furthermore, Infinity can meet even more of a houseboat’s unique flooring needs because it is applicable indoors or outdoors. (www.infinitylwv.com) [Infinity Photo Credit: Set Innovacion]

MariDeck Ultra FB

DeckRite LLC offers a variety of walkable marine vinyl membrane products. Their product MariDeck is available in both vinyl and a woven vinyl known as MariDeck Ultra FB. Like other MariDeck products, MariDeck Ultra FB, the product pictured here, can be installed on multiple surfaces, including fiberglass, wood and metal, so it’s applicable for a houseboat. 

MariDeck Ultra FB and MariDeck vinyl are available in a 102-inch width, and traditional MariDeck vinyl can be purchased in a 72-inch width. While MariDeck Ultra FB only comes in an 80-inch thickness option, MariDeck vinyl comes in 80 mil and 40 mil thickness options, so boaters can decide how much flooring they want between their feet and the boat’s surface.

All MariDeck products utilize an exclusive polymer formulation for long-term performance. It is waterproof, slip-resistant and easy to maintain and clean. MariDeck contains UV stabilizers to resist fading caused by sun exposure and are available in a variety of colors and patterns. MariDeck is sold direct to OEMs and is also available through marine distributors and Internet retailers. (www.marideck.net)

Nautikflӧr

Though it is used in residential and commercial markets, Nautikflӧr synthetic teak flooring was originally created for the marine trades and boating industries. This marine flooring looks like hardwood due to high definition digital printing, but it weighs less than traditional hardwood and requires less maintenance than wood flooring. 

In addition to these advantages, Nautikflӧr avoids common damage seen in marine flooring due to water absorption because its panels are constructed from a 100 percent waterproof PVC Hydro-board. Plus, moving around the boat is quieter and more comfortable with a sound-reducing comfort underlay. The panels are topped with a UV resistant hardening lacquer with non-slip wood grain as well to provide protection from damage caused by the sun and prevent slipping.

In addition to these features, Nautikflӧr offers an easy installation. The boards require glue on the bottom for installation, but they don’t need an adhesive to be combined together due to their utilization of an interlocking click system for application, which allows the boards to simply be clicked together. To increase the appeal, Nautikflӧr offers a 20-year warranty on this product. (www.nautikflor.com)

PlasDECK Eco Series

For houseboaters who love the appearance of teak decking but don’t love its disadvantages, the PlasDECK Eco Series, a Miami International Boat Show Innovation Award winner, is a possible flooring option. 

The Eco Series, a synthetic teak marine flooring product, is constructed from the same long-lasting flexible PVC material seen in classic PlasDECK boat decking. The top layer of the Eco Series has the same teak deck appearance seen in PlasDECK’s other marine flooring options. However, it additionally features a black base layer made from recycled PlasDECK material. This unique construction provides the appearance of a teak deck while maintaining an environment-friendly boat. In addition, the use of recycled materials lowers the product’s material costs, allowing PlasDECK to offer the panels at an economical price.

The best installation option the PlasDECK Eco Series has for houseboaters is the PlasDECK Eco Series sheets. This option is suitable for larger boats. The sheets are rolled for shipping and then trimmed to fit onsite by the customer. This installation contributes to their economical price by reducing shop time for welding borders or CNC cutting the panels to shape. (www.plasdeck.com)

Durabak

For houseboaters looking to protect the surface of their deck, Durabak is a great option. Durabak is a non-slip, polyurethane coating that can be applied to aluminum, fiberglass, wood and metal boats and docks. Durabak offers four reasons to protect your deck’s surface with it: safety, comfort, protection and ease of application. 

Durabak provides safety because it utilizes rubber granules to provide a non-slip textured coating, ensuring passengers can safely traverse the deck. Furthermore, Durabak’s rubber granules encased in a flexible polyurethane coating offer a more comfortable surface than other coatings. Durabak also offers protective features to preserve your houseboat’s surfaces, such as resistance to corrosion,which includes a resistance to salt water damage; a flexibility that prevents chipping and peeling; UV resistance; and its extreme impact protection and scratch resistance.

Additionally, for houseboaters who enjoy a DIY project around the houseboat, Durabak offers an easy three-step application process, and it can be applied by brush, roll, or spray. Available in multiple color options, Durabak has a lot to offer houseboaters. (www.durabakcompany.com)