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What Is the Best Pontoon Boat Flooring?

By Kyle Schurman

Created: Apr, 2021 - Modified: Mar, 2024

The right pontoon boat flooring will provide protection for the boat from all kinds of weather, including sun damage and water damage. A marine environment is tough on all kinds of materials, which means pontoon owners may need to put together a replacement of the original factory installed flooring for the boat after a few years.

Some of the best pontoon boat flooring options to consider for a DIY replacement install include PVC plastic and carpet with foam backing.

Products consisting of these materials should provide long lasting performance, even in a highly humid area near the water that’s frequently exposed to rough weather.

Additionally, the marine flooring often provides structural integrity and reinforcement for the pontoon, so it has to have some firmness to it.

It needs to be able to support the weight of whatever items the boat owner wants to place over the top of it, including furniture or equipment needed to operate the pontoon.

Whether using the watercraft to try to catch fish or to enjoy a lazy day traveling on the lake, the right flooring improves the experience.

Is PVC Durable Enough for Installation in a Pontoon?

One of the biggest benefits of installing the right PVC mats as pontoon boat flooring is that it will look amazing for a long period of time, even when exposed to the harsh weather that’s frequently found in marine environments.

wet area matting rolls on boat deckVynagrip Matting offers this type of durability, while also delivering an extremely slip resistant surface that will look great in any kind of boat.

What Type of Flooring Helps Excess Water Drain Away?

Patio Outdoor TileThe Patio Outdoor Tile product works nicely as a pontoon boat flooring selection, thanks to the perforations that extend all the way through the PVC plastic tile. Additionally, PVC will not absorb water, making it a perfect choice in an area constantly exposed to water.

Should the pontoon end up with quite a bit of water on the inside of the boat after a trip, the water on the floor will travel through the perforated tiles to reach the boat’s drain.

PVC works nicely across the floor for the pontoon, as PVC plastic is flexible and provides just a little bit of cushioning, making it comfortable, even when people are walking across it in bare feet. It’s also very slip resistant.

The solid colors available for the Patio Outdoor Tile include gray, terra cotta, and blue.

Is It Possible to Install Carpet As Boat Flooring?

Carpet provides a warm type of flooring for almost any use case, but it may seem unlikely that carpet can stand up to the kind of wet environment found in a boat. With the right kind of carpet product, though, it will work nicely as a floor for a pontoon.

Royal Interlocking Carpet TileThe Royal Interlocking Carpet Tile product is the best choice for a marine environment. It is waterproof and odor-proof, so it stands up well to regular dampness.

The manufacturer bonds the carpet to an EVA foam base, which delivers a level of cushioning. This foam allows installers to place the carpet tiles directly over the top of a firm floor in the base of the pontoon without the need for additional padding.

Colors available in the carpet tiles include blue, charcoal, dark gray, light gray, green, and tan. Something to keep in mind when installing this type of flooring in your pontoon, however, is that the thick foam will expand and contract with temperature fluctuations and sunlight exposure, so you’ll need to leave room for this to take place.