[Public-List] Deck Painting

[Joe Traub]

Jim:  

I have repainted my deck and cockpit with Interlux Perfection, a two part paint.  It's easy to work with and the roll/tip method of painting works well.  Spider cracks are usually and indication of weak support around them.  If you have beefed up the backup plates, its time to fill and sand the cracks.  Apply a minimum of two coats of the primer specified for the paint.  With the paint, its usually two coats.  To prep the for the primer, I stripped the complete topside with Interlux 299 paint remover.  I was unsure what type of paint was already on the surface, and I did not have to worry about adhesions problems with the paint.  On the non-skid, I used a wire brush and stiff nylon brushes to get the paint out.  I used 6 gal of the stripper for the whole topside.  This was a labor intensive project and I would estimate at least 8 weeks, working 4-5 days a week.  The boat is in my backyard, on a lift, so travel and tools were not an issue.  If the boat is outside, the weather will be your worst enemy.  But it turned out great and looks like a new boat.  Gloss is good!

However, over the past month, I repainted my wife's Challenger 15.  Quick sand, two coats of primer and two coats of a one part polyurethane.  Granted it's a smaller boat, but the results were  just as good.  Less solvent use, cheaper paint, and a more forgiving process.  

If I was starting the Alberg today, I would go with the one part paint.  

As a side note, whichever paint you use, have lots of the urethane rollers available.  I only got about 15 min. of use before they started falling apart.  The last thing you want in the paint is roller pieces.  A few bugs are bad enough.

On the Kiwigrip, I'm not sure how well it will work with the non-skid.  You may have to sand it down a ways.  It flows well and is easy to work with.  I installed it on the deck of a J-24 and was happy with the results, as it covered all the deck repairs, including 4 stanchions that had been ripped out.    Maybe someone else has used it with our non-skid and can comment on it.

Good luck

On Aug 21, 2013, at 6:51 PM, James Allocco <jamesallocco at gmail.com> wrote:

> Fellow Albergers,
> 
> I was reminded by Mike Lehman's restoration project that I have been
> thinking of painting my decks. The decks are solid with no soft spots or
> delamination but there are spider cracks, mostly around the stanchion and
> pulpit bases.
> I had added backup plates under the stanchions but neglected the
> pulpits.The nonskid areas are in good condition but are faded and need
> attention. The white gelcoat between the non skid has worn away and
> shows the fiberglass underneath in some spots.
> 
> Having read the testimonials of Kiwigrip my wish is to use it to paint the
> nonskid and use a 2 part paint such as Awlgrip on the rest of the deck.
> 
> I have some questions on how to proceed and would greatly appreciate any
> advice you anyone might have.
> 
> What is the best way to repair the spider cracks show they don't show
> through?
> 
> I have only worked with epoxy but would polyester fillers be better suited
> for repair?
> 
> As the diamond pattern is in reasonably good condition is it necessary to
> sand/grind it smooth before applying the kiwigrip? What other prep might be
> necessary?
> 
> What 2part paint do most of you recommend?
> 
> Thanks for any information you could provide.
> Jim Allocco
> #565
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