Ultra-Tuff rubberized non-skid paint experience

[Bob L]

Anyone out there have experience with Ultra-Tuff rubberized non-skid paint? Check them out here: http://www.ultratuff.net/ I've heard good things about the product's durability and non-skid properties, but appearance is everything.

[Tim]

If you're outfitting a lobster boat, then great. But this stuff is not the choice for pleasure boats unless you like a workboat finish.

I saw one sailboat that had this stuff, or a clone, on the decks. It was awful. Decorum prevents me from truly describing what I thought of it. (Not only that, but it was failing, too.)

The customers listed on the Ultra-Tuff website ought to be a sign: they're all industrial customers, like fishing boats, ferries, and docks.

[catamount]

Here's another to consider: http://www.nonslipcoating.com/ (Durabak)

from a thread dealing with the topic on another discussion board: http://www.ssca.org/sscabb/index.php?ac ... topic=2106 (Anti Slip for Tropics)

Included is this link to photos of one guy's cruising boat finished with Durabak: http://www.marineryachts.com/owners/Sea ... rekweb.htm

I hope to be re-doing my decks next winter, and had been considering Treadmaster...

Regards,

Tim

[Bob L]

Thanks Tim and Tim. Tim L. have you ever seen in a light color, or was it usually black, and therefore ugly? Tim A., thanks for the links. I called the distributor and am having some samples sent out.

Tim L. how about the peel-ply-type stuff that they put inside of boat molds to make the nonskid? Could you roll on a thick layer of epoxy resin, then roll on a sheet of that on top to make a non-skid pattern? (Can you color epoxy so it comes out like gelcoat? I've never thought of that.)

Cheers,

Bob

[Tim]

Is there something wrong with nonslip paint, like Interdeck? It works great and looks good. And if you should ever need or want to remove it in the future for some sort of refinishing, you actually can. You might have specific reasons for not wanting to use paint, and that's valid. What are your reasons? Just curious.

I'm a big fan of Interdeck. It's inexpensive, very easy to apply, has excellent nonskid character, and looks nice. The color palate is a bit limited, but fortunately I like the "beige" color. If there's not a color that works for you, then this would remove Interdeck from the list of possibilities, understandably. Interdeck doesn't have a good gray, for example--it's too dark, at least judging from the color chips. And why would anyone choose light blue in this day in age? Yuck.

All these other more industrial products would be a real bear to remove should one reconsider after application--particularly anything with remotely rubberized properties.

Everyone has their own needs and desires, and if these other products fit the bill, then that's fine. The one thing I have heard with Durabak, for example, is that you had better get the tape off immediately after painting, or you'll be faced with a lengthy and frustrating scraping job. I haven't used it and can't otherwise comment, but personally I can't find any compelling reasons to choose this particular product when I'm so happy with the "mainstream". This doesn't make using it wrong by any means--it just means that I don't see the benefit myself.

I've also never thought that the molded nonskid patterns were so outstanding that it was remotely worth it to attempt to use them for a comprehensive rebuild. I like the sandy texture of painted decks, but I also realize this is a personal choice. I would reserve the use of something like Gibco Flex-Mold for small repairs on otherwise sound, original decks, but don't see the benefit to trying to use these to fabricate an entirely new "molded" nonskid pattern over an entire deck.

You can add pigment to epoxy, but you still need additional UV protection, as the pigment alone is not sufficient. So this sort of negates this possibility.

Treadmaster...love it or hate it. There's no in between here, seemingly. If you happen to like it, then there's no question that it makes for an excellent nonskid surface. I think that with careful installation, it would work well and last for a long time. If you don't happen to love it, then I don't think that it even bears consideration.

Rebuilding boats is hard enough. There's no need to seek out products that will make it harder or more expensive without a clear benefit. I myself have yet to see any clear benefit from nonskid products other than gritty paint, but that doesn't mean that someday I won't change my mind, either. For now, I'm happy with the status quo and still like Interdeck the best.

[Bob L]

Actually, I'm unfamiliar with Interdeck, but if it has the Tim Seal of Approval, I'll put it at the top of my list. My limited knowledge of non-skid paint deals with aggregate sprinkled on top, and the applications I've seen never seem to be uniform. I also liked the idea of rubber (hence Treadmaster) to protect the glass when I drop something, like a winch handle. Treadmaster seems to increase the resale value, but the work involved... yes, rebuilding is hard enough.

[CharlieJ]

We put Interdeck on Tehani last year. My wife taped off the boat and rolled on a single coat in one day. That's all we had time for in the prelaunch period and we took off for Florida right after launch with just that one coat on. We even did the bridge deck while at anchor one day since she hadn't been able to do that one part.

The decks still look great, even up on the foredeck where they got pounded with anchor chain on a daily basis for 6 weeks.

They DO need one more coat, but from what I've seen so far, I'm totally sold on the stuff.

[Jason K]

Absolutely agree, that stuff is excellent and incredibly easy to use. Just roll it on with a 4" mohair roller. I put on two coats, but the first coat looked great by itself. One quart is about perfect for one coat on a Triton. Another big advantage is that it is also very easy to touch up.

First Coat:

All these other more industrial products would be a real bear to remove should one reconsider after application--particularly anything with remotely rubberized properties.

Oh yeah. I removed treadmaster from my boat. Purely awful job and I had to do some repair work to the glass underneath. I'll either have molded in non-skid on a newer boat or an Interdeck type product. Those non-skid mats are no joke to remove.

[dasein668]

My limited knowledge of non-skid paint deals with aggregate sprinkled on top, and the applications I've seen never seem to be uniform.

Even if you make your own with aggregate and paint, the "sprinkle on top" theory isn't your only choice. I used poly beads and Easypoxy on Dasein and mixed the grit right into the paint. Worked great. Some say it doesn't leave an aggressive enough texture that way, but I disagree. Mine's plenty aggressive.

[windrose]

I agree on the Interdeck. However, select a light color. I am on the Chesapeake and I choose the gray. It looked great but you could not walk on it in bare feet. Ended up adding two parts of white which made it a very light gray but cool enough to walk on in bare feet. Great product, very forgiving and hides a multitude of sins.

[Tim]

I am still amazed that anyone champions the "sprinkle aggregate on top of the wet paint" approach. That, to me, is an entirely unsatisfactory method, and leads to horrible, inconsistent, and messy results in all cases. But you still see this being touted on so many of the DIY sites, and often by supposedly knowledgable authors. I don't understand it.

Mixed-in aggregate (polymeric beads) is what I used in Glissando. At the time, Interdeck did not exist. I used Interlux Brightsides, with flattening agent and polymeric beads mixed in. The results are good, but I vastly prefer Interdeck--for color, for ease of application, and for consistent results. Heck, you don't even need to prime the surface first--it says so right on the can.

The limited colors of Interdeck might be the biggest drawback, if you're not into the beige or tan colors. They have a white, but I can't imagine painting the whole deck white--my eyes hurt just thinking about it. If the gray or blue works for you, then there's that option too, and there's no reason to not mix white and gray together, for example, to create a custom color. Fortunately, I find the Interdeck "Beige" to be extremely appealing, since I like traditional beige decks anyway, and they're quite cool while remaining pleasing to the eye from a squint perspective.

(I admit that my eyes are very sensitive to squinting, and that I always wear sunglasses outside--often in the rain or fog because of the brightness. Others may not be so bothered by the squint or glare factor, so white or light light colors might be OK for you.)

[TBeyer]

What preparations need to be done to the existing non skid surface before painting with the interdeck? Sand non skid surface smooth, just go over it with paint as is, just clean with acetone? I have section of deck with wet core that should be fix, but have been putting it off due to I did not know what to do with non skid suface after repair. But the interdeck sounds like it could solve that problem easy enough. Any thoughts?
Thanks Ted
'77, PY26
"Moor Room"

[Jason K]

Interlux does not call for priming surfaces in good condition with the Interdeck. When I did it, I put down two coats of their PreKote product. It is extremely easy stuff to use. You simply roll it on - there is no reason to tip it out. In fact, you'd do well to keep a brush away from it.

I have section of deck with wet core that should be fix, but have been putting it off due to I did not know what to do with non skid suface after repair.

Also, after learning the hard way myself, I'd advise fixing your core correctly and then preceeding with the new paint. Therepair will have to be faired smooth, then simply prime and paint. Do not rely on the Interdeck to hide small imperfections; despite the thickness of the paint, it will not hide anything.

[Tim]

I believe that existing nonskid (assuming you mean the original molded stuff) should be sanded smooth before painting with a new product. It just makes for a better job in the end. Molded nonskid that has been painted over always looks like the painter was lazy and skipped a critical preparation step--which, indeed, they did.

Once you start getting into deck repairs, with the resulting fairing and the like, there is little chance of ever hiding the repair without properly sanding and fairing the whole deck as required. This includes removing the existing molded nonskid. Then, when the surface is painted, the whole area becomes homogeneous and looks attractive once more.