non skid

[dwaynec]

Yeah, that is one of my questions also. My boat has the original diamond pattern non-skid molded into the deck. Only way I can think of to prep it is to (sand, bead, soda) blast the deck and then repaint. Where I keep my boat that is darn near impossible because of the various environmental regs. Any ideas?

 

[OVERSPRAY]

hand sand thoroughly with no finer than 150g paper followed by scuffing with a red scotchbrite pad followed by paint manufacturers recomended surface cleaning solvent and your ready. I hand sand because a machine sanding pad will skim across the tops of the non skid and not scratch as deep as hand sanding. the scotchbright(perhaps the most important step) will get even further. I'm not as worried about removing old grit as I am about putting a good scratch in the surface. I would also check and see if whatever paint manufacturer you use offers a liquid adhesion promoter. This will give you the added benefit of chemical adhesion in addition to sanding.

My boat also had the diamond pattern nonskid. This is in the mold when they made the boat. It is possible to duplicate it but very time consuming and requires gell coat. there are various patterns for nonskid for use in mold making. Most are a rubber mat that is layed into the gellcoat and removed after curing leaving the nonskid behind. I thought about using them when refinishing my decks, but decided against it when looking at the time frame required and expense of materials.

 

[34Hatt]

Do it with a Scotchbrite pad and Comet or another abrasive cleaner. Wash real good after that let dry and your good to go.

 

[dwaynec]

Thanks guys. I was really "worried" that I would have to make a long trip to some location that would allow blasting to get this job done properly. Now it looks like I can tackle it myself.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

I have really struggled with this for years. My sailboat needs a great anti-skid surface so the crew can work well while racing. I used to mix the Awlgrip powder in my spray gun, spend a day masking etc. Worked fine except you couldn't go back over it, as you would have to walk on fresh paint. Last time I mixed it in the paint, spent 30 min. stirring the awful flattening agent, and rolled it with a West roller. It didn't come out even, but I have had no trouble washing the deck. Good thing its flat so my unevenness doesn't show. The crew loves it. A local pro rolls a coat of paint then sprinkles the powder on. His stuff looks better than any I have seen. I am not sure exactly what steps he goes through though. We usually use a light gray Awlgrip for our non-skid as it is easier on the eyes. My 36 Hat has the factory original stuff and it seems fine.

 

[labrador]

Also a hearty thanks. Had no idea how to attack this problem. Do you have to add non skid to the paint or can I just recoat what is there? This is not for a deck but the top of my aft deck hardtop which has a nonskid surface.

 

[REBrueckner]

If you are recoating a non skid gelcoat type pattern no non skid granules are required, but may be used. To use non skid granules, roll the surface with plain paint, spinkle non skid granules via a big salt shaker (like the old style aluminum "cans" as that's the best way to get an even distribution of granules. Reroll with plain paint the next day. This second coat glues in the granules and creates an easier to clean surface.

Mixing granules with paint and then rolling does NOT result in a uniform distribution of granules on the paint surface.

 

[34Hatt]

{Mixing granules with paint and then rolling does NOT result in a uniform distribution of granules on the paint surface.}
I totally disagree since I have done this to many boats and people can't tell the difference! There are a few tricks to follow that have been posted in above threads.

 

[double eagle]

my 2 cents...
just finished putting new nonskid on my 58yf...
tried the grit and then rolling over to make uniform.....not good..
sanded off and repainted and sprinkled grit from 3 ft above the surface to get even and uniform coat ....worked great....
will install seal coat or 2 soon...
used coarse blasting sand from home depot...after the 2 seal coats it is just right...micro beads etc were not non skid enough...

bill
double eagle

 

[Capten]

{Mixing granules with paint and then rolling does NOT result in a uniform distribution of granules on the paint surface.}
I totally disagree since I have done this to many boats and people can't tell the difference! There are a few tricks to follow that have been posted in above threads.

Agreed! Have mixed non-skid in paint and rolled for some time now and find it hard to beat. You can do it in one coat this way. No need for additional overcoating. Just make sure you keep the paint and non-skid well mixed.