How To Paint Your Canal Boat With The Required Specialist Paint
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Painting a boat usually requires more skills and attention than, say, a floor. However, a fairly handy boat owner can deal with the task without professional assistance. As long as you have the right paint, materials, and workspace, you can give your boat a new life over the weekend.
Let’s go over the basic canal boat painting steps.
1) Set Up Your Workspace
Ideally, a boat should be painted in a warm and dry environment. If you don’t have an opportunity to bring your boat inside, arrange a tarp or anything similar to shield it from the weather.
Pick a day when the chance of rain is unlikely. Also, check the wind forecast since strong winds carry dirt and debris, which can ruin your fresh paint while it’s drying.
Best conditions are:
- Temperatures between 10°C - 20°C
- Slightly overcast (avoid painting your boat in intense, direct sunlight, as this can damage the new coat before it dries.)
- Little or no wind
- No rain, snow or sleet
- Low humidity
2) Prepare The Surface
The majority of the time you’ll spend on painting the boat won’t have anything to do with painting. The main task is prepping the surface. You are facing either bare materials or a previously painted hull.
a. Bare Hull
- Blast clean or sand and wire brush the surface to remove dirt and rust.
- Degrease and dewax with a water-based degreaser or a solvent and wash it off.
b. Previously Painted Hull
- Clean the surface.
- Use abrasive materials to smooth the surface as much as possible.
- Remove the remnants of paint and dust.
- Degrease and dewax the surface with a solvent and wash it off.
If the hull or the deck needs minor repairs, complete them before painting or they will ruin the uniformity of the coat and you could end up painting it all over again.
3) Apply The Primer
- If you are painting a fibreglass boat, you’ll need to apply a fibreglass primer. Only do this after the surface is fully clean and dry.
- Use a brush or a roller when applying the primer.
- Remember, the quality of the final coat depends on the quality of the primer coat.
4) Paint The Boat
Use rollers and brushes to paint the boat. Don’t dip them into the original can. Pour some paint into a separate container so that the paint in the can stays fresh throughout the painting process.
After 12-24 hours after priming, apply your first coat of top coat with a roller and then go over it with a brush to create a consistent finish. You will need to contact the manufacture to check drying and overcoating times.
5) Wait For The Paint To Dry
After applying one or two coats of top coat keep the boat in a dry, covered space until the paint is fully dry. It is preferable to leave the paint to dry for at least 7 days before putting back on the water – again, it is best to contact the manufacturer for the correct timings.
Buy Canal Boat Paint
At TA Paints we stock a wide selection of quality canal boat paint and primers. Head over to our online store and place your order today.
