Foam Core

[Eric McNiff]

Sec,

I have re-finished a couple decks by simply rolling the gel coat on. Prep it with Acetone or Interlux 402. Also, instead of adding sand or grit (which can come loose and fall out) I have had luck using a textured roller to "pull" the gel coat up as it is drying. They sell them at any hardware store. They look like a roller with small rows of plastic loops. Painters use them to add texture to paint - but they work well here too. Apply a 4' x '4 section of gel coat with a normal roller, then switch to the textured roller and just keep rolling it until it starts to "kick". As it is drying or kicking you can stop anytime to vary the amount of grip you are adding. The longer you keep rolling, the sharper the texture. It doesn't take long to get the hang of it - it you screw up, you can knock down the grip with a little hand sanding. Just be sure to put the gel coat down THICK so you have a lot of material to work with.

The best thing about this is that the grip is made from the gel coat so there is nothing to come out.