FiberGlass deck

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I have a 1977 Chrysler 26. Its white deck has now turned yellow with age. How do I restore the shine back to it. I am planning to sand it down and paint the deck with two part polyurethane. Does one think its a good idea to do this?.
 
Jun 17, 2004
10
- - HONOLULU
Yellowing of decks etc.

If you non-skid is not cracked or peeling and is still has plenty of "bite" I would save the "paint and grit" approach until absolutely necessary. Also stippled gelcoat non-skid is pretty easy to completely replace. Just call David Collignon at Fiberglass Hawaii in Santa Cruz CA ( 831 476 7464; fax: 831 462 4817). Although white gelcoat does yellow a bit probably most the yellowing is due to surface contamination or yellowed coating. Out here in HI we have the famous "red dirt" its color is due to iron oxide (=rust) and it gets everywhere - in electronics etc and on boats, making them look dirty. It gets into the the pores of older gelcoat non-skid. This does not noice on my tan gelcoat deck non-skid but does on the cockpit white non-skid locker covers. I find that the Black and Decker Scumbuster is GREAT for cleaning and sealing non-skid decks. It is battery powered and works underwater so that you can also use it to clean weeds, bilges etc. I use the blue brush with the stiff black bristles to clean my stippled non-skid using Sea glow that has a flurescent whitening effect. I suppose you could also use an oxalic acid-type whitener (Davis FSR) instead (workson rust stains?). Then rinse, scrub some more and pat dry with an old bath towel. If you want to seal the surface I do not advise water-based acrylics (can yellow, and become slippery). Auroral make a non-skid "wax" that I have heard is good, but I have not used it myself. Island Girl non-skid sealant is available in a kit with IG pink through this site. It was recently reformulated for fast setting thinner coats, together with a catalyst for faster setting. This fast setting is essential on NEW non-skid since there is little of no absorbtion of the excess. The catalyst also corrects any acidity due to use of oxalic or acid rain that can prolong setting of some resins. Hope this is of some help Jim W
 
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