How to Paint a Fiberglass Boat Hull
There are a few paints manufactured specifically for use on fiberglass boats. These paints not only boost the appearance of the boat but also help improve its life and durability. Painting a fiberglass hull is very similar to painting plastic surfaces such as PVC because fiberglass gel coat is slick and nonporous making it difficult for the paint to adhere to the hull’s surface. However, you can successfully paint a fiberglass boat’s hull yourself if you know the right way.
Things Required:
– Two-part urethane
– Wax removing solvent
– Cloth pad
– Epoxy putty
– Power sander
– Fiberglass primer
– Foam brushes
– Paint rollers
Instructions
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1
The first step is to remove applied wax from the boat’s hull. Use a commercial wax removing solvent for this purpose. If silicone wax was used to polish the hull, you will have to blend the wax removing solvent so that silicone can be removed. Moisten a cloth pad with blended wax removing solvent and wipe clean the hull with this pad. Make sure that you keep rotating the pad while cleaning so that you have fresh cloth for most part of the wax removing part.
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2
Over the passage of time, gouges and scrapes may have formed on the hull due to routine wear and tear. You will not be able to properly paint the hull until it is perfectly smooth. For this reason, you will have to fill any gouges or scrapes before actually painting the hull. Use epoxy putty for this surface. Make sure that you read manufacturer instructions before preparing the putty.
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3
Apply sufficient amount of putty with a brush so that it bulges out from the surface of the hull. Allow time for the putty to dry completely. With a power sander, sand down the epoxy until the surface is perfectly smooth.
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4
Apply a thin, uniform coat of fiberglass primer on the entire hull. Make sure that you use fiberglass primer because these primers have the ability to stick to nonporous surfaces such as the fiberglass gel coat. Allow time for the primer coat to dry and then move forward.
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5
Finally, it is time to paint the hull. For painting a fiberglass hull, the best option is to use a roll-and-tip method. This method will require help from an assistant. Apply a thin coat of paint with paint rollers and ask your assistant to smooth out the paint by running a foam brush over the painted surface. Continue in the manner until the hull has been painted completely.
