Composite decking for securing fuel tank

[VVelez216]

Thinking about using composite decking to secure fuel tank, not sure how it will hold up though with the salty seas. I wanna put 3 braces on top where the old 2by4's were, and possibly two in front of tank and another 2 in the back. What do you guys think? Has any one use this material before for any kind of boating?

[RWilson2526]

Never used it personally but I cant see why it would not be a good choice....I see that stuff used all the time in construction on beach homes and such and it seems to hold up well....plus if you seal everything up right I dont see it ever getting actually wet....maybe our resident builder (lumberslinger) can tell us if one composite is better than another for salt/beach type installations.

[VVelez216]

I can't see why it would'nt work. Durable and water resistant! I can kreg jig it in.

[Curapa]

As someone that uses composite decking somewhat regularly I would advise against it. It is not a structural material and I can foresee fasteners breaking loose while banging around on the water.

What about foaming the gas tank in? It wouldn't take much foam. I would at least use wood with a hot coat of resin.

[RWilson2526]

Originally Posted by Curapa

As someone that uses composite decking somewhat regularly I would advise against it. It is not a structural material and I can foresee fasteners breaking loose while banging around on the water.

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I dont think it would be used as a structural member...really just more as blocking or shimming so to speak...Although he would have to find a way to attach it the stringers and boat bottom and I will defer to your expertise if you think it wont hold fasteners well.

[VVelez216]

Originally Posted by RWilson2526

I dont think it would be used as a structural member...really just more as blocking or shimming so to speak...Although he would have to find a way to attach it the stringers and boat bottom and I will defer to your expertise if you think it wont hold fasteners well.

yes, it will be used more for shiming and blocking, just to keep the tank in place from bouncing around, i can use them as wedges as well. Someone on this site mentioned starboard but I haven"t looked into yet. Using foam causes rot as it holds moisture and after some time it will sit in there like a sponge increasing more weight.

[Curapa]

Just know that not all composites are the same. Many companies have lawsuits filed against them for not honoring their warranty after the boards deteriorate. I have seen more than a few brands (including the most notorious Trex) deteriorate and crumble into pieces. There have been major advancements in the generations of composite lumber. The only really good ones now are the boards encapsulated in PVC.

If you don't want to use wood then Azek or similar material will probably hold up better. Azek is a PVC board and can be found at many local lumber yards. Home Depot and Lowes usually also stocks PVC trim bade by different manufactures. Any should be sufficient for your application but I still wouldn't trust the fasteners to hold in a boating situation. A good PVC will hold the pieces just as well as fasteners though. Combine the two and you should be O.K.

FWIW I may pull the foam out of my boat when I re-do my floor but I will keep the foam around the tank and I have tons of composite drops laying around. There is just not a better support for the tank than foam.

[wellcraft232]

i am new to boating can any one tell me what wellcraft make the ribs under the floor out of?