fixing down treadmaster

[simon_sluggett]

Hello happy sailors!

What's the best and cheapest place online for adhesive for sticking down treadmaster to GRP decks? Treadmaster's own one is 47 quid on mailspeed , phew! Is it special glue or just a standard rubberised contact glue. Whats the best conditions for doing the job. Thanks all.

 

[mainmarine]

according to Treadmaster you only need the epoxy adhesive in hot climates such as the Med, not for temperate regions like the UK. I used a contact adhesive by 3M called contact cement.

 

[vyv_cox]

A previous boat had Treadmaster on deck, stuck down with a contact adhesive. Seawater had got under the edges, which then curled up. The total effect was that of a derelict shed. It took almost a whole winter of weekends to get it all off and re-attach the Treadmaster with the proper adhesive.

I suggest you bite the bullet and do the job properly, unless you like unpleasant work, that is.

 

[Salty John]

Totally, agree. Don't use a contact adhesive, use epoxy. With contact adhesive you will get curling edges or, worse, bubbles in the Treadmaster where moisture has found a way in.

Epoxy seals the deck so that any moisture in the core can't find it's way out when the deck gets hot and form these bubbles.

Even in the UK the deck can get hot enough in the sun to do this. And, anyway, why limit yourself to sailing in gloomy climates!

 

[macd]

I'm Derbyshire-born, too, but having once had a boat with curly treadmaster, definitely go with the epoxy crowd.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have used sikaflex before with no problems and I will be using it again on my new steel epoxy painted decked yacht. The flexibility of sikaflex gives a much better bond than epoxy IMHO

 

[baggypipes]

we used sikaflex, never came off, never bubbled and still using it in the med; better than any of the other glues we tried.
best luck.

 

[Dipper]

On a previous boat, I used a two part epoxy I obtained from a local flooring fitter. He occasionally used it to fit flooring in wet areas and/or outside. The Treadmaster was still stuck firmly when I sold the boat 7 years later.

 

[vyv_cox]

I don't have experience of Sikaflex as a Treadmaster adhesive, although I understand that it is recommended. I have used Sikaflex to attach TBS deck covering to my cockpit floor, where it has worked well.

I also re-covered my cockpit seats with Marinedeck 2000 about 7 years ago using a Sikaflex adhesive. Marinedeck is a cork-based product not too dissimilar from Treadmaster. It has not suffered any adhesion (or any other) problems despite intensive use.

 

[mainmarine]

there is a vast range of different quality contact adhesives, Treadmaster even supply their own, 3M contact cement was recommended by the supplier.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
adhesive for sticking down treadmaster to GRP decks

[/ QUOTE ] I am prompted to add my 2pennies worth by the suggestions to use Sikaflex.

Sika and Sikaflex are brand names.

There is a whole range of Sikaflex products for various purposes and a vast range of Sika products for construction and industry.

The marine range range includes
Sikaflex 290 DC for deck caulking,
Sikaflex 291 for general purpose sealing and bonding,
Sikaflex 292 for structural bonding,
Sikaflex 295 UV for bonding plastic glazing
Sikaflex 296 for bonding glass
Sikaflex 298 a laminating adhesive for bonding decks, panels and sheets

298 is fluid and I suggest is the appropriate Sikaflex product to use.

Before going down the Sikaflex route you should establish exactly which products other forumites are recommending and consult the following pages from the Sika website
http://www.sika.com/cmi-marine-index.htm
http://www.sika.com/industry/cmi-customer_group/cmi-marine-index/cmi-marine-products.htm

Thre is also a cleaner and a range of primers for various substrates.

 

[vyv_cox]

I deliberately wrote 'a Sikaflex adhesive' for my Marinedeck job as I cannot remember what it was. The adhesive was different from the caulking.

The TBS came with a tube of Sikaflex 291 and seems to have worked well.

 

[vyv_cox]

<<<< there is a vast range of different quality contact adhesives, Treadmaster even supply their own, 3M contact cement was recommended by the supplier. >>>

Yes. I still wouldn't use it. Would they come and strip it all off when it lifted?

 

[rogerthebodger]

I use the term sikaflex as a known product name but there are a number of suppliers of simular type of produce that are not marketed to the marine industry. 3M do simular products and one I found is a supplier called Den Braven who supply the motor industry in South Africa but are based in the EU so must supply there
web page

 

[kieronriley]

Did mine last year used epoxy ,would not do it again for a thousand pound the hardest two days work ever,we had sandbags bricks sticks and all maner of things holding the stuff down,the glue has no stickness its just like laying it with double cream and as decks are not flat it slides with its own weight so from one who has done the job i realy do wish you all the best and leave your swear box at home or you will be broke by the end of the job ,Kieron

 

[uforea]

I did my decks with Treadmaster and used contact adhesive on one side but found it so difficult to line the sheets accurately as you cannot do anything once you have made "contact". The other side was done using epoxy and was much easier as the sheets can be moved to get a precise fit, as others have said, a rotten job and only to be attempted once.

Ted.

 

[ianabc]

Sikaflex®-291 is a one-component, low viscous, medium modulus, polyurethane-based sealing/adhesive compound. This all-purpose grade is used for general ...


From posts above it would appear that Sikaflex 291 would be an appropriate adhesive for Treadmaster sheets as:

(1) Epoxy may allow the Treadmaster sheets to slide over the deck as the epoxy is a lubricant until it set up

(2) Epoxy may cost as much per sheet as the Treadmaster

BUT Sikaflex 291 is a polyurethane bassed adhesive and in North America Home Depot sells a deck adhesive PL Premium for less than five dollars a tube.

It , spread with a notched spreader, as for setting ceramic tiles, this may be as good?


As I have 11 sheets of Treadmaster to fit as soon as the wseather warms up, I'm for going for the ice, and water proof PL Premium or PL 400