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Tread Master or Awlgrip?
- Thread starter bobclark
- Start date
Larry,
I've been contemplating the same thing for my decks. I've not yet applied anything but have looked at lots of boats with renewed non-skid. What I've seen suggests that Treadmaster may not be the best choice because the edges start to peel up within a year or two of installation. Also, all the installations seemed to suffer the same problem, to differing degrees, with adhesive that oozed out from the edges and onto adjacent white gelcoated areas. Both of these problems make for an unsightly deck.
A sanded Awlgrip application can also be problemmatical if the choice of sand is too coarse. I've seen non-skid decks that are not appreciably different from 40 grit open-coat sandpaper. Woe be to the person who trips and falls on such a deck! What grade of sand would you consider using if you did go with an Awlgrip surface?
Jim
I've been contemplating the same thing for my decks. I've not yet applied anything but have looked at lots of boats with renewed non-skid. What I've seen suggests that Treadmaster may not be the best choice because the edges start to peel up within a year or two of installation. Also, all the installations seemed to suffer the same problem, to differing degrees, with adhesive that oozed out from the edges and onto adjacent white gelcoated areas. Both of these problems make for an unsightly deck.
A sanded Awlgrip application can also be problemmatical if the choice of sand is too coarse. I've seen non-skid decks that are not appreciably different from 40 grit open-coat sandpaper. Woe be to the person who trips and falls on such a deck! What grade of sand would you consider using if you did go with an Awlgrip surface?
Jim
Jim,
Tripping on a good diamond pattern deck would also result in getting scraped up a bit.
As to what grade of sand; that is also part of the dilemma. The stronger the sand the better the non-skid surface, and also the harder to keep clean.
Ideally I would like to learn from looking and feeling other decks, rather then from my own mistake. Projects that we take on for the first time have a learning curve. After we complete the job we know what we would do differently the next time. Hopefully the next time will be in ten years. We both need the right answers before we start. We should keep each other informed of our findings and decisions.
Larry
Tripping on a good diamond pattern deck would also result in getting scraped up a bit.
As to what grade of sand; that is also part of the dilemma. The stronger the sand the better the non-skid surface, and also the harder to keep clean.
Ideally I would like to learn from looking and feeling other decks, rather then from my own mistake. Projects that we take on for the first time have a learning curve. After we complete the job we know what we would do differently the next time. Hopefully the next time will be in ten years. We both need the right answers before we start. We should keep each other informed of our findings and decisions.
Larry
<div>While at this years Annapolis Boat Show I saw a product for decking made out of composit cork. It is primarly used on comercial passenger ships. It had lines in it so that look kind of like teak planking, but reportedly lasted 4 times longer (about 30 years), was cool to the feet, provided good insulation, and was very light in weight. I believed that it was glued down with an expoxy resin. I will try and bring in the name of the product and company next week.Jay
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<div>Larry,
This may sound too low tech for some, but five years ago I used Pettit Easy-Poxy (one part) and while silica sand I bought in the hardware store. The silica sand comes in a quart plastic "bucket". I used a paint roller to apply the paint/sand mixture to the entire topside non-skid areas. I kept adding sand to the paint until I achived the desired non-skid effect. When using this method, you must stir the mixture before every dip of the roller to ensure an even mix of sand/paint. Five years of normal use the non skid still looks good and I have no chipped or peeling paint anywhere. Of course you must give the deck a good scrub/rinse and de-wax the topside before paint application.
This project turned out really well, was simple and low cost. Several other boats in my marina used the same technique with good success. Good LuckFred
#167
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This may sound too low tech for some, but five years ago I used Pettit Easy-Poxy (one part) and while silica sand I bought in the hardware store. The silica sand comes in a quart plastic "bucket". I used a paint roller to apply the paint/sand mixture to the entire topside non-skid areas. I kept adding sand to the paint until I achived the desired non-skid effect. When using this method, you must stir the mixture before every dip of the roller to ensure an even mix of sand/paint. Five years of normal use the non skid still looks good and I have no chipped or peeling paint anywhere. Of course you must give the deck a good scrub/rinse and de-wax the topside before paint application.
This project turned out really well, was simple and low cost. Several other boats in my marina used the same technique with good success. Good LuckFred
#167
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<div>Larry,
This may sound too low tech for some, but five years ago I used Pettit Easy-Poxy (one part) and WHITE silica sand I bought in the hardware store. The silica sand comes in a quart plastic "bucket". I used a paint roller to apply the paint/sand mixture to the entire topside non-skid areas. I kept adding sand to the paint until I achived the desired non-skid effect. When using this method, you must stir the mixture before every dip of the roller to ensure an even mix of sand/paint. Five years of normal use the non skid still looks good and I have no chipped or peeling paint anywhere. Of course you must give the deck a good scrub/rinse and de-wax the topside before paint application.
This project turned out really well, was simple and low cost. Several other boats in my marina used the same technique with good success. Good LuckFred
#167
</div>
This may sound too low tech for some, but five years ago I used Pettit Easy-Poxy (one part) and WHITE silica sand I bought in the hardware store. The silica sand comes in a quart plastic "bucket". I used a paint roller to apply the paint/sand mixture to the entire topside non-skid areas. I kept adding sand to the paint until I achived the desired non-skid effect. When using this method, you must stir the mixture before every dip of the roller to ensure an even mix of sand/paint. Five years of normal use the non skid still looks good and I have no chipped or peeling paint anywhere. Of course you must give the deck a good scrub/rinse and de-wax the topside before paint application.
This project turned out really well, was simple and low cost. Several other boats in my marina used the same technique with good success. Good LuckFred
#167
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carl_miller
Carl Miller
<div>Larry:Jeez, wheredo I start...
I had a Morgan 30 1968, & put treadmaster down in the cockpit. It wasn't real easy to do. It did stay down, i.e.,not peel, but after several years, the edges began to break off. Also, as said, not too kind to the feet. The epoxy (West System) did ooze out and discolor.I knew a British boat, over twenty years old, with treamaster put down by the factory. The owner loved it. He also did a lot of off shore sailing. About every 8 months, (he said) he sprayed it with WD-4; end of maintenance.When I worked off shore on steel decks:
-lots of prep work, four men for several days
-we put down two coats of two part epoxy primer
-one coat of two part (awlgrip type paint), sprinkled, while still wet, a heavy even coat of nonskid.
-immediately followed up with another coat of two part paint. We used rollers to apply paint.
It held up very well for two years (then do it all again). This is in commercial use on a seismic vessel with lots of traffic.
As to the size of grit, we used sandblasting sand. It was much heavier than I would ever want on Livesong.I owned a boat with epoxy encased plywood decks, working alone, it was a lonnnnnnng job to sand off the old deck nonskid. With one part epoxy paint, I did as suggested putting yacht grade nonskid into the paint and brushing on (with almost conitinual stirring). Very hard to keep inside the cut lines, and a hell of a job to get an even spread, much less an even color spread. I put another coat on top to try to even out the coloring. It was white and the non skid would kind of bulk up(?)and the paint would run off the nonskid leaving a different color. Kind of hard to explain what it looks like and why. I gave up on trying to put down cut line with tape, just went on & painted.Now, one of my BIG criteria for a boat is one that does NOT need nonskid replacement....With all this hind sight and advice, is there anyway to rejuvinate Southerly's present nonskid deck?Hope all this has been of some help. If you want more details give me a call.By the way, I have 7 people going sailing tomorrow, 75 degrees, 15 Kts of wind and Rum Drinks!Best of luck , Tom Pinkston
S/V Lifesong</div>
I had a Morgan 30 1968, & put treadmaster down in the cockpit. It wasn't real easy to do. It did stay down, i.e.,not peel, but after several years, the edges began to break off. Also, as said, not too kind to the feet. The epoxy (West System) did ooze out and discolor.I knew a British boat, over twenty years old, with treamaster put down by the factory. The owner loved it. He also did a lot of off shore sailing. About every 8 months, (he said) he sprayed it with WD-4; end of maintenance.When I worked off shore on steel decks:
-lots of prep work, four men for several days
-we put down two coats of two part epoxy primer
-one coat of two part (awlgrip type paint), sprinkled, while still wet, a heavy even coat of nonskid.
-immediately followed up with another coat of two part paint. We used rollers to apply paint.
It held up very well for two years (then do it all again). This is in commercial use on a seismic vessel with lots of traffic.
As to the size of grit, we used sandblasting sand. It was much heavier than I would ever want on Livesong.I owned a boat with epoxy encased plywood decks, working alone, it was a lonnnnnnng job to sand off the old deck nonskid. With one part epoxy paint, I did as suggested putting yacht grade nonskid into the paint and brushing on (with almost conitinual stirring). Very hard to keep inside the cut lines, and a hell of a job to get an even spread, much less an even color spread. I put another coat on top to try to even out the coloring. It was white and the non skid would kind of bulk up(?)and the paint would run off the nonskid leaving a different color. Kind of hard to explain what it looks like and why. I gave up on trying to put down cut line with tape, just went on & painted.Now, one of my BIG criteria for a boat is one that does NOT need nonskid replacement....With all this hind sight and advice, is there anyway to rejuvinate Southerly's present nonskid deck?Hope all this has been of some help. If you want more details give me a call.By the way, I have 7 people going sailing tomorrow, 75 degrees, 15 Kts of wind and Rum Drinks!Best of luck , Tom Pinkston
S/V Lifesong</div>
Larry: I have owned Stella Maris a CM 38 for 21 years and have re-done the decks only twice. The boat has been raced for 19 of the 21 years with anywhere from 6 to 8 guys scrambling around on deck in all kinds of weather. I have used Interlux deck paint and bought the silica sand at the hardware store. First tried to brush it, but found that rolling was easier and usually permitted a better spread of the sand, altho you must constantly stir in the pan. Yes, for the first year if you fall or kneel on the deck it's pretty hard on the skin, but the sharpness of the sand kind of wears off and thereafter provides good non-slipping characteristics for years. Interlux now has a one part epoxy deck paint with a variety of colors. I recommend it's use. It retains color very well. Hudnut.
<div>You may want to look at "tennis court" paint. It comes in many colors and is quite durable. It is easy to apply and was tenasious on fiberglass. A friend of mine used it on his catalina. Life seems to be about 4 years. Then just re-coat. If I remember the paint was relatively cheap.Fairwinds and Rum Drinks.Vic C.
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Jim E., Jay, Fred, Tom, Jim H., and Vic,
Thank you for your experience and advise. I have ruled out Tread Master. For this summer I will only put a fresh-up coat of paint on the already painted with non-skid decks. I notice that know one has used awlgrip.
Again thank you,
Larry
Thank you for your experience and advise. I have ruled out Tread Master. For this summer I will only put a fresh-up coat of paint on the already painted with non-skid decks. I notice that know one has used awlgrip.
Again thank you,
Larry
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