Five Tips for Painting Fiberglass Boats

If you want to save on labor costs, you may consider painting your vessel yourself. However, there are a few things you should know about painting fiberglass boats before you start. This article will give you a few tips.

Color

Fiberglass is a form of plastic, so it can be sensitive to heat. It's pretty common knowledge that dark colors absorb more heat. Therefore, you should avoid painting large areas of your boat with dark colors. This can lead to damage to the surface as it absorbs the heat over time.

Damage

You should also be aware that a new coat of paint will help to magnify any surface damage. With this in mind, you need to repair any surface damage before painting fiberglass boats. You can put epoxy putting into any dents or holes and sand it smooth after it dries.

Adhesion

The old gel coat on your boat has likely absorbed various contaminants over time. These contaminants will hamper the paint's ability to adhere to your boat's surface. Therefore, before painting fiberglass boats, it's important to clear away contaminants by sanding. You can also improve the paint's ability to adhere by using a special primer.

Surfaces

When painting fiberglass boats, it's important to stay away from various surfaces. If you try to paint over metal like stainless steel screws, it may cause flaking and corrosion. Wood can also cause problems since it absorbs moisture. The moisture can get under the paint and cause it to peel.

Weather

Unless you have somewhere indoors to paint your boat, you will need to keep the weather in mind. Ideally, the temperature should be no more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit and no less than 70 degrees. Obviously, you should try to avoid periods of frequent rain.

These are a few tips for painting fiberglass boats. You should avoid painting large areas in a dark color since it will absorb a lot of heat. You should also remove contaminants beforehand so the paint can adhere well.