# HELP !!!! Repainting fiberglass deck.



## stevenderossett (Sep 1, 2008)

I've stripped the bronze hardware off my 44 yearold fiberglass deck(1966 Wayfare bahama islander) and am ready to repaint. I'm not sure what type of paint was used by previous owner. The gelcoat is worn(or sanded) down to fiberglass in several places. I'm not worried about boat being in showroom condition just want it to look clean & decent. I have lots of small areas where the old paint is peeling but also the original fiberglass nonskid area has peeling paint. What is the best way to remove this paint? I'm planning on using brightsides one part on deck & two part on topsides. Again I want it to look decent but with a minimum of time & money. any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Steven,

If you're going to use anyone's two-part paint, you need to get all of the old, soft enamel off first. Modern linear polyurethanes have stuff in them that will eat enamel to pieces, cause it to lift, bubble, and dozens of other Bad Things. 

The other thing to consider is that two-part paint is expensive, even when 'you're in the business', like I am. If you're planning on putting a two-part paint on the topsides, I would seriously recommend that you start out with at least one, and preferably two or three coats of Awlgrip 545 primer/sealer. It's a two part primer that will seal just about anything up from the finish coats. It's fairly forgiving, and lends itself well to rolling and tipping. The nice thing about Awlgrip's primer is that it works well as a base coat under anyone's two-part paint. 

Some of my friends have been experimenting with Sterling paints, and tell me that it's a lot easier to put on the finish coats than it is with Awlgrip. I've prowled Sterling's website, and they have a lot of useful information for the do-it-yourself type. 

Someone here will probably be able to help you with a good stripper. Fortunately, I haven't had to get into that particular mess in years, so I don't know what works and what doesn't. sorry.

good luck, and when you have enough posts, show us a picture of the boat.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

Aqua Strip or peel away works pretty good, ( I've use the latter )

I also used brightside on the deck of our 69 Islander excaliber, came out very nice, also used the non slip additive to the brightside and that also came out very nice


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## mikehoyt (Nov 27, 2000)

Interlux has a two part primer for putting over unknown paint prior to applying 2 part paint. Not sure how it works over enamel but I used before applying Interlux 2 part on my last boat and worked well. I just sanded off or sanded smooth the old paint to remove any failing areas. Interlux has a 1-800 number you can find on their website yachtpaint.com - the website of International and Interlux paints

Its a big job but will look fabulous.

Mike
Nut Case
J27 #150


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## catamount (Sep 8, 2002)

I used Pettit's one-part Easypoxy for the "skid" portions of my deck, and KiwiGrip for the non-skid portions. The whole deck was primed with Pettit's high-build primer.

FWIW, the prep and priming is documented here: http://sailing.thorpeallen.net/Greyhawk/2007-09/index.html

and the actual painting is documented here:
http://sailing.thorpeallen.net/Greyhawk/2007-10/index.html

As I understand it, the Easypoxy is not as hard or tough as a two-part paint would be, but it should be much easier to touch up any scratches and dings over time. The KiwiGrip has so far been fantastic as a non-skid -- I have been very happy with it and highly recommend it.

(no affiliation with any vendor, yadda yadda)


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## vadimgo (Feb 23, 2007)

I tried to do that a year ago. The bottom job (sanding off the old and putting the barrier coat etc.) ate my time so I left the deck and finish the topsides only.
In my experience, good sanding and Interlux 2-part primer applied with foam roller (no need to brush-tip...) will get you the proper surface. Any problem areas could be corrected by wetsanding with 320 grit. When the primed hull looks good, follow with the paint. I tried to follow the manufacturer's advice and the results were OK. 
The temperature/humidity/sunlight are really important (the way the paint flows and dries). I did the first coat in the morning in shade, made some mistakes with the brush and consistency, and started the second coat with good intention to do it better this time. But afternoon tunderstorm added to the strong sun screwed me absolutely. 
So,
no wind, no sun, no unexpected temperature changes, second person with some ability with good brush - you could do the first coat (foam roller, followed by tipoff brush) so-so, then correct the amount of thinner and or flattening agent (if any) and the next coat will give you a great hull.

There was a guy doing his powerboat next to me in the yard. His approach was one part epoxy paint (I do not remember which) rolled and when it hardends after couple of days, light buff with the polisher. In his opinion it was the best way for a great hull with less work/money.


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

I tried Aqua strip for the molded non slip on my deck. Unfortunately, I'm less than impressed, especially at $30 a quart!
The picture shows a section where I left the stripper on for 24 hours. On the high points of the non-skid surface, I can barely see the tan of the gelcoat. The valleys, are still coated in paint.
I noticed that in the adjacent flat area, some of the paint had peeled off down to gelcoat. I applied stripper to that area, and waited nine hours. The stripper was more effective, but still required some hard scraping to achieve the results seen in the picture. I've reapplied stripper to the non-skid section, and we'll see the results this morning. I'll report back.


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## Skipper Jer (Aug 26, 2008)

Should have checked the answers before recommending Citristrip. I used to remove bottom paint and it didn't leave the gel coat sticky. Of course you have bare fiberglass on deck. $20 a half gallon at HD or Lows.


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

Too funny Jer. I'm literally standing in a Home Depot, and had just looked at that ciristrip 2 minutes ago! Interestingly, I also discovered this "Multi Strip" that looks suspiciously like the Aqua Strip", that I bought at West Marine for almost $30 a quart. It's definitely made by the same company, and sells for $15 a quart/$25 for a half gallon.


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## overbored (Oct 8, 2010)

L124C said:


> I tried Aqua strip for the molded non slip on my deck. Unfortunately, I'm less than impressed, especially at $30 a quart!
> The picture shows a section where I left the stripper on for 24 hours. On the high points of the non-skid surface, I can barely see the tan of the gelcoat. The valleys, are still coated in paint.
> I noticed that in the adjacent flat area, some of the paint had peeled off down to gelcoat. I applied stripper to that area, and waited nine hours. The stripper was more effective, but still required some hard scraping to achieve the results seen in the picture. I've reapplied stripper to the non-skid section, and we'll see the results this morning. I'll report back.
> View attachment 136194
> ...


Put it on thick and cover over the striper with saran wrap so the stripper stays wet


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

mikehoyt said:


> Interlux has a two part primer for putting over unknown paint prior to applying 2 part paint. Not sure how it works over enamel but I used before applying Interlux 2 part on my last boat and worked well.


I was skeptical, but hopeful, so I contacted Interlux. They denied any knowledge of this product. They stated emphatically that you cannot apply a two part paint over a single part paint. I know this is an old thread, but if it doesn't exist now, it probably didn't exist then. If it did, it obviously didn't work out!


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

I tried Citristrip. Coverd it with plastic and left for 24 hours. Not much better than the Aquastrip. I'm really getting frustrated! I am starting to see little black spots which I circled in the photo. Could I be down to gelcoat? Still seems to be paint in the valleys. I contacted Zorro who makes Peel Away (Someone recommended it earlier in this thread) and asked them if they think their product could do a better job. . It's pricey, so I would hope so! Looks like Sherwin-Williams distributes it, so I may go talk to them. Any suggestions on how to efficiently get the paint off this boat would be appreciated!


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

I sanded all the non-skid off and put new non-skid on when I painted. It took forever (and it happened to be a record hot spring). However, this is the only way you can get all the previous paint off. You will need to experiment with the most aggressive sanding you can do without major damage. I did a lot with a belt sander (gulp). I figured that I was going to do some fairing anyway, so, any mistakes would be fixed later. On the smooth areas of the deck stick to RA sander with 40 grit paper. Since your non-skid is in a square pattern, I wonder if a wire brush would rip that paint out without needing to get rid of all the non-skid.


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

vadimgo said:


> There was a guy doing his powerboat next to me in the yard. *His approach was one part epoxy paint (I do not remember which) rolled and when it hardends after couple of days, light buff with the polisher.* In his opinion it was the best way for a great hull with less work/money.


BTW, that would totally destroy the surface shine he just payed for in his fancy marine paint. Generally, marine paints cannot be buffed out. Just wash, wax, and polish.


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

Barquito said:


> I sanded all the non-skid off and put new non-skid on when I painted. It took forever (and it happened to be a record hot spring). However, this is the only way you can get all the previous paint off........ Since your non-skid is in a square pattern, I wonder if a wire brush 9would rip that paint out without needing to get rid of all the non-skid.


It's a Yankee 30 , and the non-slip pattern is kind of the character of the boat. More importantly, I'm doing this in the water , so grinding the pattern off is unfeasible . I have a bronze brush that I've used after all the treatments I've applied, with little effect.
I have an email in with Zoro the manufacturer of Peel away, just see if they think it'll perform any better than the others. The only thing that gives me any hope is that they have a special paper that comes with the remover, to seal the process. One review I read said that the paint didn't exactly peel away, but was removable with brushing, after using peel away. At this point, I would be thrilled with that result!
Sherwin-Williams distributes the product. I went to one of their stores yesterday, and the woman didn't even know about the paper! But then, I got the sense she might not know which end of a paintbrush to hold!
If this doesn't pan out, I'm at the point where I'm just going to Go back to the old one part.
Dumond M101 $65.84 Peel Away™ Peel Away Marine Strip, 1 Gallon | Zoro.com/


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## baritt (Jul 23, 2020)

Hi guys, this is my first hand experience with fiberglass painting;

I work for Epic Doors which manufactures high-performance fiberglass entry doors. We evaluated several paint suppliers including TruCoat 623, Sherwin Williams Polane 2K Acrylic, and Aquasurtech D200.

We were looking for an environmentally friendly, single component water based paint that was super durable, had great adhesion and laid down smooth.

Based upon our evaluation we selected TruCoat 623. It was much more environmentally friendly than Polane 2K and is a single component and TruCoat had better adhesion than D200 and was priced better.

We are super satisfied with it!


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