Refinishing after teak deck removal

[evangeline44]

We have finally bitten the bullet and removed all of the teak decking and plan to fair and finish the previously covered decks with kiwigrip or similar non skid, edged with glossy two-pack margins.

Need advice on what resin/filler to: 1) Fill the thousand or so screw holes left after the removal, and 2) What lamination schedule to replace any strength lost by the teak removal, and to get a fully fair finish for painting.

The FRP deck itself is thick and solid, and only cored in places of high stress with plywood - no rot found in this yet but more thorough investigation underway- if we find any this will be replaced from above.

Lots to do!

The boat is 44' overall BTW

 

[pvb]

2) What lamination schedule to replace any strength lost by the teak removal, and to get a fully fair finish for painting.

I don't believe a teak deck covering adds any structural strength at all, it's merely decorative. So you should be able to fill the holes, sand it fair, and apply non-slip.

 

[evangeline44]

My thoughts too but wouldn't mind adding extra beefiness!

 

[Concerto]

The teak decks would have only be fixed to the structurally strong deck, and would have not added and extra strength. The boat should float slightly higher in the water without the weight of teak.

Personally I would drill each hole slightly larger to clean the hole.

If there is a plywood pad underneath, then take a small alum key in a drill and remove a little wood.

Then fill each hole with an epoxy filler, it might need a second fill to come flush with the deck. This will not take as long as you would think.

Then sand the deck and complete the painting as planned.

The epoxy will help bond the deck to make a solid structure again and will prevent any potential water ingress that could over the long term either rot the plywood or delaminated the fiberglass. Any new fixings in the existing holes can also be tapped in if you want extremely strong fixings.

 

[npf1]

IMHO the Kiwigrip is a good choice. I put it it on in 2011 and it is still looking very good - and that is using white. There's some pics here: http://www.jryachts.com/boat-details?boatid=1003780

Another thing worth mentioning is its coverage - I only sanded to 40 grit (simply, quick and easy) before painting on the Kiwigrip, so there was no massive prep required.

I also did 'past the edges' to ensure there was no glossy border to get scuffed (which is what happened to my previous finish). On the uprights, I went a few mm up or down the upright from the horizontal, to protect the glossy bits from shoe damage. So the vertical edge between the deck and coach roof, the Kiwigrip goes approx 15mm above the deck. Similarly on the pilot house roof, I went approx 15mm from the roof, down the vertical.

 

[evangeline44]

Good to have the thumbs up for Kiwigrip npf1. (Nice looking ship BTW!) your note about continuing up/down vertical surfaces is also giving me a re-think.

Anybody else on this thread - do I just buy west system epoxy and thicken myself to give me a good but easily sandable filler or do I go for the premixed Plastic padding marine?

 

[Tranona]

If the deck is in good condition then just filling and sanding is all that is required. If there are lumps and bumps to deal with you may want to skim the whole surface with a fairing filler first. There are various different types of filler mixes - suggest you speak to a supplier such as Wessex Resins (for WEST) for advice on the best mix to use for the job.

 

[Talulah]

A similar project for you to read:
http://roam2.wordpress.com/meet-roam-ii/new-fibre-glass-deck/

 

[evangeline44]

Thanks a lot for that link - could do with some Thai helpers methinks!

 

[macd]

As said, fill the holes after first drilling them oversize. Epoxy plus microfibres is the strongest mix. Use West by all means, but you can find something just as good for considerably less money. An important consideration will be cure time: it's a somewhat fiddly job, so to use the fewest number of mixes, you'll want something offering a generous 'open' time. This also gives the resin mix more time to permeate through the hole and thoroughly wet whatever it comes up against.

 

[npf1]

I used an International two part epoxy filler that was sandable and dried quickly. Can't remember the name but I'm sure you can find it. About £80 for two big tubs (part 1 and part 2).

 

[michael_w]

When I did this job a couple of months ago I countersunk all the screw holes and filled with a fairly stiff mixture of colloidal sillica and low density filler. Microfibres are hard work to sand! I should have filled n' faired a couple more times, but I wanted to go for a sail! I used Sandtex masonry paint as a non slip finish. IIRC £30 for 5 litres

 

[oldsaltoz]

I'm thinking the most important item on your list is to establish that all areas are dry before any treatment. The last thing you need is trapped moisture.

Drill out any and all holes and check the material that comes out for any sign of moisture.

Fill holes with epoxy and Micro-fibres mixed to a toothpaste consistency and wipe clean welled to avoid hard sanding later, leave a dimple that can be filled and fared later using Micro-Balloons for easy sanding.

Any through deck fittings, particularly the ones in the ply sections should be drilled out oversize and filled with Micro-fibres, then re drilled to the required size to prevent crushing the ply and to waterproof it.

Fairing: Mix up some epoxy and Mirco fibres to a toothpaste consistency and use something like and old straight backed saw blade that will not only follow the curve of the deck but smooth out the profile as you go.

Good luck and fair winds.