Deck Sealing

My non skid section of my deck is lifting on the shade side of the boat. After I wash it or it rains there is moisture trapped in it and when you step on it that moisture escapes from those areas around the edges where it's lifted.

The non skid section looks like woven roving fiberglass but it maybe something else, it's just a little higher than the deck itself and appears to have a crack around the perimeter.

I realize the best procedure would be to cut it out and replace it but with a limited budget and time can you guys give me some alternatives. It is still in good shape underneath and solid.

Deck Sealing photo 2

Here is a second photo.

Greetings,
Mr. D. What I would do is clean underneath the non skid as far as I could readily reach You may have to gently lift the edges and get in there with a stiff paint brush and detergent. Rinse it VERY well with fresh water. Dry the area using compressed air to blow ALL the moisture out.

Mask the deck around the non skid then smooze/force an adhesive (I'm loathe to suggest 5200 BUT it may be the best) under the section, you probably will have to gently lift the edges again, and press down. Carefully clean the excess off the masking tape and the non skid and put weight on the patch leaving the masking tape on. After curing, remove the masking tape. This may be difficult but easier than cleaning cured adhesive off the deck.

Derik, that's gonna be a challenge to repair.

The problem is the entrained water hydraulics under walking load/boat movement will pump hard against any sealant along the edge, breaking it, and putting you back where you started.

You can get most of the water out by pumping/cycling on it manually, soaking up the water at the edge with paper towels, but really hard to get rid of all of it. Try that anyway, keep the parts in the sun and protect from condensation over night. Edit: RT's compressed air idea is good too.

One cheap-fix approach after drying is Capt. Tolley's Crack Cure Sealant. Takes time/patience. I have found that stuff can work if the joint/crack doesn't move around under load (the problem with your problem).

For seams that move more, I have used thin epoxy injected with syringe/hypodermics into the seam, then weighted down to close the seam. Git Rot or some other really thin epoxy with high surface tension to flow into the joint. This stuff still needs to be shot into the joint with syringe/hypo.

After all this screwing around don't be surprised if you have to scrape the whole thing off and start over, bedding in a new piece.

Good luck!

Both ideas above are excellent. If it were me I'd try the get rot or something similar once it is clean and dry underneath. To help with moisture removal underneath the non-skid you could inject isoproyl Alcohol after it has been cleaned. The alcohol will absorb moisture and then evaporate . Do this three or more times and you may get the moisture out. I have done this on other projects and it has helped.

Greetings,
Mr. SB. Excellent idea. Coupled with blowing out with compressed air (if possible). I'd forgotten I've done this numerous times in the past but...the mind isn't the first thing to go.