Hard top on top deck of houseboat

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chrisut

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Has anyone added a hard deck to the top floor of their houseboat? I'm understanding that the hard deck makes the temperature modulation much easier. I also think it would be nice to give extra room there, and then have the ability to use the very top as a Sundeck. Any direction on where to look for this would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hi Chris, it's done all the time, depends what boat you have, as to practicality and cost. To add a structural hardtop entails having a substantial boat underneath.. What are you wanting to put this on ???
 

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I'm looking at a couple of the old Sumerset rental boats. Thinking it would be really nice to give it a hard upper deck cover with a Sundeck on top. Another added benefit of this is that it would no longer look like it was one of the retired rental boats.
 
Boat would be 59x14. Hard top probably 25-30' x 14. But if it's too expensive is wouldn't be worth doing...
 
I would think, with all the prices I hear with any reputable boat shop in the area, north and south, you might be talking over $ 20,000.00... :eek:
 
I can't afford to finish my little 12 x 16, non structural composite, and I'm building it myself... Of course I was self-unemployed most of my adult life, and did a VERY good job at it...:p
 

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Mondo put a hard top on his, but it was just for shade, and to mount the solar panels on to. Came out really nice.
 
We built a shade on the old boat before it burned down. I think it was 12x14 or so but it was just a soft top. I think that's the reason that I want a hardtop so much more, this even with the shade the top was still pretty much unusable as it was too hot.
 
Just another thought, just the sunbrella makes a world of difference, up top and inside my Boatel. You could do a shade top, only, that be so much better than the direct sun. I put some misters and solar rope lights up and it make a lot more comfort and space and a couple of electric fans would help a lot, and you could move them where you want. Much cheaper than a structural hardtop. Mondo's is a hardtop, I'm pretty sure he could point you in the right direction. I live in SE Co. 550 miles from the lake, and not easy getting there often enough...
 
I should add that I have an allergy to paying for the soft fabric, that has to be put up and taken down each trip. Or buy a new top every couple of years @ $1,000.00 or more a pop...
 
I found Don's Boat Shop in page that has a web page dedicated to this stuff. I'll have to give them a call this next week and see if I can get a rough seat of the pants estimate. Their Gallery looks like they've done it to a few boats.
http://www.donnsboatshop.com
Maybe mondo will see this thread and chime in about his experience.
 
I got a rough estimate from Donn's boat shop. $300/foot to put a hard cover on an already existing top, $1300/ft to put a structure cover on. I think that's out of my range, but it would be a relatively inexpensive way to make an existing boat much larger.
 
Chris, was that rough estimate per square foot or lineal foot. Can't be square foot. What size would that estimate cover, and is that cover only over an existing frame ?
 
that was per lineal foot, on the non structural, it was to cover an existing structure with hard material. The sizes I gave were a 20' existing soft top and an additional 20' of structural hard top.
 
If you have a decent frame, I could build you a fiberglass composite top much cheaper than that.
 
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