Last fall we purchased a 1980 Hunter Cherubini that needed some updated and we've come far. This summer so far, we were able to remove the larger than life vinyl graphic of our boat's name from the transom with the helpful tips from other Hunter sailors and we just finished cleaning and polishing the brite-work surfaces BUT now we need to tackle the non-skid surfaces. Any helpful hints you could give me to bring the non-skid back to life would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Non-skid Surface
- Thread starter mjwiseman
- Start date
FWIW I have an '83 Hunter 31. My gelcoat was going and gone in places. I painted the entire top side with single part polyurethane paint (Brightside by Interlux) that was three years ago and I have been very pleased with the results. I used the paint with their non skid polymers on the non-skid. Great traction, once it's changed to paint it is super easy to touch up or add a coat. If your gelcoat is still good there may be some better options.
Thanks for the quick response. I'll run this past my boat partner. Our non-skid seems to be fading and/or slightly discolored and showing its wear (and probably age).
My Hunter 36 Cherubini 1980 has KiwiGrip that is more than 9 yo. True I do not dance on it every night . . . I am going with it again as I have done some deck work.
I used INTINTERDECK-GRY Interlux Interdeck and the nonskid looks like factory original with just a little grit that is not a problem to clean.
Thanks for the quick response. I looked at the KiwiGrip website and it looks like a good option.
Kiwi grip is an excellent choice for the non-skid. Long lasting and good traction.
A wallpaper steamer work great for removing old vinyl.
A wallpaper steamer work great for removing old vinyl.
Just an off the wall suggestion, but worth a try... When I was working on my deck I discovered by accident that if you brush the non-skid by hand with a stainless steel brush it brings it back to gloss fairly well. I only did this in a small area and noticed the results, but I have enough damaged areas that I'm going with Kiwi Grip.
If little or none of the gel-coat non-skid pattern in damaged I would go with the comments above to use Brightsides with the non-skid additive and paint them. Just clean the decks very well with acetone before painting and use good painters tape with a locking edge. I can attest to the results; very nice looking, retains the original non skid pattern, good grip, and very easy to repair or re-coat in the future (you can always be sure of a perfect color match when buying a quart of Brightsides in future years).
If little or none of the gel-coat non-skid pattern in damaged I would go with the comments above to use Brightsides with the non-skid additive and paint them. Just clean the decks very well with acetone before painting and use good painters tape with a locking edge. I can attest to the results; very nice looking, retains the original non skid pattern, good grip, and very easy to repair or re-coat in the future (you can always be sure of a perfect color match when buying a quart of Brightsides in future years).
To the guys have that used Kiwi grip. When I looked at this product it looked like it left a textured surface and masked the original diamong pattern on the boat. Is that true? That is why I went with the Interlux product that did not cover the diamond pattern and pretty much restored the original texture with a little more grip. Just wondering.
the 'thing' w/kiwi grip . . . the texture is customizable . . . it can be 'played' with . . . if you want to leave the original texture best to go with something less thick . . .
Just finished the non-skid on the deck of my '77 h30 this past winter. Used Brightside one part and added the polymer non-skid granules. Prepped with Interlux Pre-coat primer, first. Three coats of primer and three coats of Brightside. Probably overkill but I do not want to have to do this again for many years, if at all. Rolled everything on with three inch medium density rollers from Home Depot. Do not use foam rollers. Put on very thin coats and it will level out nicely. Use the polymer additive sparingly as a little goes a long way. just follow the directions. No matter which paint you go with, make sure to take time and care with the prep work and you should get very good results. The actual painting goes quickly, the prep work not so much. Just waiting now for winter so I can tackle the cockpit. Too hot here in Fl. to do this now. Good luck.
-Roland
s/v Fraulein II
-Roland
s/v Fraulein II
Yes, Kiwi Grip is thick and is applied with a textured roller. It will cover up the original diamond pattern in the Gelcoat. For those of us who have damage to that non-skid this is the best option. It is easy to apply, looks nice, has a softer feel under foot than other non-skids, and easy to repair or recoat in the future. It is also water based. The best prep is to sand the Gelcoat non skid near flat (but it does not have to be perfect), clean/de-wax with acetone/laquer thinner/denatured alcohol and prime, then apply Kiwi Grip.
If the tread pattern in the Gelcoat is not damaged and you want to preserve it then Brightsides with the non-skid additive is your best bet. You cannot sand the Gelcoat, but you must clean it very good with a deck scrub followed by acetone and a stiff brush (natural bristle). The acetone will soften up the non-skid, so do this very shortly before Primer and not in direct sunlight if you can avoid it. Use Interlux Pre-Kote primer (NOT Prime-Kote, that is for Perfection 2 part paint). Two coats is sufficient.
Contrary to a previous post, just a difference of opinion, I would fine foam roller... You don't want the primer to lay on too thick. Your non-skid pattern should still come through just fine. Two coats should be fine, but with a fine foam roller 3 would be ok I think. Prime Kote dries very fast in good weather, all coats can be re-coated within 30 minutes at or above 70 degrees. Do let the last coat dry overnight.
Brightsides in a one shot deal when using the non-skid additive. When Brightsides cures the gloss rises to the top and becomes the hardest surface, but your gloss will be cut down by the non-skid additive considerably. Brightsides cannot be re-coated without sanding, this is true of all one part polyurethanes. Using a 1/4" nap roller you should get excellent coverage and your non-skid pattern will still be good. I'd have to check the tech specs but I believe you do not want to thin Brighsides when doing Non-skid decks. You will be amazed at how far just one quart will cover! Don't buy 2 unless you are sure you'll need it!
BTW, our host, SBO has the best prices I can find on Interlux paints, fast shipping too.
Clouddiver gives good advise. If you use the Brightsides Interlux has a dewaxing solution (I think they call it 404 I will confirm that by looking in my paint box later today) that you need to use before you sand (the smooth paint) and prep the non skid. I would use this for sure, but be careful with it I went through several pairs of "chemical proof" gloves. To do the non-skid you want to use a med textured roller, that will carry the non-skid additive to your deck. For the smooth parts you definitely want to use a foam roller and tip it. You can use a cheap foam brush for the first coats of paint but I would use a nice badger hair one on the final coat. I even tipped the primer, as much for practice for the real coats of paint as anything. Not sure you need to tip the primer though. Is you are using one color for nonskid and not color for smooth some thought needs to go into the order I which you lay it down. Don Casey's, classic book This Old Boat has an excellent description of this process. By the way I would recommend six inch rollers along with a two inch one for tight spaces.
We used "Tuff Coat" on our 1990 Hunter 33.5. Before anyone laughs (it was a cheap option we had not even considered until seeing it on Ship Shape TV- believe me, we are not cheap when it comes to our boat), it was the best choice we made. Granted, it is not as "easy" to do as we saw on TV- the primer lines DO, indeed, run (easily cleaned up by a Magic Eraser), but, it looks good (and is a great non-skid, since it has rubber pellets.) Our boat neighbors constantly ask about it, and are quite surprised when we tell them what we used. Ironically, my "cheap" friend went with Awlgrip and the "sand" on her boat, and is cursing herself for not following our advice.
PGIJon, sorry, I have been out of town for work. Here is are a few picts- one with MIL:
Attachments
Thanks VHF! I think I'm going to add this to my TO DO list.... Did you do anything special on the diamond shape raised non-slip deck/cockpit areas first? Thanks!
@vhfchannel16
If you are still around would you mind sharing an update on your Tuff Coat from 2015? Does it clean easily? is it still fully intact? Thanks!
If you are still around would you mind sharing an update on your Tuff Coat from 2015? Does it clean easily? is it still fully intact? Thanks!
I too would like an update. My gel-coat is wearing through in the cockpit seating area.