Essential tips for maintaining your ship deck
Services: Non Slip Marine Deck Applications, Ship Deck Protective Paint
Shipping is at the heart of the UK, facilitating £1.1 trillion in UK trade, tourism, hosting high-profile maritime international bodies, supporting the transportation of offshore renewable energy, providing search and rescue capability to the Royal Navy and generating over 700,000 jobs across the shipping industry.
Maintaining your ship deck is crucial for the safety and security of all staff and passengers on board, adhering to industry standards, and ensuring the ship’s longevity.
Effects of a poorly maintained ship deck
Leaving your ship’s deck exposed to the harsh elements and relentless water can lead to serious damage. Proper deck maintenance is the best defense against these threats, keeping your vessel safe and reducing the risk of accidents.
There’s a range of solutions for maintaining your ship deck, from grit blasting and wet abrasive blasting to deck coatings and mechanical preparation.
Preparing your ship deck
Grit blasting
Also known as abrasive blasting, grit blasting is a surface preparation technique that involves propelling a stream of abrasive metal, known as grit, at high velocity against a surface to clean, smooth or roughen surface, remove contaminants, rust and old coatings and prepare surfaces for treatment such as painting or coating. Grit blasting not only removes rust and old paint, but it can also create a specific surface profile for proper adhesion of new coatings.
Wet abrasive blasting
Similar to grit blasting, wet abrasive blasting is a surface preparation method that combines abrasive material with water to clean, smooth or roughen surfaces. Abrasive materials such as sand or glass beads are mixed with water to remove rust, paint and marine growth before subsequent coating applications.
Captive shotblasting
Captive shot blasting, also known as shotblasting or captive blasting, is primarily used to remove ship deck coatings and prepare steel ship decks and ramps in preparation for new coatings to be applied. The benefit of using captive shot blasting is how efficient it is to clean and prepare surfaces. It can save time, money and downtime for vessels as it requires less labour compared to other surface preparation methods. Additionally, captive shot blasting can achieve a high level of surface cleanliness and roughness, which improves the adhesion of future coatings and prolongs the life of the substrate.
Anti-skid applications
Ship decks are inherently hazardous due to constant movement, wet conditions, and frequent foot traffic. This creates a high risk of slips and falls. While completely eliminating risks is impossible, implementing anti-skid deck coatings significantly reduces the likelihood of injuries.
First developed in the 1930s, anti-skid surfaces were a simple mix of sand and epoxy. Material composition has advanced over the years, with epoxy-based coatings being a popular choice for its high durability and resistance to chemicals and abrasions.
Similarly, polyurethane coatings are flexible and resistant to UV light, making them suitable for decks exposed to sunlight.
Application process
Firstly, the deck surface must be thoroughly cleaned and prepared, using grit blasting techniques to remove old paint, rust and contaminants.
Next, a primer may be applied to enhance coating adhesion. The anti-skid coating is then applied, which will need to cure or dry completely before the deck can be used again.
Following application, it’s crucial that the anti-skid coating is tested and inspected for skid resistance to ensure it provides the required level of traction and adhesion.
Marine deck paints
Specialist marine paints have been formulated containing polyurethane or epoxy binders, pigments, solvents and additives. These paints offer a durable and aesthetically pleasing coating that’s resistant to UV, water and wear and tear from foot and vehicular traffic. Some ship deck paints also contain anti-skid properties to provide additional protection for crew and passengers.
Maintaining your ship deck is a critical aspect of ensuring the safety, security, and longevity of your vessel. By implementing proper maintenance techniques such as grit blasting, wet abrasive blasting, and applying anti-skid coatings, you can protect your deck from harsh environmental elements and prevent serious damage. Regular maintenance and the use of advanced materials and methods will keep your ship in optimal condition, supporting its operation.