- Joined
- Apr 27, 2010
- Location
- Bethlehem, Georgia
I was able to replace my carpet myself for less than $300
Carefully remove your old carpet & use it as a template. When I cut my carpet on my driveway, I placed a piece of plywood under the carpet before cutting. Also change your cutting blades often.
I used these instructions when I replaced mine. I had to buy a rivet gun for my lids. Ranger put a chrome ring around my lids. I had to drill out the rivets.
Copy & paste the instruction to a word doc. Then print it off to have with you to refer to as needed.
_____________________________________________________________
So, it is time to replace your worn out bass boat carpet. Well, before you begin, it is best to get all your tools and materials together. Here is what we recommend you have on hand to properly carpet a bass boat:
Tools
1. Utility Knife [carpet cutting style
2. Plenty of utility blades
3. Small clamps [8] If needed for the lid edges.
4. Screw drivers - flat and Phillips
5. Channel locks or pliers
6. A straight edge
7. Drill, with a stripping wheel
8. Scraper
9. Magic marker
10. Tape measure
11. A few disposable paintbrushes
12. Vacuum
13. Plenty of rags
14. A large flat working area.
Materials:
1. A good outdoor marine carpet glue
2. Marine carpet I used the 20oz carpet, it was worth the extra money & will last longer
3. Tubes of liquid nail (optional for wrapping edges of lids, may damage carpet)
Now, let's get started. First, inspect your bass boat carpet. If you look at the rubber backing, you will notice the grain. It is very important to get the grain going in the same direction on the entire bass boat. Always keep the grain in your mind.
Remove all your storage compartment lids and hardware. After the bass boat is stripped, it is time to scrape, scrape, scrape. Make sure you get all the old marine glue off. After scraping the old glue off everywhere the bass boat was carpeted, take your drill with the stripping wheel and go over the areas that had glue on them. The cleaner the surface, the better. Vacuum and wipe the areas down.(I didn't worry about getting all the glue off, just what I could, the wire wheel didn't work for me. So don't worry about getting every bit. Just the loose stuff )
Now, set all of your compartments back on the bass boat, the way they were before you removed the carpet. Take your black magic marker and draw an arrow on the lids, and boat, the way the grain will go. This will help you to face the grain in the right direction.
(when I cut my carpet, I took the new carpet laid it face down (with the grain direction you want) on the plywood on the driveway, Laid my old carpet face down on the new carpet as close to the edge(not to waste any carpet), Used my marker to outline the old carpet(drawing on the backing of the new carpet), then cut the carpet outside of the line leaving a little extra all around, about a 1/2" extra)
Time to measure and cut the boat carpet, starting with the bass boat deck first. Take a rough measurement; make sure you allow more than enough carpet, so you can trim it. Make sure your grain is going in the right direction. Work on one section at a time. Once you get the marine carpet cut to the rough sizes for each section of the bass boat deck, you can glue it. Trowel the glue onto the cleaned surface (don't be stingy with the marine glue). Then lay the carpet on the bass boat [it helps to have another person for this]. Situate the boat carpet where you want it, and then start pressing and rubbing the carpet down, from the center to the edges. Let the excess carpet over hang the edges for now. Then follow the same procedure and work your way back to the back of the bass boat. Now, it is time to trim to fit. Press the boat carpet to the edges where you want to trim it. Take a Phillips screwdriver and run it along the edge, with pressure, where the trim cut will be. You will notice the screwdriver will make a line on the edge. This is where you will cut it. Always do the cut on a 45-degree angle. Take your time and do the cut, then press the marine carpet around the edges. You can come back later and do more trimming after the glue dries. That takes care of the bass boat's deck.
Now, on to the lids. Before you do any cutting, check the grain. Take a rough measurement of the lid, remember you are going to wrap the marine carpet around the lid, and back up the inner wall. It is best to add an extra inch to each side of the lid, this way you have more than enough carpet. Make sure you keep changing the blades after every few cuts. Also make sure the lids have been wiped down, and then apply the glue on the top of the lid. Lay your boat carpet on a flat surface with the backing up [remember the grain], then take the lid, top down, and place the lid on the cut carpet. You have to center the lid on the carpet. The best way we've found to carpet the lids is to carpet all of them as a group. This way you can cut all the corners and wrap all the lid sides at one time. Now turn the carpeted lid over and press and rub the marine carpet from the center out to the edges.
After the lids are pretty much dried, cut the corners out. Place the lid, carpet side face down on a flat surface and cut the corners with a blade. Cut all the corners this way, and wrap the boat carpet over the sides to check fit. Take your time - if you cut it wrong, you may have to carpet the lid all over again.
Time to wrap the carpet over the edges. Apply the marine adhesive inside and out (some people prefer to use liquid nails for this step, as it sets up quicker and you only need it for a small area. You need to be careful though, as Liquid Nails can damage the rubber backing on marine carpet). Now wrap the boat carpet around the lid edges, pressing and rubbing at the same time. Once the boat carpet is holding to the edges, take your Phillips screw driver and run it down the lid top where it meets the edges. Press hard so it is tight to the corner. Take your utility knife (with a new, sharp blade) and do your cut on a 45 degree angle. Then press and rub the areas to make the carpet stick better.
Cut out the areas where your handles go on the lids, and install them, along with the hinges. Re-install your bass boat lids, and all other hardware on the bass boat. Now, stand back and look at what you have accomplished. A lot of work, but not only does your bass boat look great, you have saved yourself about $1,200
Instructions by: Boat carpet store. My commentary in blue
Carefully remove your old carpet & use it as a template. When I cut my carpet on my driveway, I placed a piece of plywood under the carpet before cutting. Also change your cutting blades often.
I used these instructions when I replaced mine. I had to buy a rivet gun for my lids. Ranger put a chrome ring around my lids. I had to drill out the rivets.
Copy & paste the instruction to a word doc. Then print it off to have with you to refer to as needed.
_____________________________________________________________
So, it is time to replace your worn out bass boat carpet. Well, before you begin, it is best to get all your tools and materials together. Here is what we recommend you have on hand to properly carpet a bass boat:
Tools
1. Utility Knife [carpet cutting style
2. Plenty of utility blades
3. Small clamps [8] If needed for the lid edges.
4. Screw drivers - flat and Phillips
5. Channel locks or pliers
6. A straight edge
7. Drill, with a stripping wheel
8. Scraper
9. Magic marker
10. Tape measure
11. A few disposable paintbrushes
12. Vacuum
13. Plenty of rags
14. A large flat working area.
Materials:
1. A good outdoor marine carpet glue
2. Marine carpet I used the 20oz carpet, it was worth the extra money & will last longer
3. Tubes of liquid nail (optional for wrapping edges of lids, may damage carpet)
Now, let's get started. First, inspect your bass boat carpet. If you look at the rubber backing, you will notice the grain. It is very important to get the grain going in the same direction on the entire bass boat. Always keep the grain in your mind.
Remove all your storage compartment lids and hardware. After the bass boat is stripped, it is time to scrape, scrape, scrape. Make sure you get all the old marine glue off. After scraping the old glue off everywhere the bass boat was carpeted, take your drill with the stripping wheel and go over the areas that had glue on them. The cleaner the surface, the better. Vacuum and wipe the areas down.(I didn't worry about getting all the glue off, just what I could, the wire wheel didn't work for me. So don't worry about getting every bit. Just the loose stuff )
Now, set all of your compartments back on the bass boat, the way they were before you removed the carpet. Take your black magic marker and draw an arrow on the lids, and boat, the way the grain will go. This will help you to face the grain in the right direction.
(when I cut my carpet, I took the new carpet laid it face down (with the grain direction you want) on the plywood on the driveway, Laid my old carpet face down on the new carpet as close to the edge(not to waste any carpet), Used my marker to outline the old carpet(drawing on the backing of the new carpet), then cut the carpet outside of the line leaving a little extra all around, about a 1/2" extra)
Time to measure and cut the boat carpet, starting with the bass boat deck first. Take a rough measurement; make sure you allow more than enough carpet, so you can trim it. Make sure your grain is going in the right direction. Work on one section at a time. Once you get the marine carpet cut to the rough sizes for each section of the bass boat deck, you can glue it. Trowel the glue onto the cleaned surface (don't be stingy with the marine glue). Then lay the carpet on the bass boat [it helps to have another person for this]. Situate the boat carpet where you want it, and then start pressing and rubbing the carpet down, from the center to the edges. Let the excess carpet over hang the edges for now. Then follow the same procedure and work your way back to the back of the bass boat. Now, it is time to trim to fit. Press the boat carpet to the edges where you want to trim it. Take a Phillips screwdriver and run it along the edge, with pressure, where the trim cut will be. You will notice the screwdriver will make a line on the edge. This is where you will cut it. Always do the cut on a 45-degree angle. Take your time and do the cut, then press the marine carpet around the edges. You can come back later and do more trimming after the glue dries. That takes care of the bass boat's deck.
Now, on to the lids. Before you do any cutting, check the grain. Take a rough measurement of the lid, remember you are going to wrap the marine carpet around the lid, and back up the inner wall. It is best to add an extra inch to each side of the lid, this way you have more than enough carpet. Make sure you keep changing the blades after every few cuts. Also make sure the lids have been wiped down, and then apply the glue on the top of the lid. Lay your boat carpet on a flat surface with the backing up [remember the grain], then take the lid, top down, and place the lid on the cut carpet. You have to center the lid on the carpet. The best way we've found to carpet the lids is to carpet all of them as a group. This way you can cut all the corners and wrap all the lid sides at one time. Now turn the carpeted lid over and press and rub the marine carpet from the center out to the edges.
After the lids are pretty much dried, cut the corners out. Place the lid, carpet side face down on a flat surface and cut the corners with a blade. Cut all the corners this way, and wrap the boat carpet over the sides to check fit. Take your time - if you cut it wrong, you may have to carpet the lid all over again.
Time to wrap the carpet over the edges. Apply the marine adhesive inside and out (some people prefer to use liquid nails for this step, as it sets up quicker and you only need it for a small area. You need to be careful though, as Liquid Nails can damage the rubber backing on marine carpet). Now wrap the boat carpet around the lid edges, pressing and rubbing at the same time. Once the boat carpet is holding to the edges, take your Phillips screw driver and run it down the lid top where it meets the edges. Press hard so it is tight to the corner. Take your utility knife (with a new, sharp blade) and do your cut on a 45 degree angle. Then press and rub the areas to make the carpet stick better.
Cut out the areas where your handles go on the lids, and install them, along with the hinges. Re-install your bass boat lids, and all other hardware on the bass boat. Now, stand back and look at what you have accomplished. A lot of work, but not only does your bass boat look great, you have saved yourself about $1,200
Instructions by: Boat carpet store. My commentary in blue