Protectakote vs Coelans as deck sealants

[chal]

Has anyone tried Protectakote as a sealant?

I have a wooden boat that has various minor deck leaks and am considering using Coelans to seal it. There's lots of information around about this and it seems to get generally very good reviews.

On the downside, it is very expensive (currently around £55 per litre in UK), needs a lot of coats, and has a very limited range of mostly unappealing (to me!) colours.

Looking around for alternatives, I came across Protectakote. It is cheaper, comes in some colours I like, requires only 2 coats, and is non-slip. The UK importers say it is great for boat decks. It is probably pretty similar to Coelans - it is a polyurethane coating that is claimed to be both very flexible and very durable.

I have found some very enthusiastic user reviews from people who used it on vehicles (its original purpose) but none from marine users. The only reviews I could find in these forums were about its non-slip properties, not its effectiveness as a seal. It was generally not recommended, partly because there were cheaper alternatives, but also because the rubber granules that make it non-slip are too big and make it uncomfortable to walk or sit on.

I have even contacted the UK importers technical help section to ask about marine use but they did not get back to me.

Has anyone had any experience of using it for the same thing as me, i.e., primarily as a sealing membrane over a leaky wooden deck? If so, any thoughts?

If it is as good as it says, the ease of application (in terms of number of coats) and the cost saving make it look very good to me, with the colour and non-slip things an added bonus. On the other hand, preparing the deck has been a big job and I want the final result to be as good as possible. If that means Coelans, so be it, I will just have to bear the expense.

A final quick Coelans question: the coverage is described as 1 litre per 1 square metre. Is that for all 6 coats?

The boat is 30 foot pine on oak built in 1939.

Many thanks!

 

[npf1]

IMHO, unless it's a work boat, I would not use the Protectcote.

I have used it in my small RIB and it is excellent stuff from a grip perspective BUT it is quite difficult to make it look like a neat job - though that, of course, could just be due to my inabilty to paint! It has lasted well do far in the RIB though. I decided not to put it on the deck of the boat following the RIB experience and used Kiwigrip instead which was much easier to use and get a uniform finish.

Also, athough probably down to my technique again, the coverage was less than the manufacturers guidelines (but what's new there for any manufacturer).

You can verify all of this for yourself as the importer (in Oxfordshire) will supply a tiny pot of the stuff to try. I found them very responsive by email and phone, but it sounded like a one or two man band. If you haven't had a reply, don't despair as they guy may be on holiday.

I wold have thought that either of the above deck paints would seal, but I would put down a coat of an epoxy primer first. BTW - I used Kiwirip in white and would have used much less of the stuff had a got the deck to be a uniform colour first with a primer.

Never used Colean so can't comment on that.

Good luck

 

[Tranona]

Not sure any of these preparations will be effective long term to seal a leaking deck. Wooden decks leak because the wood moves and opens up seams. This is not going to stop, so no matter how good the sealer is initially it will either wear or break and water will get in. The sealer will then lift and you are worse off than when you started. If it is a laid deck not much alternative to remaking the seams. If it is tongue and groove, the traditional painted canvas finish is hard to beat. An alternative is to sheath with epoxy and glass, but not only is it a lot of work, but can make the deck too stiff in relation to the hull. Still worth considering for long term.

 

[chal]

deck leaks

Thanks for replies so far. I know the problem with movement will persist and that no coating or covering is a perfect permanent solution. Ultimately, the deck could do with being completely replaced, but right now I don't have either the time or skill to do it myself nor the money to pay someone else.

I have decided that, for me, the best temporary solution is some sort of coating, and I do know of people who have had a good degree of success with Coelans: it might not stop all the leaks all the time, but it stops most of them most of the time. These sort of products also allow some touching up, so with a bit of maintenance it should be possible to get several years out of it.

So, for me, the question is: which one works best (and, I suppose, what is the "success to cost ratio")?

 

[beefeater]

try chlorinated rubber paint

protectacote has poor adhesion to wood. Cheap alternative is swimming pool paint which has good elasticity and adhesion to all materials. Can be found for less than 30 pounds for 5ltr pot.

 

[tolhurstorganic]

I have Coelan on my decks, they were new 4 years ago and very stable as the construction is 3 layers bonded with polyurethanes. The Coelan has been 100% water tight and still looks like new. It will take up small movements in timber, but if you have any big cracks they will need sealing with a flexible product first, avoid silicone as Coelan will not adhere, polyurethane mastics are best.
You have to apply 1 litre/sq m it may be possible to do this in 6 coats on a horizontal surface, it can be applied thicky and levelled with a brush. For vertical surfaces you need to thin it and apply more coats up to 12 to get the 1mm thickness. You need to use up the 1 litre so just keep applying until used up, best to reapply as soon as it has gone tacky, it is possible to do all coats in a day if the area not too large, no need to rub down unless you leave it several days, very hard to key agin though so best do the whole job in one. Ideally try to remove as many fitting as possible and replace on top of the coating bedding on fresh mastic. It will adhere to metallic surface if they are keyed first. Avoid doing the job when there is any moisture around as it will go off very quickly, timber must be very dry. Unused product goes off very rapidly once opened, to keep part tins heat up air in tin with hair drier to dry it right out then smear lid with product and bang on tight, a thin layer of Coelan thinners on top will help keep air out. Can keep several months this way. You will need thinners get plenty, don't bother washing brushes use cheap ones, a brush will only last a couple of coats, one after the other.
For decks use a matt finsh for last coat and apply the granules for added grip.
Cheapest supplier is John Greenaway from Traditional Boat Supplies he will answer any queries you have, give him my regards. Good luck