Cleaning a diamond plate floor

I'm looking for suggestions on how to clean up this piece of diamond plate that is used as the floor in my boat. It's pretty grimy. I don't want to put a mirror shine on it because I don't want it reflecting in my face. I might paint it, but I don't know how the paint would hold up to the foot traffic.

If this was the floor in the boat that you were refurbing, what would you do with it?

samzerelli said:

I'm looking for suggestions on how to clean up this piece of diamond plate that is used as the floor in my boat. It's pretty grimy. I don't want to put a mirror shine on it because I don't want it reflecting in my face. I might paint it, but I don't know how the paint would hold up to the foot traffic.

If this was the floor in the boat that you were refurbing, what would you do with it?

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Zep-A-Lume or AlumaBrite. They will clean the aluminum, giving it a uniform and clean color, but doesn't give it the mirror shine that would make it reflective. The stuff comes as a concentrate, and is to be diluted, sprayed on, then thoroughly washed with freshwater.

Dawson

How to Clean and Polish Diamond Plate PART I.wmv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND2I7wZNQaY

Polishing Aluminum Truck Storage Box using "BriteMax

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HLJv5l4XQ&feature=related

samzerelli said:

If this was the floor in the boat that you were refurbing, what would you do with it?

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I'd cut it to size and put it in the bed of my truck, then I'd install a plywood deck covered in marine vinyl.

Seriously, don't do anything to it... the "rat" "grubby" look is still "in". If you polish it up your going to worry about every little thing that happens to it because "I just polished that thing up!", and then you're going to have to keep polishing, and polishing, and polishing........

I'd bead blast it and call it a day.

:lol:

I'd spray it down with some diluted (ospho) phosphoric acid, then a rinse with clean water.

If you paint it, the plate will lose some of its non-skid properties.

But if you do paint it, be sure to use a zinc chromate primer before anything else. For the actual paint, Interlux Brightside is pretty durable paint.

I had a 14 foot Duracraft with a diamondplate floor, and I've got a 16 foot duracraft with the same type of floor. Used Brightside on both. It held up good on the 14 footer, until I traded it....and it's holding good on the 16 footer.

I'm wanting to use zep a lume on Willie predator floor, diamond plate. Says spray on, ok, how long do you leave it sit before rinsing it off ? And can I dilute with water and scrub on ?

When your done cleaning, prep it and paint with an epoxy with alumina grit. I think that’s what is used on the northwest manufactured aluminum fishing boats like North River, etc. It holds up quite well and no annoying mirror brite finish that’s typical of some diamond plate aluminum.