side molding, screws or rivets?

[loudpipessavelives]

I'm about to put the molding on around the side of my boat, its a one inch aluminum with a vinal insert. I was wondering what would work better screws or rivets, What do most people use?

[hondajoey]

Most of them are held in with Rivets try to find some that are Stainless steel

[Mohavekid]

I used small stainless bolts in the places I could get to put nylock nuts on. The places I could not get to, I used rivets.
It's not a hard job, just take your time and use a rubber mallet to help you make the bends at the bow an transom.

[flat broke]

Through bolting is definitely stronger and won't pull loose over time. However, unless you've got some friends that would love to crawl up under the deck of your boat and you can get to the entire perimeter where the rail will be installed from the inside, you'd probably want to use rivets. With any luck the holes in your new rails will be on the same centers as your old ones and you wont have to drill new holes. Whatever you do, don't use screws to lag the rail down onto the glass.
As far as stainless rivets, you'll never see em under the rubber insert, and most of the stuff floating around has been holding together pretty well for the past couple of decades with aluminum rivets. Save yourself the $$$ and headache of finding ss rivets and just use aluminum. They're cheap, easily sourced and can easily be drilled/punched out if they become loose and need to be replaced.
Hope that helps,
Chris

[h2oboy]

just a trick I was told when I put new rubber on, was to get a bucket of warm water and soak the rubber in it as you are installing it. Just something that worked well for me.... hope it helps...

[loudpipessavelives]

thanks for the tips!