plywood deck coatings!!

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scsdiver

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my head is about to spin with all the options and different approaches to coating plywood. we do not want to carpet our deck we want to end up with a painted floor/deck. with that said. what is the best way to seal plywood and have it last without adding a ton of weight. was just going to paint it but think that paint is just two thin. we can fiberglass it but then that is a ton of weight. my last thought was using some good old polyresin and just appling it until the plywood was sealed. whatever we put down we will be painting so i dont know if UV is a issue there. we are starting with marine grade plywood not PT. i realize everyone will have different opinions but would like to know what people have used and the results and longevity of them.
 
Three coats of spar urethane (six on edges) has worked great for me. I'd imaging you could also paint over it. I've also just put several coats of paint on the plywood and that has worked too. You could also fiberglass 1/4" plywood if you wanted to go that route.
 
Ictalurus said:
Three coats of spar urethane (six on edges) has worked great for me. I'd imaging you could also paint over it. I've also just put several coats of paint on the plywood and that has worked too. You could also fiberglass 1/4" plywood if you wanted to go that route.

spar urethane is a something i have heard a lot of people using. viscosity wise is it like water or thicker like resin? have you ever painted over it? we will be using the paint we already boat and use don the exterior and when we get that far the interior. i want something a little stronger than paint. unfortanetly we already bought and have cut down most of the wood for our decks and already bought 3/4" ply. im a pretty big guy and didnt want it to flex. thanks for the intel i am deff going to take a look into the spar.
 
Hey guys, bringing this topic back to the top to clarify something. Not this thread but a lot of other threads talk about leaving one side free of the spar so the wood can breathe... is this true?
Just drop a quick post if you coated all sides or left a side uncoated.
 
I coated both sides.......IMO leaving one side with no protection will lead to warping and rot.....exposed wood does not like moisture. I used two gallons of Glidden Floor and porch paint.....I used the oil based poly and it looks fine. 26 bucks a gallon.
 
I coated both sides, as well. I was able to paint over it just fine, two coats of Rustoleum. Going into the third season and the wood is solid and the paint unblemished. Well, except for the occasional cigar burn.
 
MNHunter505 said:
Hey guys, bringing this topic back to the top to clarify something. Not this thread but a lot of other threads talk about leaving one side free of the spar so the wood can breathe... is this true?
Just drop a quick post if you coated all sides or left a side uncoated.
Have you even taken a sheet of ply and laid it on the ground, then come back a few hours later or next day and see the wood curling up on the edges (cupping)? The reason it does this is because the side next to the ground is absorbing moisture from the ground. The same thing will happen if you seal one side and leave one side raw. You may have it fastened down so the cupping doesn't show visually, but the wood will be constantly pulling against the fasteners. Once the wood is cured (kiln dried etc) you normally don't want it to absorb any moisture since moisture is the cause of most wood rot.
 
JMichael said:
MNHunter505 said:
Hey guys, bringing this topic back to the top to clarify something. Not this thread but a lot of other threads talk about leaving one side free of the spar so the wood can breathe... is this true?
Just drop a quick post if you coated all sides or left a side uncoated.
Have you even taken a sheet of ply and laid it on the ground, then come back a few hours later or next day and see the wood curling up on the edges (cupping)? The reason it does this is because the side next to the ground is absorbing moisture from the ground. The same thing will happen if you seal one side and leave one side raw. You may have it fastened down so the cupping doesn't show visually, but the wood will be constantly pulling against the fasteners. Once the wood is cured (kiln dried etc) you normally don't want it to absorb any moisture since moisture is the cause of most wood rot.

And that pretty much sums up this topic. Thanks JMichael! I had that same reasoning in my head, just needed to hear someone else say it, to confirm it.

Thanks.
 
I hit everything with Helmsman spar urethane as well - minimum 3 coats.

I have an added waterproofing bonus with my carpet glue which is also waterproof - Henry's 263. It's great stuff!
 
sbritt23 said:
2 coats of kiltz on each side then Varlish no-skid paint 2 coats on each side and a few on the sides,

We sorta did this to make center floorboards for my dads 16' Lowe. Cheap 3/8" plywood split along the v of the keel and notched at the side ribs the panels fit tight w/o screws. Several coats of Kilz and seveal coats of home depot Porch paint w grit sprinkled on the last coat, it is slightly warped 3 years later but still way better than stepping on the exposed ribs.
 

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