Imagine Redecorating A Sea-going Ship

Redecorating a home is not easy, but redecorating a sea-going naval ship offers many more challenges

. Due to the rigors of ocean life, including salt in the air and water, wall coatings have to be washable and tough as nails. Most furnishings on a ship should not have porous surfaces, but where they are used they must be abrasion-resistant and easy to clean. When repairs are done to the interior or exterior, all rust must be removed completely by sandblasting before the new paint can be applied.

These challenges and many more are encountered when an aircraft carrier or destroyer comes in to port for extended maintenance. Even for smaller boats, many of the same principles hold true. Most surfaces on sea-going naval ships are metal. The first step in freshening the paint scheme on a ship is to grind away any corrosion by sandblasting.

Repairs are then completed by welders, then primers and paints are applied by industrial painters. Many furnishings on a ship are built-in or attached to walls, so that rough weather does not cause the secured items to move about. The best storage method on a ship is a hook or fastener built inside a cabinet or locker that is bolted to the wall. Bins that are attached to the walls are also handy. When a ship is remodeled, it takes a great deal of work just to unbolt these built-in items and check for damage behind them.

A vessel with hundreds of rooms, such as an aircraft carrier or cruise ship, may have some items that are standard in each room, but some rooms are always slightly offset or curved to reflect the outer shape of the boat. Even some furniture, like tables, are often bolted to the floor. A thorough ship remodel involves removing those bolts, inspecting the underlying floor for damage, then replacing the item with a newer model. Whereas you might layer new materials over a damaged spot in a residential project, a boat is different because its walls and floors need to be seaworthy.

What makes the space on a ship more enjoyable to its crew and guests is the adaptability of the furnishings. The beds in some quarters are actually shelves that fold out from the wall, with safety belts in case of bad weather. Like a very durable Murphy bed, these can be snapped to a closed position during the day to save space. A remodeling job on a ship will involve ripping out hundreds of shelf-beds, replacing the hardware that allows them to swing in and out, and installing new ones that fit exactly into that space.

The movable surfaces that were chairs earlier become a bed when the time comes around for sleep, whenever that time may be. The chair cushion that becomes a mattress needs to have abrasion-rated upholstery, with a waterproof layer underneath. You can still have a curtain or shutter that matches your upholstery, tying the room together for a stylish look. Some cabins have carpet, but it gets shampooed more often than a carpet at a house. Even seasoned sailors and crewmen get seasick, so there are many reasons for having durable and washable surfaces.

There is a chance to pick fabric coverings in the process of painting a ship. Ships usually have many storage bins that also serve as benches, so rectangular cushions are almost everywhere. Some of those are also flotation devices in case of emergency. You might say that most items on a ship serve at least two purposes, like a James Bond pen that is also a gun.

Emergency equipment has to be stowed somewhere, and must be accessible in a hurry. However the bins for storage can be used as tables or seats when the lids are not open. A lot of furnishings, like small tables, fold out from the wall and fold back in when you need the space for something else. Keeping each room as adaptable as possible adds to the comfort of the crew and passengers. One way to update a ship is to add more of these movable but built-in features, so that each space on board becomes more useful.

by: Nick Messe

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