Painting deck with Awl Grip

[shamrock]

hello, I'm thinking of buying a 35 foot in great condition down below, shinny topsides and a chalky deck. does anyone have experience getting the deck stripped, prepped and Awl gripped, then putting it all back together.

What kind of yard bill would this be for a 35 foot boat?

Thank

[cabo_sailor]

I did it myself about 12 years ago on my prior boat. Not terribly difficult BUT you must be meticulous in making sure that every square inch is wax free. In my case I used an Interlux cleaning agent and lots of rags. I still see my old boat from time to time and it still looks good.

I'm wanting to re-do my decks now but I'm going to try something different. For one thing, the price of Awlgrip is obscene. I'm going to try a product called KiwiGrip. A water based paint that appears to require much less extensive prep with easy cleanup. I've ordered a quart to try in an inconspicuous portion of the deck and if I like it, I'll buy a gallon and do the whole deck.

Reviews that I've read have been favorable, it's about $40/qt, and the special roller allows one to choose just how agressive the non-skid aspect is. Plus, it would duplicate the existing non-skid pattern already on my boat. It is estimated that life expectancy is around 5 years in a high traffic area and 10 years in high traffic areas. The claim is if an area becomes worn just add a quick additional coat.

There are a great many other products out there as well. Look around. While none may be difficult, they all require time and work. I'd not want to do a job and have to repeat it too soon. Also, if the job doesn't turn out right, it can be a bear trying remove the stuff to re-do.

I'm in the midst of so many other chores on the boat that it will be a while before I try the KiwiGrip. Probably a month or two. Go ahead and google it if you want more info. If you still want to use Awlgrip, feel free to PM me and I'll provide all the tedious details of what I did. This topic has already been discussed on this board. One felllow's attempt went south. You'll find a lot of differing opinions, even on the application of Awlgrip not to mention endorsements for other products.

I don't know where you are but locally I suspect to have a pro repaint your deck would be about $5k. Most of that is prep labor cost.

Rich

[wolfenzee]

When I paint my deck next I will use something more like Kiwi-Grip (or some other roll-on no-skid). Because my present deck is ground walnut shells and epoxy non-skid with regular paint, this will require grinding down to epoxy.....someday.

[shamrock]

thanks!

[bstreep]

We are in the middle of this project. Unless you are spraying, choose Interlux Perfection as your 2 part paint. It rolls and tips VERY well. However, as is typically the case, prep is over 95% of the work. More like 98%.

[drcot3]

Just a small contribution, I used hammerite smooth with a small quantity of hempels white sand onto grp with a roller brush and its lasted years, approx 10 years of medium / light use on a motor cruiser side decks and coachroof the results were as good/ better than international my preferred paint system, but its a gamble that you might not want to take and certainly I cannot endorse/ be responsible if you follow my advice(LOL) I will be using hammerite paint again this year, also my boat is in Spain loads of sun/wind/sand for the last 12+ years.
Go with your instinct it`s usually the best decision till you need to paint again.