Here's my "recipe" for surfacing contacts. It works. My equipment gets heavy daily use, it sits outside 24/7/365, and I have hauled the A-Frame to at least 6 trials last year. I generally resurface the A-Frame yearly, but the dog walk and teeter are in their third year of service without the need for resurfacing.

Selecting the plywood

If you are lucky enough to be starting from scratch, you can choose the type of wood used.  The best option is ½” marine-grade plywood.  Marine-grade plywood is denser than standard grade and will not have knots.

The VERY best option is to special-order plywood in 12’ lengths.  This eliminates the splice in the surface, which is more important now that we don’t have slats to cover it.  12’ standard grade plywood is somewhat expensive, and 12’ marine grade plywood is VERY expensive.  However, I think the extra cost is worth it.

From a 4 x 12 sheet of plywood, you can cut one 12’ long by 1’wide plank for either the dog walk or teeter, the 9’ x 3’ A-frame surface, and have a 3’ x 3’ piece left over to make a table.  Because of the saw kerf, your widths will be very slightly less than the full 12” and 36”, but they will still be within acceptable tolerances.

Selecting the paint & such

The best paint I’ve found is flat or low luster deck paint.  Some deck paints come only in limited colors, but Behr makes one that can be colored to your specifications.  Deck paints take longer to dry, but they are formulated to take the wear and tear of foot traffic, so they are well suited to contact equipment.

If you are starting with raw wood, you will also want a very good primer.  Ask your paint store to recommend one that is compatible with the paint you are purchasing (don’t mix latex with oil).

Get a gallon of both the contact color and dark color.  Choose a color a little lighter / brighter than what you really want.  The sand tends to darken the final color.

You will also need to purchase a surfacing product such as Skid-Tex or similar.  These are very fine-grained silica products. 

Finally, you’ll need sand.  Choose a pavers sand – one where the grains are fine and of equal size.  Avoid concrete or play sand, which will have grains of varying sizes.  If you can’t find the pavers sand, you can use a sieve on the other sand.

Purchase two rollers made for semi-rough surfaces (one for each color).  The nap will be about ½”.  You’ll also need some roller trays, and I recommend tray liners to simplify cleanup.

Painting raw wood.

If you are starting with raw wood, your very best option is to paint it BEFORE attaching to the frame (if possible).

Paint both sides with the primer, and let dry overnight.

Repainting existing surfaces:

Scrape off all loose paint with a putty knife and wire brush.  Do this on both the frame and wood surface.  If the frame needs painting, do it now.  I use a rust-inhibiting spray paint for the frame.  If you expose bare wood, paint with a primer (see above) and let dry overnight. 

The Base Coat

Use the yellow contact color and paint the back side of the wood first.  There’s no need to add the Skid-Tex yet.   Also paint the edges.  Let this dry enough where you can turn it over to work on the top side.

Working on the top, use the rollers to apply a coat of the yellow paint (still no Skid-Tex) to the whole surface (you don’t need to worry about the second color for now).  Immediately coat the entire surface with sand.  You may want to work in sections so that the paint is still very wet (don’t panic if you get sand on your rollers).  The sand coating should completely cover the paint - really.  I find it useful to use a sieve to sprinkle the sand on, even if I am using pavers sand.

Let this dry 24 hours.  Don’t rush it.

HINT:  Instead of trying to clean the tray and roller, put the whole thing in a plastic garbage bag and close it up tight.

The Top Coat

Take a broom and knock off all the loose sand.  Don’t be gentle.  As long as your paint was wet when you applied the sand, plenty will stick.

Now add the Skid-Tex to the paint at the recommended amount.  Mix very thoroughly.

Mark your contact zone and paint each area with the desired colors using a different roller for each.  You will need to load the rollers with lots of paint, press hard, and paint in all directions (up, down, back, forth, and diagonally).   In the boundary at the edge of the contact zone, go ahead and let the yellow encroach into the dark area.  It’s easier to cover the excess yellow with dark paint than vice-versa.

Let this dry another 24 hours.

The Finishing Touches

Chances are that your dark color will look fine, but the yellow may look muddy because the sand shows through.  If needed, apply another coat.

Use masking tape to mark off the final contact line, and use a small brush to paint the dark color over the “encroaching” yellow paint.  Touch up the edges as needed.

Wait yet another 24 hours before using or attaching to the frame (if you had this option).

Don’t Cheat

Do use sand that has small, even grain sizes, or use a sieve to remove the bigger grains.  The larger chunks of sand do NOT make a better surface.

Do let the paint dry overnight between coats.  I know you want to get it over with, but you’ll just have to resurface again sooner if you cheat on this. 

Don’t skimp on quality  - buy the best paint and materials you can afford.  It pays off in the long haul.