[Public-List] Interior/Cabin Paints

[Gordon Laco via Public-List]

Hello friends...

Here's a fore-warning before going into my response... I'm the Canadian
distributor for Epifanes Yacht Coatings... This won't be a partisan message,
but you should know.

You won't find much about interior paints, because there's not nearly the
stress on paint inside a boat as there is outside.  Virtually any coating
will work.  The only imperatives are the usual ones directed toward ensuring
good adhesion... The surface you are painting must be clean, dry and sanded
to give it the 'tooth' that encourages a good 'stick'.

There are many myths about regarding fibreglass being difficult to paint -
most grow from the fact that surface contaminants that inhibit adhesion are
often difficult to detect on fibreglass.  Mold release waxes can remain in
evidence on fibreglass for many decades, and sanding sometimes only grinds
in the stuff rather than remove it.  Interiors are subject to condensation
issues... And when that condensation evaporates away, it usually leaves a
deposit of whatever was in the air the day it developed.  That means cooking
greases, body oils, dirt and dust, and so on.  If there was ever a previous
owner who smoked, well then the interior of your boat probably has many
layers of smoking residue deposited by multiple cycles of condensation and
drying.

So, any paint whose colour, level of gloss, and texture you like, will do
the job.  But whatever paint you use, great care must be taken in preparing
the surfaces.  Wash them with detergent to get the visible and invisible
grime off.  Wipe with solvent (being careful to observe safety rules
regarding the vapours) to remove waxes and oils.   Sand carefully to smooth
and tooth up the surfaces...then wipe again to remove the dust.

I use our white enamel paint for inside our icebox.  I could use our
polyurethane, it's much harder...but enamel is thicker and hides some of my
crappy work from where I improved the insulation with foam inside the box,
covered with glass cloth and epoxy. Polyurethane hides nothing. Last summer
I repainted the inside of the lazarettes over the bunks port and
starboard... I used flat white latex house paint.  Why?  It's really thick
and hides more repairs I did to the plywood floors of the lockers (there was
damage from decades of leaks at the genny track bolts)

It's snowing here today.  Well only four months to launch day 2017...

Gord
Surprise #246


On 2016-12-09, 10:35 AM, "Jonathan Bresler via Public-List"
<public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Folks,
> 
> Took a look at Practical Sailor to see which paints they recommend for
> painting the overhead, interior of the lockers, etc.  No joy.  Didn't find
> a single article about interior paints.  Deck paints, topside paints,
> bottom paints, bilge paints are all covered, but not interior paints.
> 
> No doubt that this has been discussed before, wondering what folks are
> using now.  What have folks used and decided not to use again.
> 
> The motivating item here is that I removed the Masonite(?) pegboard in the
> v-berth which is used to cover the hull on port and starboard from the top
> of the v-berth to the underside of the deck.  Behind the v-berth is a
> "lovely yellowish" color.   The wife will NOT be happy with that.  The
> pegboard one each side of the v-berth was screwed to five shaped teak
> strips oriented vertically.  Nearly all the teak strips were loose. Now
> they are all loose and have been labeled for reinstallation.  The teak
> strips were attached to the hull with three very generous globs of
> fiberglass resin(?) each.  The globs are so thick that there was a clear
> gap between the teak strips and the hull.  Need to reattach these strips
> and paint the sides of the hull and the overhead before attaching a ceiling
> to the strips.
> 
> Couple photos available on request.
> 
> Jonathan