We bought a Harbor Freight trailer ( 4x8 ) and are getting ready to install the floor and box. We got marine grade plywood for the floor and we are wondering what to use as a coating to make it waterproof. Will regular wood water seal work?
Exterior Latex Paint works well, is easy to apply and lasts longer than clear coatings. I am always concerned about the solvents in clear coatings getting into the seams in a PVC boat. I had a bad experience in the past, cost me a boat!
There's waterborne sealers such as Sikkens, that are not solvent based and hold up well to water and sun exposure. You won't have to worry about getting solvent in your crack...
Some folks here have also recommend Deckover and similar products, idk, I haven't tried them.
Cetol DEK® Finish is a high-performance, translucent satin finish for exterior decks. This alkyd high solids formulation offers optimum protection, ultimate durability and a beautiful furniture-like finish with the simplicity of a one-product, two-coat application.
I wouldn't use deckover or any textured product for a trailer, you want the raft to slide on and off, not stick... that's my opinion anyways. I just decked a trailer with plywood and used some left over deck sealer weatherall I think was the brand. It didn't make the deck slippery like gloss paint but the boat it was built for slides just fine on and off. I think it's a good mixture of traction for your feet and sliding of the boat.
FYI I used Behr deckover for my decks and side rails on my raft and it's already failing (applied correctly in april or may), so I will be going a different route next time.
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