"melamine" veneer in head and other places. how to replace?

[luvitt]

So all this thin "plastic paper" veneer is in rough shape. what is it? I call it melamine. how should I replace it? where do i get it? is there an alternative? Most of it is in the heads where water splashes. some is on the tops of my lockers. I had a hatch in the head that gave access to the port side of the engine and i re-did that with a piece of leftover countertop stuff. I dont think i wanna do the whole boat in the countertop stuff (formica?). I think the "melamine" is probably easier to handle & cut with a razor in place?

what about some kind of paint instead of the melamine?

Thanks

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[Ross]

Paint is good! One quart will cover 100 square feet one coat for about 10-15 dollars or about 15 cents per square foot. When it gets shabby you can sand it a little and apply some more.

 

[luvitt]

Paint is good! One quart will cover 100 square feet one coat for about 10-15 dollars or about 15 cents per square foot. When it gets shabby you can sand it a little and apply some more.

What kind of paint do you suggest? Latex? enamel? marine? household? interior, exterior? I know nothing about painting! I would guess latex is water resistant? maybe high gloss?

thanks

 

[Ross]

What kind of paint do you suggest? Latex? enamel? marine? household? interior, exterior? I know nothing about painting! I would guess latex is water resistant? maybe high gloss?

thanks

A good grade of urethane porch and deck enamel would serve very well. Go to a real paint store NOT a big box store and tell them what you need to do. Some water clean-up paints are very tough and hard and can be had in no shine(flat) some shine(semi-gloss) and very shiny(gloss).
Use a good brush and follow the instructions on the can very carefully. Protect the areas you don't want to paint and have a wet rag to wipe up any spills or drips.

 

[Ron20324]

I've never used the rubber that you dip tool handles in, but would that make a decent countertop?

 

[sailingdog]

Paint will work for the vertical surfaces, but the horizontal surfaces, where water might pool for a bit, would be better off covered with formica or some other laminate.

 

[Stu Jackson]

An old Lynn & Larry Pardey trick

is to use a tad of blue tint in white paint. makes it sparkle, little easier on the eyes and "shipshape."

 

[Hermit Scott]

Ron-I just bought some of that plati-dip and I dipped some handles in it. maybe it was the name brand but that stuff felt like I stretched a baloon over it. It tore easily and felt very cheap. Maybe there are better brands out there.

 

[Steve Dion]

A good formica job will look very professional and last for a long time. I am probably a lot more particular than some of you and the Admiral may not go for the paint look. The bulkhead between our salon and the head had formica material on it and it still looks good after all of these years.

 

[Ross]

The Formica counter top in my kitchen is from 1967 and the paint on my kitchen cabinets is an alkyd enamel from about 1987. They both look very good. I agree that counters should be laminate or oil finished hard wood. I have a mix of paint and bright finish on the interior of the boat. Water is never allowed to lay anywhere in my boat or my home. If water is allowed to stand it will find its way to an unfinished edge and destroy the wood. All of that having been said, paint has been protecting wooden boats and houses for many years so we shouldn't rule it out. Painted and varnished floors have been in service for much longer than linoleum or vinyl and carpets were always a luxury. Paint is good stuff but it does require more maintainance than does Formica.

 

[sailingdog]

Also, if you're going to be spraying or painting inside the confines of a boat, wear a good respirator mask—I highly recommend the full-face 6000 series from 3M. For spraying, you need both a fume vapor and a particulates filter.

 

[NV sailor]

I resurfaced the interior of my 1978 Lancer 28 with Formica. That was 15 years ago, and it still looks great. I like the semi-gloss look and the permanence of the material. And I hid some wiring under it too. The Formica sheets are screwed to wooden strips I glassed onto the hull and overhead. It's can be a big job, but you only have to do it once.

 

[luvitt]

I resurfaced the interior of my 1978 Lancer 28 with Formica. That was 15 years ago, and it still looks great. I like the semi-gloss look and the permanence of the material. And I hid some wiring under it too. The Formica sheets are screwed to wooden strips I glassed onto the hull and overhead. It's can be a big job, but you only have to do it once.

Very nice looking job! Thats what I originally thought about doing. but i seem to stink at formica. my counters turned out horrible. I think it would be right if i did them over again. But at $55 a sheet, forget it.

I think I have decided on the FRP panels. I forgot about them. Ive used them before. and Lowes has them for $16 a sheet in bright white and ivory. I'll go with ivory i guess. This will be the quickest and least expensive way for me. I have a big bulkhead on one side, and some smaller areas to cover. I still havent decide what to do about the 2nd fwd head. everything works in it, but I just cant see wasting the space. My wife says keep it, but Im thinking about turning it into storage.

thanks guys

 

[Ross]

Formica 101: cut and fit the dry sheet.
spread contact cement on both the sheet and the substrate.
steal a mini-blind and lay the slats down on the substrate(not much spacing) lay the formica in place.
Check about twelve times to make sure it is just right.
Starting at one end pull out the mini-blind slats and press the formica down (there is no hurry)
If all is still right proceed with closing the gap.
When all of the slats are out roll the formica down with a hard heavy roller.
Trim the edge with a file.
And that is all there is to it.