I am thinking about gutting my 16' aluminum fishing boat.  It has a console.  I had previously built a casting deck in the front within the last 4 years but now the flooring is rotting.  Have any of you rebuilt a boat?  What am I going to get my self into?  Is there some type of durable material better than wood that i can use for the flooring and the decks? Thanks in advance!

Get wood and the cover itin roofing shingles.  You can get a great big pack of shingles cheap, and they would provide a good gripping surface.

They might get abit hot tho ;D

i replaced some flooring on a boat 5 are so years ago i used 3/4 inch treated plywood and it is still holding up the only thing i had to redo is i put regular indoor/outdoor carpet on it that i ended up replacing with a marina grade carpet 2 years later the marina grade is alittle more expensive but worth it in the long run

        Jack

i just got done with one of those projects. i bought 3/4 to 1 inch plywood and i painted it with water sealant first. Then after it dried, i spray painted

rust-o-leum paint to the color i wanted. then i put marine grade carpet on there which you can get some a home depot or lowe's.

LunkersO I would use fiberglass sides out of a dry van.

Marine plywood.

You know, I may be cheap, but I decked my boat with 5/8' exterior grade plywood and cheap plastic outdoor carpeting.  That was 6+ years ago and it was even stored outside without a cover for 2 of those years (in Indiana).  It is still solid!

Thank you all for your help.  I am in the process of taking the old interior out of my boat now.  

I have a 14ft Ouachita aluminum boat that has been in the family for years and it is time to go over some things as well. My brother works for the local Highway and Trans Dept and as we talked about refurbishing the old boat he mentioned using old Highway sign which if they aren't reused by the state are chunked in a pile and sold as scrap. Just so happens we are going to try and get our hands on some. Be a lot cheaper than buying aluminum sheets from a metal company and a lot thicker too. Big brother came up with that one so I can't take credit for it. Excellent idea though.

Just make sure the signs are really made of aluminum or you will have a big time corrosion problem where the signs touch your boat.  I thought they were made of galvanized steel.  If they are aluminum, that is a terrific idea.

Get you some marine plywood.It costs,but it will stand up to getting wet and rotting.