non-skid in epoxy resin

[KMD]

I posted this question a couple weeks ago and got several responses. Most of the responses were non skid addttives for paints. I would like to find a non-skid additive I can put right in the epoxy resin. I have a color pigment I am putting in the resin, plus I want a nonskid also, this way I wont ever have to paint the deck panels hopefully, If I paint the panels with a non-skid then i will have to re-paint every couple years.
Does anybody have any recomendations on what the best type of non skid is to mix with resin? I did a bunch of samples using, sand, sugar, salt, even cofee grounds. The problem I found was the reson coat I applied was so thick, about 95% of the non-skid didnt show. I want 3 coats of epoxy on the panels, do you think if I do three coats then mix the non skid in a 4the coat of epoxy and try to abbply it really thin would this work?

As I said I would like a non skid finish that doesnt need painting if possible.

[fiberglass jack]

awl grip non skid additive works good with epoxy it is soft and spongy before you add the resin it soaks the resin and becomes one with the epoxy i have used it many times with epoxys and gel coats it can be sprayed and has a 80 grit finsh the us military uses it all the time

[JR-Shine]

regular non-skid can be added to epoxy. Epoxy must be protected from UV, pigment alone does not offer much.

[Raggi_Thor]

Can you add non skid additives to polyurethane varnish or paint?

[Deering]

You could sprinkle non-skid on top of the final epoxy coat. But the real problem you're facing is that you need to protect epoxy from UV. The non-skid and the pigment won't do the job. You're stuck with painting or covering with a non-skid mat.

[keysdisease]

Hello KMD,

I have seen some very nice non skid incorporated into epoxy by using netting.

You have to find a no knot net in a hex pattern and you just tape it down, mask it off and roll on the epoxy. I have seen this done with hex patterns ranging from .5" to 1" and it gives a very professional finish. The pattern can be aggressive so you need to add additional coats of epoxy of appropriate thickness until the pattern profile reaches the desired height. Somewhere in the process before the last coat of epoxy you need to bevel the edges because I have seen the sharp edges wear to the point where the netting begins to unbond from substrate.

Steve in South Florida

Happy St Pattys day all, cheers and bottoms up!

[Bergalia]

Perhaps it's too obvious - but why not the old fashioned bucket of clean dry sand. The surplus brushed off after the pox has dried ?

[Tactic]

Heres my method.Hasn't been tested yet but is looking good in the workshop.
Seal the deck with 2-3 coats of epoxy as usual.Mask off areas to be non skid.
Mix epoxy with silica filler as you would for reallythick glue.Apply to the masked areas and roll it out with a mohair roller.Result looks very professional.
Wash off any alamine when dry then apply several coats of paint.You may need to give a light sand before painting to knock off any real sharp bits.

[chandler]

Ive heard of people mixing coarse sugar with epoxy. No matter what the epoxy needs to be painted for UV protection.

[sigurd]

I'd like to try some rubber grit, sounds comfortable and non abrasive.
http://www.epoxyproducts.com/6_nonskid.html

Ground tyres were mentioned somewhere. But that would put marks on clothing. Maybe old shoes with non-marking soles? Not sure how to grind it though. Food processor?

[bntii]

Skip the epoxy. Just use Awlgrip with griptex particles and you will have a long lasting deck finish.

Mix: One part paint-one part brushing catalyst-one part flattening agent. Add 50/50 mix of coarse and fine griptex particles- add ~2oz volume as measured in a graduated cup per 30 oz of paint mixed paint. Mix well! Apply with 3/16" roller. Play with amount of grit till you are happy. Too much in mix will yield a lumpy surface, too little a patchy one. Make sure to mask with 'Fineline' tape and pull sooner than latter so as to clean up any bits before the paint has cured so much as to be solvent proof. Count on two or three coats which can be applied ~ one hour apart in good conditions. Wait to overcoat till a finger does not pull up paint.

The epoxy will fail due to UV light

[fiberglass jack]

now someone is talking sense

[rturbett]

We put sand in epoxy finish on a few of our boats to keep us from sliding off-it was put on the top coat of epoxy. We brushed over it with spar urathane, as we always do, for u/v protection. The combination worked great- the sand was rough enough to be non skid, but smooth enough to be comfortable to sit on (in swimsuits!).

[bntii]

Not to argue too strongly but....

The service life of spar urathane is fleeting when compared to a LP paint. All these things work ok but why bother when such good products are on the market? Finishing epoxy bright on wood is one thing, but he is asking about just your bog standard deck nonskid.

[JR-Shine]

the best non-skid is, well, non-skid additive - it suspends in the paint (no clumping) and will look much better than sugar/sand/nut shells or whatever else. Its super cheap also, I think we sell a quart for $8 which will do an entire boat!

Pigment will not filter UV.

you can ad non-skid to varnish, but it will not hold up well. If you are after bright work with some non-skid areas then ad the non-skid to a clear LPU.

Good luck

Joel