Topside and cabin paint recommendations?
- Thread starter AFC
- Start date
A lot depends on how much time/effort you want to spend ... and also the conditions in which the boat will be left.
One part paints will be easier to apply and clean up, but expect a only few seasons before one-part formulations begin to look in serious need of another effort. One part is an OK choice if you take the boat out of the water for most of the time and/or keep it covered. Think about using a one-part paint on your car. A boat doesn't require as much smooth gloss as a car, but still you don't want your boat's paint job to like the side of a house after a couple of years.
For much much longer durability, 2-part polyurethanes will suit a lot better for a boat. Interlux Perfection is designed for DIY.
Always the best first choice is to determine if your existing surface can be restored. If you still have the original gel coat, and provided it hasn't oxidized enough to expose the underlying fiberglass layup, you can find plenty of how-to's for restoring to a smooth surface again.
If painting is required:
- Best to paint over with a similar color,
- If the boat has already been painted before, then the more aggressive solvent of 2-part paints might not be compatible applied over a one-part paint. For you to determine.
One part paints will be easier to apply and clean up, but expect a only few seasons before one-part formulations begin to look in serious need of another effort. One part is an OK choice if you take the boat out of the water for most of the time and/or keep it covered. Think about using a one-part paint on your car. A boat doesn't require as much smooth gloss as a car, but still you don't want your boat's paint job to like the side of a house after a couple of years.
For much much longer durability, 2-part polyurethanes will suit a lot better for a boat. Interlux Perfection is designed for DIY.
Always the best first choice is to determine if your existing surface can be restored. If you still have the original gel coat, and provided it hasn't oxidized enough to expose the underlying fiberglass layup, you can find plenty of how-to's for restoring to a smooth surface again.
If painting is required:
- Best to paint over with a similar color,
- If the boat has already been painted before, then the more aggressive solvent of 2-part paints might not be compatible applied over a one-part paint. For you to determine.
Just started a small project with Perfection. Pretty easy to work with so far. I'm brushing small areas and it goes on pretty easy and flows out nice. Bigger areas need roll and tip technique.
You can apply a 2 part linear polyurethane paint over another paint, but not before putting the epoxy primer between them. And, you can paint your boat which ever color you choose. If you prime (and you should do that whether over gelcoat or old paint for the best results and to improve adhesion and fill porosity) you usually use a grey primer for dark colors like red, blue or black and a white primer for white or lighter colors.
Any recommendations on an epoxy primer?
How well will this primer hide small imperfections like hairline cracks or old paint checking? If at all.
How well will this primer hide small imperfections like hairline cracks or old paint checking? If at all.
10" of 10' ? 
I went for 10 feet as you have to be realistic on and old boat of low value
Epoxy primer like Alwgrip is EASY to spray with a 3m PPS primer gun and has moderate to high health risks
It will wet sand with easy and give you a great starting point for the color
ANY TWO PART PAINT HAS EXTREME HEALTH RISKS
Just opening a can of Perfection or Alwgrip is a respirator event and spraying it requires
Truth 3: Wearing a respirator is essential when using isocyanate-containing paints but you need to ensure:
It is the right type – only air-fed breathing apparatus is suitable for isocyanate spraying (filtering face masks are not acceptable)
Given the risks i went with roll and tip and after 3 season in the water it looks like day one
The work and volumes of paint involved are a bit like the Richter scale :naughty:
I went for 10 feet as you have to be realistic on and old boat of low value
Epoxy primer like Alwgrip is EASY to spray with a 3m PPS primer gun and has moderate to high health risks
It will wet sand with easy and give you a great starting point for the color
ANY TWO PART PAINT HAS EXTREME HEALTH RISKS
Just opening a can of Perfection or Alwgrip is a respirator event and spraying it requires
Truth 3: Wearing a respirator is essential when using isocyanate-containing paints but you need to ensure:
It is the right type – only air-fed breathing apparatus is suitable for isocyanate spraying (filtering face masks are not acceptable)
Given the risks i went with roll and tip and after 3 season in the water it looks like day one
The work and volumes of paint involved are a bit like the Richter scale :naughty: