Non skid........need opinions

[MacGyver]

So my wife and I plan to repaint the deck.
We wanted to save the knotted rope but if we paint it I know it will fill it in some more. That in turn will make it not so helpful while on deck..

My other option is to sand it down and paint a non skid additive on it.

To add to the mix is hail or something has cause some of the non skid knotted rope to be chipped off down to the glass......so i have to repair that first before anything can be done.
If i save the knotted rope then i will reproduce it into the new finish.
If I sand it down then just need to make it smooth.

So what would you do?
What have you done?
Would it de-value the boat to do a new nonskid finish?

Anything added is much appreciated.........I just cant get settled on what to do exactly.

Mac

[Ted]

I added non-skid to the deck of a previous boat. It was a product that you are, I am sure, aware of in which you add sand to the paint. If you want something more abrasive you add more sand, or you can also vary the size of the grain.  The hard part was measuring everything so that the same amount of textured material was applied to all surfaces on the deck.

If you do this, I would suggest you test the surface before you put it on. I put on something that was just too abrasive. It skinned my knees a few times! On the flip side, it was was awesome as a non-skid surface.

[brackish]

I guess it would depend on how extensive the damage is to the original and how much repair you will have to do.  I think it is always better for future value to retain the original nonskid if it is possible.  I don't think painting it will cause it to fill significantly, degrading its ability to provide a nonskid surface.  I painted a topside on a different boat with a different nonskid pattern and did not notice any degradation.

However I've never tried to transfer a nonskid pattern to a damaged area so don't really know how hard that is to accomplish and blend in.


If you take it down, what would you use?  Not sure about the durability of either sand in the paint or the stick down mat material, although they both look good initially.

[wes]

Mac - since you've had some recent success with Perfection two-part poly, let me heartily recommend what I did with my non-skid areas. I lightly sanded my entire deck, then painted with Perfection. I had done some epoxy repairs of crazed areas, plus I wanted a different color than the standard white gelcoat. I settled on Hatteras White, which is really a creamy ivory color. It goes well with my Flag Blue hull.

After the epoxy repairs and light (scuff-up) sanding with 220 grit, I sprayed the entire deck with one coat of Perfection (you could use your foam roller technique of course, but there are a lot of tight corners where a roller would be awkward, so I think spraying is much faster and easier). I then masked off the non-skid areas and gave the glossy areas two more coats of spray. When dry, I masked the glossy areas and un-masked the non-skid areas. Then rolled on two coats of Perfection with Interlux Intergrip additive. So, when it was done, the whole deck was the same color but the non-skid areas had a rolled finish with the Intergrip added, and the glossy areas had a nice spray finish. Hope that makes sense.

I just love the look and feel of this combo on the non-skid areas. The Intergrip has a subtle, kind of leathery texture that still allows the factory "knot" pattern to show through very well. It is very easy on the hands and knees when sailing, but also very effective as non-skid.

I would NOT use plain sand under any conditions. The manufacturer additives like Intergrip are finer, less abrasive, distribute themselves better through the paint, etc.

Wes

[MacGyver]

That sand Idea is definitely a old way of doing it. I jokingly told my wife that is how it is done, LOL But she knew better when I started with "We go to the beach and sift the sand to get the particulate we want."

She knows me too well.

Brackish, to replicate gelcoat patterns, you can use modeling clay and then over force the Gelcoat through it, getting the pattern off the other "good" spots..... It is a lengthy explanation of the process, and also my plan was to just use detail files to recreate areas I need, although it is many, I think I can pull it off quickly in my shop now that the boat is here

WES: Big THANKS TO YOU. You just sealed the deal since you have done this already, and that gives us the best of both worlds.
I had my wife review what you did and that is perfect!
I think my plan is steered towards doing a gray with intergrip added on the decks knotted rope, The seats in a gray color to differentiate the knotted rope pattern, and the rest in Mediterrainian (SP) white.

The admiral okayed it already.... so now I better get to work

First I have dish duty........ she saw I have one bad Karma, and so I have to do the dishes then vaccum the house........I shouldnt have let her see that part!   
What the hell did I do for one bad Karma? LMAO

Thanks Gentleman! Much appreciated!

Mac

[Tim Gardner]

What bad Karma? Now - NO DISHES!

TG

[wes]

Hey Mac - one last comment on deck color: be very careful not to pick something too dark. It will get HOT under your feet during the summer! I got that advice from friends in Florida and I'm very glad I did.

Wes

[MacGyver]

Thanks again guys and Thanks Tim, LOL
I dont have to do dishes the next week now

Wes, did you use the epoxy primecoat (or whatever Interluxes primer reccomended) for the knotted rope?
I am thinking about only priming the areas that need it on the boat for the flats that are down to the glass or near glass.......

Mac

[wes]

Yes - I have True Religion when it comes to following instructions for applying paint that costs $260/gallon.

I cleaned the deck with Interlux fiberglas cleaner, sanded with 220, primed with Epoxy Primekote, then applied the Perfection as noted above. I did the same on my hull, above the waterline.

Below the waterline I used Interprotect epoxy primer and Micron CSC anti fouling, applied as they recommend in terms of number of coats and bonding the first coat of CSC to the last coat of Interprotect while still at the "thumbprint stage." I'm sure you know that drill very well.

Wes

[Bob23]

Tim:
  Mac's wife is gonna love you for removing that bad karma...now she's got to wash! She might give YOU a bad K. I have no idea how Mac got a bad K...wierd...he's been more than helpful and informative.
  Back to thread: I toyed with painting my nonskid but it works great. Sure, I'd like a contrasting color but I'm really not that vain (not that you guys are) and I'd rather not fix something that works fine. Plus mine is in great shape...no chips or dings.
  My friend Dennis used Kiwigrip on his 1970 Morgan 30. It looked and worked great but it would indeed fill in the knotted rope patten which I highly treasure as sort of a Compac trademark.
Bob23