Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 23, 2003 10:01pm | #1

   High end boats traditionally have unfinished teak decks that weather to a silvery gray and a slightly fuzzy non-slip texture. But teak has to be holystoned periodically to maintain that color and texture.

   Gunstocks are often checkered for friction. Two sets of parallel V grooves are cut into into the surface at a 60 degree angle to each other, forming numerous little diamond shapes. If you cut the grooves deep enough that the diamonds come to a point, the checkering is aggressively non-slip, but can be uncomfortable. Or you can leave flats on the tips of the diamonds, for a more comfortable touch. On guns, the checkering is usually between about 18 LPI (lines per inch) and 32 LPI. Which wood are you planning to use for treads? I would expect maple to hold the checkering for a good long time, but I wonder if it wouldn't wear pretty quickly on the fir.

   How about drilling a pattern of holes? If there's enough of a water film between a foot and the tread to be slippery, holes would give the water numerous places to drain to and would also create lots of edges for the sole of the foot to grab on to.

   In my limited experience (boat docks and shower duck boards), unfinished wood is fairly slip resistant when wet, if it hasn't been sanded to a high gloss. You might consider finishing the stair frame and leaving the treads unfinished. Perhaps pick a rot resistant wood for the treads, or design for periodic replacement of the treads.

   I think I've seen non-slip or reduced slip floor waxes. Maybe you could put on whatever finish you like and just wax the treads with that stuff from time to time.

2. 
   Clay | Feb 23, 2003 10:21pm | #2

   I would carve a texture on the surface of the treads.  There are many possibilities.   Look into basket weave checkering patterns.  Try doing a scaled up version of standard gunstock checkering.  Cut a fish scale patern.  Carve and burn feather patterns.  Use a background pattern stamp (such as carvers do, these are often some sort of punch with a checkering pattern filed into the surface, giving a reversed checkering pattern when tapped into the wood surface).  These are just a few ideas, the possibilities are vast.  Carve the likenesses of pets or loved ones into the treads.  They are a tempting canvas.

3. 
   Paul_Snyder | Feb 24, 2003 12:05am | #3

   I'm not as creative as the others and would use a non-skid finish on the steps. Epifanes ( http://www.epifanes.com/products.html ) has a non-skid coating for use on boats that I'd use in this case.

   Paul

   F'burg, VA

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Feb 24, 2003 08:44pm | #4

   I'm gonna go with Paul. The shop I was involved with did lots of work for a yacht builder and did a summer job as a finisher in a boat yard. There is nothing more slippery than a varnished surface that gets wet. It makes little difference if the surface like a gun stock.

   There are only two ways I know to use a finish and get slip protection. One is a Paul suggests, use a non-skid material in the final coat of finish or to use a flexible stick on non-skid that you apply after the finish is fully cured. Either will work fine and both are best purchased at a marine type supply store.