Substitute Surface Material for Kickers & Sliders

Other than Trek and PVC Sheeting has anyone used any other substitute material for kickers and sliders?
I have 3- substitutes I was hoping some of you guys may have tried out and get your opinions on.
- FRP
- Shower Wall Material
- Poly-something?? - has a bit texture to it.

FRP slides good if you can get it glued down well. Its too thin to countersink screw heads so I would recommend glue-ing it. The other downside to FRP is that it doesn't hold up to weather very well. The heat from the Sun and the cold during the winters makes this stuff fairly brittle and it will crack and break easily.

I have had the best luck with HDPE which maybe the third substitute option your asking about. I would highly recommend it, however I would not go with anything thinner than 1/2 inch because it tends to bubble in the sun. HDPE is pretty expensive, but in the long run, it's going to last the longest and really doesn't wreck your board at all (SLINGSHOTS AT LEAST).

What are you looking to build?

CH

Chris-

Thanks! I am building a 40ft rooftop and Re-building a kicker. I have trek for the rooftop but needed to get new surface for the kicker. They used the shower material last time but wanted to see what other substitutes to flirt with (and what might be cheaper). I am doing this for the local ski/wakeboard team in my area that I help out. The obsticals will be parked outside all the time so your FRP comment is helpful.

Thanks again, and if you know where to find HDPE I would appreciate any advise.

Thats awesome. Roof Tops are one of my favorites!!! I actually built a small winch park in our area and got in with a local plastic distributor for the HDPE because I needed many sheets of it. I would suggest looking for someone local and going through them only cause I like to support anything local, unless prices are outrageous. If you get it online, shipping 4x8ft sheets isnt cheap. I guess it all depends on how much you need.

My email address is cjhopf@ncsu.edu if you have anymore questions, feel free to email me there!!

CH

try restaurant supply company or plastics distributor

You know what we still use a lot on fast ghetto sliders is soft PVC pipe that is used for in-ground sprinkler systems. Its SUPER cheap you can buy it in several sizes from 1/2inch to 1-1/2 inch and it comes in rolls of 100+ feet. Just a thought if you are looking to cut costs.

you can try Azek... it is a high density plastic that is used for trim on houses and you can order it in many different sizes and lengths... you can get it in sheets too... see www.azek.com or this is a list of their product offerings http://www.azek.com/setcontrol/download_file.php?id=12&table=product&field=refere nce_document_1_file
I have not ever used it for a slider, but I am sure that it would work, I used it in residential construction... but it is pricy so check with a local supplier but you can get sheets 4'x18' if you go 5/8" thick and I would think that would be nice to have less splices...

Thanks again for everyone input - it is very much helpful

One time we tried Vinyl siding, needless to say after 1 set I need stitches. The top sheet of vinyl cracked after like 20 hits and I didnt notice. So we came back the other way and one of the two top sheets peeled up between my legs at 21 mphs and sliced the shiat out of my left leg. I slid about 5 feet with the top sheet between my legs before I came to a dead stop and death slammed onto the slider.

I guess the whole point of this is, dont mess around get some good same stuff like trex.

hdpe is the way to go.. we have got away with a lot using 3/8 but half is better is you can afford it.. I think we paid $116 a sheet for 3/8" x 4'-6" x 8'-1 sheets and about $160 a sheet for 1/2". Look up "plastics" in the phone book, or stop by a sign company and ask them where they buy their plastic from.

Rip the plastic into 9" wide pieces and you will get 48 linear feet per sheet... thats about the same money as trex material and it is a lot more gentle on your board and your body if you fall on it.

Check Total Plastics or a similar business nearby. You are looking for cutting board sheets. I also suggest you wax the surface with a hard candle wax with a UV inhibitor added. You melt it and then roll it on. This is what ski jumpers do. It protects the boards and protects the surface - the wax becomes the wear layer. Replace once a year. For fastening, I use SS Elevator bolts. The head is countersunk with a forstner bit, and the hole is 1/8" large so the HDPE can expand and contract in the sun. The sheets move a lot, so you have to space them out. Use a 1/4" round-over router bit and clean up the edges so you can space the boards for movement and the edges won't catch the board or create an injury. HDPE edges are sharp.

Good luck.

I've always been curious about lino flooring. I mean you put that stuff in the kitchen in the 70's and 40 years later it's still indestructible, just looks gawdy awful!

Have you ever seen it exposed to the weather with a saturated substrate? No way.

I used some Agro vinyl strips. Quite a durable and cost effective alternative, if you ask me.