New Deck Non-Skid

[Brian C]

I have now stripped the prior layers of non-non-skid paint off of my decks and had hoped to begin applying the new primer and non-sid (I plan to use Interdeck) immediately. However, now that all of the layers of paint are off my deck, I can see areas where a prior owner must have sanded too hard. Thus, parts of the deck have a molded-in non-skid type surface and other parts are sanded smooth. Any thoughts on what I need to do before applying paint to make the finished product look uniform? Will a good primer make the final product look uniform? Do I actually have to - gasp - sand the remaining molded non-skid surface smooth? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[dasein668]

If some sections are sanded smooth, I'd say the best solution in terms of a uniform result would be to sand it all smooth. Unless you wanted to use a non-skid material like Treadmaster...

[Dave, 397]

That basketweave stuff sands pretty easy, at least!

[heartofgold]

I sanded down my molded nonskid last year and laid down Interdeck (2 coats after primer). I had to break it down with a belt sander armed with a 60 grit belt, and followed it up with 60, 80 and 120 disks in my random orbit. When I first tried the 60 grit in the random orbit, it hardly dented the stuff; but the belts left lots of scratches. By the time I was done, I had removed about 85% of the grid, fairly uniformly across the deck.

When I set up to lay down the Interdeck, I wanted a very toothy surface, and I added quite a bit of nonskid particles to the mix. This was a mistake. Though prehaps I could have added a small quantity, I added too much. It would not spread/roll/paint evenly, and I ended up using a plastic spreader to scrape off the excess. Before the second coat, I lightly sanded the "chunky" spots that remained. For this coat, I added no additional particles, and it applied easily and evenly.

I had the boat out for the first time last weekend. Wow! That Interdeck is good stuff. My feet, hands, shoes, whatever, did not budge. The Awlgrip next to it was like stepping on axle grease. And it looks great, too.

[Tim]

Even if the existing nonskid pattern were consistent, the proper way to redo your decks is to sand it all smooth first before applying new nonskid paint. Paint over existing molded nonskid is, in my unbiased (of course) opinion, a terrible sign of lazy or sloppy work. (Not to be too harsh about it...but doing it this way simply always looks cheap and bad somehow.)

Good luck!