Non Skid grid sanding

[grn3500gt]

My E35-2 is in great need of some deck paint. My current concern is the nonskid grid pattern. Seems one of the previous owners painted the grid part with what looks like cool deck coating. its a faded looking peach color. I would like to know how to sand off that paint without sanding off the grid pattern. It doesn't seem to be helping the pattern do its job so I just want to get rid of it and repaint the topside white. I've searched the interwebs but all I have found is ways to make new non skid on boats without patterns. They recommend 60 grit sand paper but again I feel that will also take out the pattern. My dad recommended a wire brush but I'm hesitant since I don't know how its going to react to that and Id hate to buy a big wire brush tip and it be useless.

Also what do you all recommend for deck paint to make it look shiny and new and have minimal orange peel. I need something I can do myself in the marina.

 

[Christian Williams]

I think you mean the surfaces of deck, cabin house, cockpit and so on--the ones with non-skid. 'Topsides' are the sides of the hull above the waterline.

Check out Answer #6 in this thread, which is a good description of one possible way to go:

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...t-quot-Grizzly-Grip-quot-don-t-waste-a-nickel

 

[grn3500gt]

This seems like a great way to do the new stuff but I need to get rid of the old paint without sanding off the original non skid pattern, I will not be reapplying the non skid paint afterwards. I'm going to go with a clean white look on the deck. Thank you for the proper terminology I'm new at boat work.

 

[Shelman]

You might try a gel-coat safe paint stripper, and then carefully rub the softened paint out of every groove. . . but It might take a while. I think I would just re paint some textured paint over the existing.

 

[Glyn Judson]

Safe stripping.

Dear friend, You might want to try a Fiberglas safe paste stripper like Interlux Interstrip Semi-Paste Marine Paint Stripper 299E. I used the same stripper, a West Marine branded product one time ago with great results. That said, I didn't see it offered by them when I made a quick search on their web site. Take your time, do a little at a time and get bolder as you develop a technique. Go for it, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

 

[Alan Gomes]

My E35-2 is in great need of some deck paint. My current concern is the nonskid grid pattern. Seems one of the previous owners painted the grid part with what looks like cool deck coating. its a faded looking peach color. I would like to know how to sand off that paint without sanding off the grid pattern. It doesn't seem to be helping the pattern do its job so I just want to get rid of it and repaint the topside white. I've searched the interwebs but all I have found is ways to make new non skid on boats without patterns. They recommend 60 grit sand paper but again I feel that will also take out the pattern. My dad recommended a wire brush but I'm hesitant since I don't know how its going to react to that and Id hate to buy a big wire brush tip and it be useless.

Also what do you all recommend for deck paint to make it look shiny and new and have minimal orange peel. I need something I can do myself in the marina.

Recommend you go with a flat and not a shiny paint for the non-skid. Better for avoiding glare and this would also be the more conventional approach. On the topsides, though, shiny is good.

 

[ignacio]

Kiwi Grip

I used Kiwi Grip last year, and think it turned out ok. The only prep I did was clean and degrease the deck prior to application, and then apply masking tape. A year later, I think it's still holding up well.

How to apply Kiwi Grip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba3crsEgC78

 

[grn3500gt]

You might try a gel-coat safe paint stripper, and then carefully rub the softened paint out of every groove. . . but It might take a while. I think I would just re paint some textured paint over the existing.

Dear friend, You might want to try a Fiberglas safe paste stripper like Interlux Interstrip Semi-Paste Marine Paint Stripper 299E. I used the same stripper, a West Marine branded product one time ago with great results. That said, I didn't see it offered by them when I made a quick search on their web site. Take your time, do a little at a time and get bolder as you develop a technique. Go for it, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

Consensus is that I should use gel-coat-safe paint stripper so I think that will be my approach. Thank you for the help!

Shelman, I think thats what has been done before and there is a considerably thick coat on there, if I layer again I might start stubbing toes on the stuff. :nerd:

Recommend you go with a flat and not a shiny paint for the non-skid. Better for avoiding glare and this would also be the more conventional approach. On the topsides, though, shiny is good.

I used Kiwi Grip last year, and think it turned out ok. The only prep I did was clean and degrease the deck prior to application, and then apply masking tape. A year later, I think it's still holding up well.

How to apply Kiwi Grip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba3crsEgC78

That's a good point on the shiny stuff, Alan, I will do that.

Ignacio that looks great. I don't have any pics on hand but mine is a darker color and accompanied with the faded deckpaint, scratches and cracks, it looks bad. Looking at yours with the clean look, that will be a consideration.


Thank you all again for the great responses. This is a great forum! Great people!:nerd:

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Read all of this one

Life expectancy of Kiwi Grip: I don't have any idea, it is a simple one part latex that brings question???

I painted my nonskid with Kiwi Grip in the summer of 2012, it was very aggressive due to the high temps when applied, I wet sanded off the tips to make less aggressive, sank the boat April 25 of this year recovered the boat 18 days later and cleaned with "The Works toilet bowl cleaner to remove barnacles and stain, it still looks like the day I applied it.

This stuff may last forever. It is very easy one part application, apply with a plastic squeegee that has a saw tooth edge and then roll with the supplied 4" roller and you are done, if it is too aggressive sand the tips off to desired finish.

 

[Slick470]

I have a few friends who have gone the kiwi grip route and couldn't be happier. I'll probably use it when I get around to refreshing the non-skid on our boat.

 

[Loren Beach]

I have heard lots of good about Kiwi Grip, but there are (a few) other contenders.

The restored boat in this thread moors beside us.
Their new Durabak non skid looks great. It feels like it will hold shoe soles very well but not rip up your flesh when you go down on a knee.

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?13378-Major-Yacht-Remanufacture-Blog

http://www.durabakcompany.com/marine.htm

Loren

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Durabak looks good but seems more work and less forgiving. Kiwi you mask with tape only, squeegee on then roll and peel masking off. Cleans up with water, obviously is not effected by being submerged for over two weeks.

 

[skipper2dave]

Solution to Non Skid Paint Removal

I have an E35 MK.2 and know precisely what and where you are referring. This is a nasty, messy and trickey challenge because of the small micro pattern of molded non-skid. Do NOT sand or wire brush- too abrasive. I had good results with a stripper in combination with a very stiff (long bristle, color red) plastic brush head on a power rotary tool. I had tried everything before including working with a paint restorer from the Smithsonian Intitution. Will try to find picture of brush referred to above which can be purchased at some auto parts stores. Good luck and watch out for splashing goop when operating rotary power tool. --Skipper2Dave

 

[bigd14]

I used Kiwi Grip and it has performed well for years. However there seem to be a lot of tiny bubbles that formed during painting and then broke. These bubbles fill with dirt and mold and its impossible to clean them out. So the initially snow white non-skid now appears slightly gray. I do not know why the bubbles formed, but it otherwise went on very easily.

As for stripping the paint, I opted to sand the non-skid entirely off instead of stripping. This was in part due to the fact that I had to replace much of the core, so the top sheet was entirely removed. I think I would try removing the paint before sanding the non-skid off, that was a messy nightmare.

Good luck and let us know how the project turns out.