diamond tread plate does work, but not as good as non skid. take a look at decent commercial aluminum boats (kvichak, safe boat etc) and they typically don't have diamond on the decks. They used to use it in engine rooms for floor plates but if youve ever spilled glycol on it wearing rubber boots, you probably went down. It then tears the knees out of your pants or rips up your hands. It comes in 5052, 5086 and 6061, but in smaller plate widths so when you try and weld it down for a deck it never seems to line the patterns up so you end up with half diamonds you have to grind down.

Putting a scrotch bright pad on a hook and loop DA works well to get it ready for a primer or make it less light reflective. That also takes off the oxide layer and adds a ton of surface area for corrosion, but who cares on a replacable plate.

Using Matson 222 non skid (Farwest Paints) over a matson primer is good but it doesnt seem to handle gasoline or acetone really well and will discolor a little. easy to go over later though and cheap initiall cost. Excellent grip for cheap, but not perfect.

Dont lay things against aluminum that can trap water against the aluminum. It forms a white inter granular corrosion known as polstice corrosion. You can epoxy or seal something down like treadmaster, but dont bolt a piece of uhmw down against it or lay carpet down and not expect it to corrode against the aluminum. Scotty downrigger plates are a good example of a poor design for uncoated aluminum.


2 cents.