What is Light Amplification and how will it effect my EVA U-DEK boat floor? And what can I do about it?

What is light amplification and how does it affect my EVA boat floor?

Remember when you were a kid and burnt patterns into gum leaves with a magnifying glass?  How did this happen?  You were basically taking the powerful sun's rays and amplifying them through a parabolic mirror to multiply their power so much that the heat is so high it creates a burn.

If your boat is brand new, or has super shiny new stainless steel, is left in the sun full of water nose down, or is left in storage with a clear water bottle on the dash, or a clear pool toy on the floor, the sun can be amplified much stronger when bouncing off the shiny surface and onto the boat EVA foam flooring.  The heat is so strong it creates a burn hundreds of degrees hot.  Basically these objects can refract/reflect light, thereby concentrating the beams to a level which can be destructive to the decking.   

Light amplification is a potential issue for all current brands of EVA flooring but with the correct assessment the effects can be mitigated.  

What can I do to minimize light amplification on my boat floor?

For brand new shiny boats, when installing EVA boat flooring additional ‘mitigating’ panels made from non-glossy 3M marine grade vinyl, or U-DEK pads can be installed to lessen the risk of light amplification.

After installation, the preferred method of storage is that the boat (or any other surface of application) be covered.  You can use a towel or a commercially made boat cover. Examples include keeping the boat; in a garage,  covered with a canvas boat cover, in a covered boat slip, etc.

When you come to Form A Sign with your boat we do a complimentary light amplification assessment and recommend any mitigation that may be required.