Non-skid deck paints

[Marty Peters]

Hi all,

After much sanding, fairing and priming I will soon be ready to apply the top coats to my tiki 46. I am interested to hear everyones recommendation for getting the best type of non skid decks. The decks at present have been sanded and primed and are nice and smooth.
On my old tiki 30 the non skid was a latex / rubber type paint and was great, however i cant recall the exact specifics plus they stopped making it a few years ago
I am not too keen on using international interdeck as I don't feel it is grippy enough and just adding sand to the paint is too rough (the old non skid was like this and looked and felt awful.) I have been told that roof paint applied with a stipple roller works well.
Can anyone recommend any additives or techniques with non marine products that work well, are hardwearing and easy on bare feet .
I would prefer to apply by roller.

Thanks

Marty

[boatsmith]

 Hi Marty, I have used a rubbery paint for roofs many times. It is called elastomeric paint and it makes great nonskid and is very inexpensive. I have also used sand in the paint. It will work very well and can be very attractive. Ther is a bit of technique involved. One thing is the size of the sand. It is availble in different grits. Sand blasters sometimes will have several grits on hand and could help you scource it. You can either apply the sand with a salt shaker (a can with holes) or just pour it on, let the paint dry and then blow/vacuum the unstuck sand away. Now you can paint over the remaining sand. The more paint you apply the less rough the nonskid will be. I would recommend that you do up some test panels to hone your technique and get the finish you like. The elastomeric paint comes in a very white white. I have tinted this to make it just not quite so white, it's a little easier on the eyes. Too dark and it will burn your feet. again a test panel will help work this out. Most paint stores will sell a nonskid additive that will work well. Very important to keep the nonskid well mixed while appling. It can be quite challenging to not end up with roller marks this way. David

[paul anderson]

boatsmith as usual you are generous with your advice,good onya.

[Trisailing]

Hello Marty,

I have used Kiwi Grip with great results. Applies with a roller. They have there own roller, but Home Depot has  the exact same roller for half the cost.

Kiwigrip

From Jamestown Distributors.

JD

Application.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB9QoHeUHTY

[Rogerio Martin]

Once I used a gauze-like fabric that use confections to keep the waistband of his pants drive. Here in Brazil we call entertela. is like a cotton mosquito net. One coat of paint, when sticking to the touch, apply the fabric already cut and apply another coat on top. It worked on the floor of the little snipe. But I never used in large parts. The finish looks great and the floor will be checkered.

[Trisailing]

Hey Guys,

I found something new at Home Depot, called deck restore. Last 10 years. Puts a nice anti skid  finish down. Compared to Kiwi Grip it is dirt cheap. Apply it just like Kiwi Grip.

Hope this helps

web site is synta.com

Trisailing

[Mike Haromy]

looks really good.  thanks Trisailing

 

[Ralf]

I think sand looks good if it is properly applied. I applied it with a salt shaker on the wet paint which worked well.The more coats of paint you roll over the sand the smoother it will get. Another good reason for sand &paint is that you get exactly the color you want.

[Trisailing]

No Problem, I like this site because people here like to think outside the box ( ie.... like everyone else).

In a beige world, this group stands out like the electric blue of the ocean.

The sand Idea is a good Idea also. actually the product I mentioned above also has some kind of sand like material in it, maybe it's bits of rubber not sure.

peace out,

Trisailing

[Marty Peters]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all of your replies and suggestions.

David,
I really Like the sound of the elastomeric paint as it sounds like the stuff I had on nok talay and it was really grippy but very easy on the feet. If I can find the right colour then I will probably go this route. Just out of interest which method do you prefer, elastomeric or sand?

Cheers

Marty

[boatsmith]

Marty I have used all of the above. I usually paint my boats with Awlcraft2000 and I use the Awlgrip coarse non skid additive .I do this for money and I have to pay for my labor and have a reputation to maintain. Saving a few bucks on paint  does not pay out for me. I do try and offer my best reccomendations to folks. The elastomeric paint for decks is a trick I learned working on fishboats in northern California. It is interesting that I get many calls to quote on aging teak decks on Asian built sailboats from th 70s and 80s that have teak decks that have died of old age. The bill for a new teak deck plus the core repairs and the off and on of the deck hardware can frequently be twice what these boats are currently worth. I have recomened the elastomeric paint to these people as a soltution to their leaking decks and have never had any takers. I have only replaced teak decks on 4-5 sailboats in 20 years. The elastomeric paint that I am familiar with is sold as a roof coating and is a snow white color. I have tinted it with a little blue or black to make it a very pale blue or grey. It is a relatively soft paint and with heavy traffic will need recoating every year or two at best. I get it at Home Depot for $60 for 5 gallons. I also have painted the deck with whatever paint system I am using and then poured the sand on completely covering the paint. The next day blow and vacuum the excess off and apply additional coats of paint to achieve the coarseness of non skid you desire. Peace, David