I know there are a few of you who have done deck painting. I have been buggering around with boats for about 45 years so you would think I would be pretty on top of this right now. I have tried one pack deck paint, Emerclad, a WA concrete paving paint, and a rubber based paint as well as two pack with bits in it. I still don't know what to do. My cat has has waterbased paints but I guess I could wire brush the stuff off.

The WA concrete like paint is awfully expensive to ship here and does come off pretty easily in high traffic areas. Same with the Emerclad. The prep for the two pack would be really onerous unless I do a full refit paint job, which I don't want to do. Kiwi grip sounds good but it is mind blowingly expensive at 2m squared per litre for my 11.6 x 7 metre cat - deck area about 50-60 metres squared. Whitworths have it at $170 per 4 litres and I probably need 24 litres which is 7-8 packs. A grand for deck paint seems a bridge too far for me.

How does the Norglass deck paint stand up? It seems reasonable. There is also a Norglass paving paint. I can ring them up and check if there is any difference. I know some people have used the Norglass - is it grippy and tough enough?

cheers

Phil

I used Kiwigrip on the deck of my last boat, an Elliott, I thought it it is overrated, it needed a touch up on every off season. I have heard of others making their own versions using the kiwi grip roller for texture.

cut and paste below from another site. Might be worth experimenting with an acrylic paint. Doesn't say it below but Titanium Dioxide is for UV protection.


KiwiGrip is an acrylic polymer [paint] providing a durable, homogeneous, elastic surface.
According to the MSDS, it contains:
Calcium Carbonate [1] 15.0%
Barium Sulphate 15.0%
Titanium Dioxide 15.0%
Oxygenated Solvent 2.0%
? www.pyiinc.com/downloads/kiw...ds-english.pdf

[1] Calcium carbonate is widely used as an extender in paints, in particular matte emulsion paint, where typically 30% by weight of the paint is either chalk or marble. It has a regular and controlled crystalline shape, and ultrafine particle size.
? web.archive.org/web/20080222...carbonate.html

[2] Cabosil is Fumed [or pyrogenic] Silica, which is an extremely fine powder, of silicon dioxide particles, used to thicken liquid materials.

Both products are thickeners.
The texture is achieved through roller nap selection, and rolling pressure.

I did my deck with Kiwigrip about 8 years ago & I am pretty happy with it.
I bought 4 litres & still have a fair bit left yet for touch-ups.

I've only needed to touch up bits a few times over the years & did this a few weeks ago.

You're welcome to come over & have a look anytime.

+ 1 for Ramona's recommendation - White Knight oil based paving paint from Green Shed - good cover with 2/3 coats . Wears well !

Went with kiwi grip
show up dirt badly but feels very good under foot
trick is get the texture right
go rougher
wearing well but went with rough texture and two coats
About to go with it on another boat

Treadgrip from A&I coatings similar to kiwi grip. Wears really well, 12 months on commercial passenger vessel ( push bikes, surfboard, dogs etc) still looked ok, I'm in the process of using it on the work boat, no need for texture roller just 20mm nap, can be tinted tho not all paint shops that stock it do. I put down jotamastic as a primer

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PLanter4 said..
+ 1 for Ramona's recommendation - White Knight oil based paving paint from Green Shed - good cover with 2/3 coats . Wears well !

The undercoat on my deck wearing areas is White Knight paving paint but the top coat is Kiwi Grip. There is a lot of deck area for a 34 footer that's almost a flush deck yacht and I used 3 litres of paint.

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Kankama said..
I know there are a few of you who have done deck painting. I have been buggering around with boats for about 45 years so you would think I would be pretty on top of this right now. I have tried one pack deck paint, Emerclad, a WA concrete paving paint, and a rubber based paint as well as two pack with bits in it. I still don't know what to do. My cat has has waterbased paints but I guess I could wire brush the stuff off.

The WA concrete like paint is awfully expensive to ship here and does come off pretty easily in high traffic areas. Same with the Emerclad. The prep for the two pack would be really onerous unless I do a full refit paint job, which I don't want to do. Kiwi grip sounds good but it is mind blowingly expensive at 2m squared per litre for my 11.6 x 7 metre cat - deck area about 50-60 metres squared. Whitworths have it at $170 per 4 litres and I probably need 24 litres which is 7-8 packs. A grand for deck paint seems a bridge too far for me.

How does the Norglass deck paint stand up? It seems reasonable. There is also a Norglass paving paint. I can ring them up and check if there is any difference. I know some people have used the Norglass - is it grippy and tough enough?

cheers

Phil

I reckon if the deck is painted with White knights oil based paving paint then just the walking areas painted with Kiwi grip I reckon 8 litres would be ample.

Very novice question here re non skid areas. Would you use white knight or other paint on all areas but only kiwi grip or equivalent on the designated non slip areas? Would a non slip type paint covered everywhere show dirt, foot traffic etc. Thanks

Would use white knight or other paint on the areas which are not nonskid, and kiwi grip or Norglass nonskid deck paint only on the designated non slip areas. Doing the whole lot with a non slip type paint covered everywhere will look really bad, like a blow torch job. The masking up effort takes time and needs to be done well but is worth it. Good video you've probably seen.

Thanks for the reply. I was guessing that was the case and I'd like to make the deck look and perform as best as possible so I'll definitely be masking up and leaving the non, non slip areas to the 'regular' paint. Great vid too cheers

You really have to divide up the areas into sensible sized areas to apply the KiwiGrip. Probably 2 square metres would be the maximum size. Apply the KiwiGrip thickly then wait a few minutes before playing around with the roller. How often you go back over with the` roller determines the finish!

So does white knight paint on the areas not with the rippled desnignated non slip parts finish smooth and glossy? My thinking is to do this over the deck (once pressure washed, sanded and any expoxy patches required) then tape off the areas requiring kiwi grip or similar to apply. Would this give a smooth look around the non slips areas?
thank you!

White Knight Paving paint gives a semi -gloss = slippery !
Used it on cabin sides + worn areas of sidedeck on Contessa 25 . Narrow sidedeck with shrouds/lifelines,but would not do foredeck .
3 coats pale blue over faded dark blue with minimum prep - light sand/metho wash - as on mooring .
Been 12 months and wearing well .
Mason

I've been reading and pondering this and other posts because I'm in the same situation however I need to sand and cracked paint so am I looking for a highbuild primer to smooth over cracked paint first?
Is this a good idea prior to applying white knights and kiwigrip or would the pave paint do similar and lessen the cracked appearance with a few coats, sand, repeat. Apologies if this is basic I'm new to this and want to improve the whole deck because it's been neglected prior to me owning it with flaking paint in sections and cracked in sections.
cheers

White Knight paving paint does not require a primer or undercoat. Sand the old paint back till it's smooth and paint straight over it. The Kiwi Grip areas will hide all faults but make sure the area where the paving paint is going to be left to show is well prepared.

If you are going to use acrylic filler in cracks etc. smooth it in and paint straight over it with the paving paint while it's still wet.

For the little extra effort & cost it takes to get an industrial grade bond, I would be thinking twice. If the single pack paving paint doesn't adhere to your substrate 100%, moisture will get under it and it will lift, in little pieces that you will walk all through your boat and into the environment. Likewise with the expensive non slip, but at least the thick acrylic will hang on like a mat for awhile, then get drummy in patches and fall off in chunks. I have had this happen and you soon wish you put the little extra in at the beginning