Treadmaster - applying it

[Poignard]

I did my deck on a 31ft boat; the coverage stated on the tin is a bit optimistic (i can't remember the figures). It will peel off within months if you don't prepare the surface; I cleaned it using thinners before giving it an undercoat, let it dry well, wipe it with thinners again then ready for the KiwiGrip. The big tin doesn't go far, you will be surprised how much you will need to give it good coverage and it is not cheap at all. The price for a tin has almost doubled over the last 5 years.

Thanks. Did you have to strip off pre-existing deck paint or did you paint over it?

 

[Kelpie]

I did recently replace a section of badly damaged Treadmaster- too chipped and peeling to be saved.
It's surprisingly expensive stuff. The cost of doing a whole deck would be huge.
I was really quite reluctant to spend good money buying the stuff... but replacing the damaged patch with a different deck covering (like paint) would have looked wrong... so I bit the bullet.

Btw I didn't find it particularly difficult to get the new patch lined up and cut to shape. Scissors were easier and better than a knife for cutting the curved corners.
However I did find out that the new Treadmaster has a slightly different pattern to the old stuff- the diamonds are larger and spaced a little further apart. This put paid to my idea of butt joining in a section of new Treadmaster up against some of the existing stuff, so I ended up having to replace a whole section despite much of it being in OK condition.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Thanks. Did you have to strip off pre-existing deck paint or did you paint over it?

The deck was in good condition, it was painted with good deck paint with added grit. But despite cleaning it with thinners, the KiwiGrip did not take well at all in one small area where I did not paint with undercoat. KiwiGrip its water-based paint that relies on thickness to "stay" on, it does not take well on very smooth surfaces, it needs a very clean rough surface. Has to be laid thick, the thicker the better, don't economise or it will peel off within one season; masking tape will be necessary to give it a good edge finish. You may find that Treadmaster is a viable option.

 

[Kukri]

This illustrates the present state of affairs:





“If seven maids with seven mops,
Should sweep for half a year
Do you suppose, the Walrus said,
That they could get it clean?”

“I doubt it, said the Carpenter,
I quite see what you mean!”

Something has to be Done! Next winter, not now!

 

[sailorman]

Orbital sander, prime the bare patches Then Interdeck 75% Grey 25% Oxford blue gloss + non slip stuff added

contact International for colour mix % options

with the present deck paint in that condition you would need to strip it all b 4 Treadmaster application

 

[Kelpie]

Why would you need to add non slip stuff to Interdeck?

 

[Motor_Sailor]

This illustrates the present state of affairs . . .

Prepping that deck for any sort of finish involves exactly the same amount of work. There are no short cuts.

It's over the next phases that choices can be made: Initial cost, ease of application, durability, maintenance and end of life cycle renewal.

 

[Poignard]

Orbital sander, prime the bare patches Then Interdeck 75% Grey 25% Oxford blue gloss + non slip stuff added

contact International for colour mix % options

with the present deck paint in that condition you would need to strip it all b 4 Treadmaster application

I was quite happy with International Interdek until stopped making the colour I liked (Pale Blue). Hempel suggested I use their MuliCoat with granules added but does not seem to be as durable as the Interdek.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

Interdeck is Toplac with beads.

You can get the beads separately, so you have the full range of Toplac colours to choose from.

 

[Poignard]

Thank you, I didn't know that both paints were the same

 

[Kukri]

Prepping that deck for any sort of finish involves exactly the same amount of work. There are no short cuts.

It's over the next phases that choices can be made: Initial cost, ease of application, durability, maintenance and end of life cycle renewal.

Exactly. I can only assume that "if it doesn't move, paint it" was the guiding principle. I think it is worth taking it back to be sure that the underlying GRP is OK, and to deal with any “issues”.

 

[alahol2]

I did the cockpit seats in smooth treadmaster replacing some very worn and chipped plain cork sheet. It is surprisingly non-slip so, if I were to need it, I would seriously consider doing the whole deck in the smooth stuff. No pattern to line up or match and butt joints all but disappear. Probably 10 years old now and still looks good as new, no chips or lifting.
My decks are currently painted in masonry paint, mixed in store to the exact same colour as the treadmaster. Very easy to paint and touch up, cheap too.

 

[Kukri]

I did the cockpit seats in smooth treadmaster replacing some very worn and chipped plain cork sheet. It is surprisingly non-slip so, if I were to need it, I would seriously consider doing the whole deck in the smooth stuff. No pattern to line up or match and butt joints all but disappear. Probably 10 years old now and still looks good as new, no chips or lifting.
My decks are currently painted in masonry paint, mixed in store to the exact same colour as the treadmaster. Very easy to paint and touch up, cheap too.

That’s what I wanted to hear because that’s where I am going to start. Thanks. The great attraction of Treadmaster is that it is very, very, non-slip.

 

[alahol2]

Just noticed the question about painting before/after installation of treadmaster. Note that a tiny fillet of the epoxy glue is required around the edge of the sheets so painting would have to be very accurate and slightly (1mm ?) away from the edges. I suspect the fillet is important in preventing edge chips and lifting.

 

[Kukri]

Just noticed the question about painting before/after installation of treadmaster. Note that a tiny fillet of the epoxy glue is required around the edge of the sheets so painting would have to be very accurate and slightly (1mm ?) away from the edges. I suspect the fillet is important in preventing edge chips and lifting.

Thank you very much.

 

[sailorman]

Why would you need to add non slip stuff to Interdeck?

Ah, my colour was discontinued, i spoke with International Teck Dept.
they gave me the ratio of grey deck paint / Oxford Blue paint to get my original colour.
The adding additive was down to diluting the deck paint with the gloss that has no additive

 

[burgundyben]

I recently put treadmaster on a couple of locker lids that are steps, plywood, epoxied them, then sanded the epoxy with some fine sandpaper to give key. I used the self adhesive treadmaster, brought it all indoors for warmth, left them with weights on for 24 hours, seems to have worked fine.

Aside from treadmaster, thought I would mention, in 2003 I painted a new ply deck, sheathed with epoxy and glass, then coated with Hemples, may have been Blakes still back then, 'deck coating'. It lasted very well, so much so that I did not repaint it until 2011 and only then as part of a costmetic re-fresh, it didn't really need doing. I found its non slip properties to be excellent, but on a non leany over motorboat, perhaps on a sailing boat, some added non slip granules would be worthwhile.

 

[Frank Holden]

Replaced all mine in 2015.... it was very shabby..... 30 years of abuse.

Thought about Kiwigrip .... cheaper... easier ...
Major problem is it won't take a dark tint..... light shows mudprints etc....
Seems the amount of pigment you have to use to get it dark takes the grip out of the kiwi....

We removed the old... yard did the new...

I would suggest sand down old coating..... and painting where the joins and stuff will be before laying new....

Original was laid by WYC prior to fitting deck hardware.... we cut out around all the fittings.

Yard phoned me and said making all the 'butts' match on side deck and cabin top would mean huge increase in number of sheets required. WYC would have had a heap of jobs going on at any time so wastage would have been far less.... We went with the 'economy' fit.... last pic

Nobody notices... looks fine....

Colour? Tan is a nice warm colour in a high latitude and doesn't show the mud that you bring aboard on your Muckboot Polar Pros....

That's a fancy bit of kit on your port quarter...

 

[Kukri]

Thanks VM Frank, yours looks very smart, and if I can achieve that standard I'll be more than happy; decision now taken in favour of Treadmaster but will do it next winter, not now!

Yes, World's Poshest Aquair ring - right above the Walker Excelsior log plate.

 

[bairdag]

I've been using Kiwigrip: it has been fine for areas of low use, but for the harder worked areas it has been really hard to keep clean, and there have been a few ares where there were bubbles. I don't want a teak finish, and faux teak is inclined to be less grippy IMHO. I am changing to treadmaster light. Kiwigrip has not been a good experince in the main......

The lower cost options are also mush harder to get a good consistency and my manual skills better suited to the simpler installation that is tread master.