Re-do Non-skid

[SailerMatt]

I have a Cal 2-27 with a factory molded non skid deck. The previous owner painted over it with very abrasive non skid paint. Seem like paint with sand/ grit mixed in. It will cut your knees when kneeling.

I would like to repaint my deck. Firstly because of it is sooo rough and because he chose the color blue and it is fading.It just looks bad!

I've managed to scrape off the cock-pit area for the most part, but I cannot seem to find a way to remove the paint from the rest of the deck. I am going to be painting over any way with KiwiGrip white.

Because I will be painting over with KiwiGrip, should I just sand it off with 120 grit sander? Someone mentioned a heat gun and scrapper, but I'm worried about burning the gel coat.

I really don't want to use chemicals to remove it. My boat will be in the water during all of this and I don't want it running off into the SF Bay.

What do you advise?

Here is what the deck looked like when I bought it:

[exMaggieDrum]

I would be interested in knowing how well sanding works on sand-embedded paint. But in any case, you don't want to sand through the gel coat so you would have to be very careful with any aggressive sanding. You might try and contact KiwiGrip to see if it can be painted over the existing nonskid after some cleaning prep. My guess is it would depend on how big the sand particles are.

[Duct Tape]

It all depends on what finish you are looking for. There is no possible way to remove the painted non skid from the molded non skid without damage to the molded surface. Avoid a heat gun at all costs. The damage would be catastrophic...paint stripper will remove the paint but damage the molded gel coat too.
IMO the most feasible method here would be to sand it all flat ie: removing the painted non skid as well as the molded non skid. 120 grit won't do. 80 grit on a quality orbital sander.

Don't worry about the gel coat. Prime the sanded deck with a quality primer and fill and fair with a quality marine filler. The most important thing here is properly prepare the surface for the Kiwigrip. There are no short cuts if a professional finish is what you're after.

This may seem like the long way around but this will ensure a quality finish and will save you time, money and heartache...

Good luck!

[Privilege]

There are numerous ways of putting a non-skid finish on your deck. It looks as though the previous owner has painted the deck and sprinkled non-skid additive (fine sand) on top. As 'duct tape' says, it will be impossible to remove it without destroying any of the remaining factory non-skid and if you try to sand it off with an orbital sander you will be there for weeks. Removing it is just not realistic. If the current paint job is difficult to remove; then don't. My advice would be to simply paint over the top of it. This will give you your desired color and will also give a slightly smoother finish, effectively keeping your non-skid but reducing the coarseness.
What paint to chose - There are basically two kinds of topside paint, (I'm being basic) one part and two part. A one part polyurethane is relatively cheap and easy to use. Although it will show wear after a couple of years, it is easy just to roll on some more. The two part polyurethane is more difficult to use but dries very hard and will last for years. Buy one of the mass-produced brands and colors and then you can simply touch up any areas that get worn or damaged.
Congrats. It's not often on boats that you find that the easiest fix is the best fix!

[Glenn.Brooks]

Yes, you can sand down non skid with either a palm sander or belt sander. Just vary your hand pressure to obtain the level of smoothness/roughness you want. Any aluminum oxide sanding pad will cut the paint and sand mixture just fine.

Kiwi grip is great stuff, but it is translucent. You will need to paint the deck the color of the kiwi grip then apply the kiwi grip over the painted deck to make sure the old ugly blue does not show through. (Ahaha, Ask me how I know?). My old baby blue decks still shine through my kiwi grip paint job in a few places. Plus it's in the instructions, if you dig deep enough.


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[Charlie]

I would test a small portion of the deck with Kiwi Grip and see what it looks like just applying the Kiwi grip over the existing non skid. White is a difficult color for a deck because it reflects the sun so much. You will have to rough up the non skid before applying Kiwi Grip

[Roy M]

I am in the process of finishing the final details of redoing my own nonskid. I've done it about four times, now, over the course of thirty-something years. For my needs I have learned that using Jassco Premium Epoxy and Paint remover is the simplest, cleanest, and fastest way to go from one end of the process to the last. I work in patches of a couple square feet at a time, allowing the stripper to bubble up the old paint, then using a broad blade paint scraper, I clean the old coating off the substrate, then wipe the surface with a terrycloth rag. Eventually you get to the end of the project (I have a forty foot trimaran with HUGE deck area). Then, lightly abrade the surface with sandpaper, wire brush, or whatever it takes to provide you with a good base. Paint your trim color on, allow it to cure, then mask for your nonskid. Roll on the nonskid, sprinkle sand on top (more than you will be needing), allow to cure overnight, then hose or vacuum off the excess. You will have a perfect, one-grain thick surface. Then topcoat with your finish color with as many coats as suits you. Then strip the tape and replace all that deck hardware that got removed to make a neat job (as well as ensure you have no leaks).

[indiana_ct]

I would paint over with a coat of smooth top coat, and then the same top coat again with non-slip beads added to the paint. You only need the non-slip in the top later, This is much less harsh on the knees than sprinkled sand. I have so far been happy with my deck paint - Jotun two pack Hardtop with anti-slip beads in the top coat only.

[SailerMatt]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

So this is what I've gathered, if I have summed it up correctly:

1. Don't even try using a heat gun. Bad idea.
2. KiwiGrip is a great, budget friendly product, but will likely wear in a few years. Shouldn't be that big of an issue, but something to keep in mind.
3. Using a sander is the best option. I will lose the molded in non-skid, but that will be painted over anyway. If I am careful, I may be ale to use a chemical stripper, but need to mask and tape for protecting the sides and other paint I don't want removed.
4. I might need to put down a base coat of color. Maybe. I will test a small area first. KiwiGrip, being as thick as it is, I thought it would cover it right up.


Because I live on my Cal, I will try and paint on a day that I will not be needed to step aboard. Maybe a trip to Tahoe for a weekend. 6 hours to paint the deck is my estimate. The biggest step is prep work.

I will start by sanding with 80 grit and trying to remove most of the old paint. Is the paint is gone, I won't need a color subcoat applied. If most of the old sprinkled sand is removed, then I should be alright to just apply the paint directly over. We will see!


Thanks for the advice! Slightly worried about the blue showing through, but a test section will tell me soon enough.

[SailerMatt]

Originally Posted by Roy M

Paint your trim color on, allow it to cure, then mask for your nonskid. Roll on the nonskid, sprinkle sand on top (more than you will be needing), allow to cure overnight, then hose or vacuum off the excess. You will have a perfect, one-grain thick surface. Then topcoat with your finish color with as many coats as suits you. Then strip the tape and replace all that deck hardware that got removed to make a neat job (as well as ensure you have no leaks).

That is certainly a way of doing it. I will keep that in mind, thanks!

[Charlie]

SailerMatt please be aware that you must strip the tape off before the Kiwigrip dries. It is a paste similar to a fast drying wall board compound in that if you leave the tape on the tape becomes part of the surface and when you strip the paint after the Kiwigrip dries it will leave an inconsistent line. Lots of videos on applying Kiwigrip are available.