Painting the deck...

[gsfaulk]

Just a couple of questions... 1) spider cracks in the non-skid (it appears to be a stick on pad) will paint cover/fill these in or do I need to dremel (? sp) them out and put epoxy in them? 2) any recommendations on refinishing the wood first or painting first? 3) paint is chalky... how much sanding should I do? ...all the way to the glass?
Thanks in advance!

 

[malyea]

Take a look at this advice -

http://www.sailmagazine.com/boatworks-ask-sail/ready-deck

 

[gsfaulk]

Thanks!

 

[Ed Schenck]

It isn't clear to me which surface you are writing about. You mention "chalky" which usually means the smooth gelcoat surface. Some non-skid surfaces can also be chalky but not the painted kind like mine. Many years ago I painted the smooth gelcoat surfaces as explained by Don Casey. But I used a one-part by Interlux called Toplac. Ten years later there is some crazing. I am debating redoing it this spring with a two-part. But the two-part is tricky, it sets very fast and you have to keep a wet edge or you will have a mess. After the smooth white then you can mask and paint on a good non-skid. There are several good products. I used Interlux Interdeck in the past. Now I have some "Kiwi-Grip" to try. Check the online store here for price.

 

[rardiH36]

Hello Ed,

I opted for interlux perfection for my non skid five years ago. Still looks almost new today. Application is simple compared to painting over smooth gelcoat. Can be done with a brush with no real concerns about the wet edge. The rough non skid surface doesn't show brush marks at all. I added the max amount of flattening agent to minimize gloss. Find out first if 2 part can go over one part. And also choose a color that matches your existing.

 

[gsfaulk]

Hey Ed,
Sorry for the confusion. I will stick with one question at a time. I have spider cracks in the non-skid (it appears to be a stick on pad) will paint cover/fill these in or do I need to dremel them out and put epoxy in them?
Thanks!