ok the project is going along good i have rebuilt the bays now what to do for floors
of bays ? the monico had plastic tar paper and then plywood but that let dampness
traped ? at first i was going to weld in a steel floor then plywood but am now thinking
that the steel will sweat and rot the plywood so what if i just use plywood but undercoat
it first help ?
You might consider PT plywood.
I used pressure treated plywood when I redid our bays last summer, I bolted it thru the metal crosssers uner it with stainless carriage bolts.
That is what I did. I used 3/4" pressure treated plywood supported by square steel tube on 2' centers.
Why not aluminum like a lot of bus bay floors? I suppose it might be expensive and hard to find in Central America. No need to cover the aluminum.
ok thats what i was thinking the bays are all 2x2 steel framed and cross braced and painted with
rustolum so just paint pt plywood and install and done
Marine plywood or pressure treated foundation grade would make a great choice for a bay
The treatment is far better then average treated plywood
Lonnie
Sorry for my ignorance, what means "pressure treated" plywood ???
Pressure treated with preservatives I assume. Most timber for outdoor use is treated this way, but I've never seen good quality plywood treated like this - usually it's just cheap shuttering or flooring grade ply in my experience. I think I'd rather use something better and seal it with epoxy paint or resin, as you would on a boat for instance.
My bay floors incidentally appear to be some sort of laminated material - plywood with something like thick Formica on both sides. The top side has a textured pattern moulded into it, presumably to stop luggage sliding about.
Jeremy
I agree with that observation about most pressure treated plywood. But this was a high quality one under the brand name "Yellow Wood".
It had a good finish, not furniture or cabinet making grade by any means, but none of the usual splitting or knots that most pressure treated plywood has. And one thing I remember clearly - it was HEAVY. I've had it for about a year and driven in some heavy rain and parked in very wet areas and it is holding up very well.
I used plywood. Painted all surfaces with fiberglass resin. Then covered with a nice low pile carpet.
When I redid the floor in my battery bay, I used PT-Marine grade 3/4" ply and painted over it with a quality epoxy paint (black). 2 years later and still looks like new except for the bolt heads. I used galvenized and the battery fumes have corroded them. One of these days when I run out of projects I'll replace with stainless. Not sure what I was thinking at the time LOL. Good luck with your project, Will
I saw a bus with the bays using interlocking PVC deck boards looked great and was I told it was stronger and better than plywood.
good luck
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