The carpet on my tin boat is wore out, so I started to rip it up and discovered that the carpet actually wrapped around the aluminum deck plates. I had known they were riveted in place, what I didn't know was about half were broke or missed the framing. I also discovered one support brace is broken, right under the trolling motor. My question is when I go to put it back together should I have the plates welded in or just go with rivets and an epoxy? BTW I'm not going to wrap the new carpet around the plates. Seemed pretty stupid to do that in the first place. The deck plates are only 1/16th of an inch thick

Welding is always 100% stronger than any rivet, I would get it welded. If the guy knows how to weld aluminum, he can lay down a really nice bead.

Unless you are experienced at shooting n bucking rivets you only be able to use pop-rivets...waste of time.

Weld it & be done

Unless you are experienced at shooting n bucking rivets you only be able to use pop-rivets...waste of time.

Weld it & be done

Believe it or not the deck was pop riveted from the factory! Other areas have bucking rivets though. Then again as I think about it, the plates had to be blind riveted (pop rivet) in place, no way to access both sides.

Unless you are wanting to drop a lot of money or can weld aluminum yourself just pop rivet it and be done. 

Not easy to weld 1/16 thick aluminum and not blow through the material. Safer to rivet again. Question then becomes whether to use aluminum or stainless steel rivets as the aluminum will have minimal galvanic response but be a lot weaker than the stainless steel rivets.

If you know how to weld aluminum good or have a reputable shop doing it then go for it.

Cherry Max rivets and be done with it, a lil pricey but cheaper than the welding, if it came from the factory riveted then as long as you use the correct sizes, depth and hole size you'll be gold.

On a small tin I prefer rivets for what you are doing, cheaper and will be stronger than the metal you are using them on, I would use a backup washer though and will not have a problem later!! Why pay more for overkill???? 

Welding aluminum CAN weaken it if it's an alloy that needs to be heat treated to (re)gain a certain acceptable strength...  Not knowing the alloy and doubtful someone can figure out what alloy it is, I'd say rivet it. 

I doubt any weld on 1/16" aluminum would be stronger than rivets.  I had the piano hinge to the compartment under the bench seat welded in my Xpress.  That lasted about a week before breaking.  Pop rivets have held for two years now.