Re: Sand in deck paint for non-skid surface?

I'm a sailor, and we are always trying to make our decks somewhat abrasive, so we won't slide off the boat when we take a wave. Some manufacturers mold a pattern into the deck, but that has never seemed to me to work too well. You could probably do the equivalent with a saw or router and a lot of time. In olden days, it was common to mix ground walnut shell into the deck paint and it worked fairly well; they still sell the shell for use as a mild abrasive in sandblasting, but I haven't seen it locally; there are sources on the internet.

They also sell non-skid compound at marine supply stores, and it works quite well mixed into the paint (you do have to stir the paint often during application to keep the compound suspended). Its a manufactured product of very fine glass or plastic beads, and feels like very fine sand in your hand. Properly applied, you get a surface that looks smooth, but has a good grip to it. For more into, do a search for non-skid compound at http://www.westmarine.com

Since marine supplies are expensive, the last time I was painting my porch, I went to a paint store and asked if they had non-skid compound. They said they did, but when I got it home it was very irregular and looked, frankly, like they had raided a beach or a litter box, so I didn't use it. I've worked with pumice, but it must come in grades, as the stuff I had was too fine, in my opinion, to be effective as a non-skid compound. I think most sand, on the other hand, would be too coarse and would give a rough appearance, and really abrade anyone who fell or sat on it, but would probably give very good traction. They also sell various tapes, but I have never been convinced that they would last very long in an outdoor application.

Simpson wrote:
I'm rebuilding a 13 step outdoor wooden staircase and entry porch on an 80 year old house. I bought some Benjamin Moore Deck and Patio paint for the finish coat. It says on the can to use sand in the paint for a non-skid finish. But it doesn't say anything about which grit of sand to use and in which proportion. Can anyone shed any light on this for me?

Thanks,
Jack
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Sand in deck paint for non-skid surface?
    ... In olden days, it was common to mix ground walnut shell into the deck paint and it worked fairly well; they still sell the shell for use as a mild abrasive in sandblasting, but I haven't seen it locally; there are sources on the internet. ... They also sell non-skid compound at marine supply stores, and it works quite well mixed into the paint. ... I think most sand, on the other hand, would be too coarse and would give a rough appearance, and really abrade anyone who fell or sat on it, but would probably give very good traction. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: Sand in deck paint for non-skid surface?
    ... In olden days, it was common to mix ground walnut shell into the deck paint and it worked fairly well; they still sell the shell for use as a mild abrasive in sandblasting, but I haven't seen it locally; there are sources on the internet. ... They also sell non-skid compound at marine supply stores, and it works quite well mixed into the paint. ... I think most sand, on the other hand, would be too coarse and would give a rough appearance, and really abrade anyone who fell or sat on it, but would probably give very good traction. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: Sand in deck paint for non-skid surface?
    ... In olden days, it was common to mix ground walnut shell into the deck paint and it worked fairly well; they still sell the shell for use as a mild abrasive in sandblasting, but I haven't seen it locally; there are sources on the internet. ... They also sell non-skid compound at marine supply stores, and it works quite well mixed into the paint. ... I think most sand, on the other hand, would be too coarse and would give a rough appearance, and really abrade anyone who fell or sat on it, but would probably give very good traction. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: deck paint
    ... paint off with a stiff brush and proceeded to paint with "porch and ... First off I need to do more than just scrub the deck with a brush to ... screws are gonna tear up sanding belts or drums. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: Deck Paint Peeling -- A fix?
    ... Since its peeling it is most likely paint, not stain. ... This should loosen the paint that isn't already peeling on it own. ... outside deck. ...
    (alt.home.repair)