Wanted to find out what others have used and installation approach when replacing the carpet. Staying with carpet, but what's there is reached it's useful life, age unknown (was there when previous owner purchased 5-1/2 years ago). Will be replacing from salon door all the way through each stateroom, up to and including the shelf midway up the hull in the master. The pieces for each stateroom floor and the companionway, will be edge bound for easy removal to hatch areas. The step areas on either side of the master berth will be stapled as will the vertical rise to them. The areas along the hull in each head and the sides of the forward master will be glued. My decision of how to treat each hinged ER hatch is the biggest concern I have. The two center hatches will be cutout, and edges rolled and stapled, along with the forward hatch to the water heater and storage area (adjacent to the galley). Currently, the hinged hatches are cutout and edge rolled and stapled on the transverse edges only, allowing them to be opened quite easily, the port being accessed merely by moving the sofas to starboard. However I like the look of only cutting out the center hatches and reducing the obvious joint. Insight from anyone that has replaced their carpet and your approach, along with any pictures would be helpful.
I did most everything as you describe. I just added a second layer of the same carpet as a "Runner" in the salon with bound edges. I made it so it only covers the exposed area of the salon custom fit up to the sofa, Hi-Lo table and barrel chairs. It took me a while to figure out a way to keep it from creeping toward the salon/cockpit door when people walked on it. I wound up semi permanently screwing down the forward edge of it with fender washers. I think there are 4 self tapping SS screws and I scored the fender washers on the bottom side so they would grip the carpet. No more creep and I just roll it forward when I need to access the engine room. My boat is a 43 by the way but this might work for you. I think it looks better than those fabric runners that are often used.
We did 24” x 24” carpet tiles and stapled them down with upholstery staples. We stapled the hatch areas separate and did not cut the tiles on the hatch areas but let them overlap so they could be opened. When all the hatches are down you cannot tell there are any hatches.
