Help please Dulux Weathershield paint

AuntyRinum

AuntyRinum

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Sorry if this gets in the way of the varnish question.
I will be painting my Hillyard's topsides again next spring and keep seeing references to Dulux here.
Is it as hard wearing as yacht paint and is it a matt or gloss finish? Will it last as long? I intend to paint her white.
Any advice will be appreciated.
 
I painted the topsides of my Hillyard with Weathershield this year so perhaps a bit too soon to comment on durability. The biggest problem I found was that the stuff takes a long while to 'go off' and after painting in the day some patches that got overnight dew/condensation tended to 'orange peel'. The instructions do warn about using if damp conditions are expected. A bit difficult when the boats on a river mooring!
 
Thanks for that. Not to be applied in damp weather then.
I don't have to make my mind up for a few months, but I assume people use it to keep costs down.
Unless there are other advantages that I'm not aware of?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sorry if this gets in the way of the varnish question.
I will be painting my Hillyard's topsides again next spring and keep seeing references to Dulux here.
Is it as hard wearing as yacht paint and is it a matt or gloss finish? Will it last as long? I intend to paint her white.
Any advice will be appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]


Hello Aunty! :-)

'Tis Dulux Weather Shield Gloss you be wanting, and it's pretty good stuff, it does take longer to harden off, and is best applied (as someone else said) on a nice dry sunny day. Takes a few days to fully harden, but is a good alternative to "yacht paint". Also a bloody site cheaper!........

I have also had good results on wooden boats with Wickes Professional Range of paints, but I don't know if you can get it where you are, do you have Wickes Builders Merchants? Very high gloss, and very hard wearing. flows out well too. Not wishing to teach Granny.....sorry, Aunty, to suck eggs, but careful tipping off repays the effort, with hardly any brush marks visible.
 
I used Dulux Weathershield on Mariposa and am quite happy with the results. Like all paints the finish reflects the amount of preparation you put into it, but where it scores in my book is its adhesion and flexibility. I painted Mariposa two years ago and there is no cracking or lifting of the paint film anywhere, not even across the plank seams, a common problem with older wooden boats. I plan to get the torture board out this winter and flatten it back before applying another coat.
 
I have anguished over paints, marine v weathershield and have looked at it like this. My boat is a wooden sloop, 28' x 8' x 4' 6". It takes two 750ml tins of paint to get good coverage (above the w/l of course). Lets be very generous and say it actually takes four 750ml tins. I get my paint form the local chandlery. I get 10% discount and so pay about £14 per tin. Dulux in 750ml tins (or is it a litre?) cost about £12 per tin. On four tins that is a total of £8 for four coats. For a 6 month sailing season that is a little more than £1 per month. So is it really worth the effort and risk of cheaper paint for a pound per month? Lets go bonkers and say the difference is £2 per month. It still isn't worth it. I am going to stick to Blakes marine paint. Created for the marine market. Dulux is intended for house/building applications. Can't say is want a delicate shade of puce for my boat so the colour range from Blakes meets my needs.
Roll on April's first high tide. Get back in the water again.
 
I tried and tried to find out what the difference between "ordinary" paint and "marine"paint was, trust me nobody I spoke too knew, the only answer I got and it was several times was........ the price!

Dulux is made for aggressive environments and contains fungicides to help reduce mold growth. Remove the word Dulux and you would think they were talking about a special marine paint.

Contact Dulux and tell them you have a house that is near to the sea and suffers from salt spray and you want the best paint system they have for the wood windows and doors........... see what they recommend. I already know the answer.

I use Dulux on my boat without any hesitation and it has nothing to do with cost! many every year ask if she is fiberglass. As stated it takes a long time to harden but once it has it is as durable as any other paint I have used. The plus side being that it remains flexible.

If the doubting Thomas's have you worried, do the cabin top and the rest with your normal paint to test it.

However. it is a three step process, two at a minimum. You must at least use the undercoat for the best results both finish and longevity.

Aunty.... if you want a picture of what it looks like applied PM me with your email address.

Tom
 
Interesting.
I found the problem with Blakes was it going off a tad too quickly. I was rolling and tipping on my own... I found the tipping suffered paint drag.
I s'pose that's what you can expect in the tropical W. coast of Scotland.
The solution was to add a slug of Owatrol which vastly improved flow.
I am tempted to try Dulux... but I have a full tin of Blakes left from last time.
 
I have used Dulux weathershield on wooden boats for over 15 years and have been very pleased with the results. Infact I prefer it on timber to dedicated marine paints, here's why.
As already stated it is a very long-lasting and flexible paint, secondly the undercoat is IMHO better than the blakes and international equivalent because it is a higher build per coat, this means for the flatback between coats it is better. If you look at how long it has been going it speaks for itself ( over 15 years). International and Blakes undercoat for single-pack paint is great for GRP but personally I think not high build enough for timber.It also wins on price.
 
A few years ago I was painted one side of my 30' boat with Dulux, and the other side with International gloss, Interlux as it was then. The boat was quite dry, and all topside seams had to be stopped with putty.
After about a year I came to the following conclusions:
The Dulux was softer and more able to keep a seal as the putty was squeezed out. The Interlux eventually cracked on the seam.
However, the Dulux was easily scratched/dulled by fenders/dinghiesmooring bouys, whereas the Interlux was not.
So Interlux has better 'abrasion resistance and gloss retention', and Dulux appears to be softer, but not designed to be rubbed.

I use Brewers own brand, Albany, on my own boat, at 3 litres per coat, but Toplac or Blakes enamel on my customers boats, especially those which live in a marina.
 
I used a B and Q brand paint this spring as i was very pd off with the marine paint that had been put on just 2 years ago. it was peeling off in sheets even though it had been applied by the suppliers and I'd had the complete system. The boat will spend this winter in a shed so it will not be a fair comparison with the last paint job, but even so it didnt show signs of wear this summer.

A lot of my friends use Dulux and flash their wooden boats over each spring to keep em looking shipshape, it also builds up thickness.
 
I can also vouch for Weathershield paints - but did you know there are two versions of the system? The DIY stuff you get in B&Q is tagged "up to 6 years protection" but go to Bradfords (etc) for the trade version and you get "up to 8 years". The difference appears to be the undercoat which is water based for DIY and solvent based for trade. I would always prefer the latter on a wooden boat.

David.
 
The Dulux Weathershield paint sold in Australia has a life of 10 years. Its acrylic. Not sure about the undercoat. I was checking out the paint on the exterior of my house this morning and that paint is 18 years old now and due for a top coat. On the tin it says no undercoat required.

I have used this paint on the cabin area of my fishing vessel. Seems ok and lasts well but is difficult to sand smooth. Mate of mine has it on the side of his cabin cruiser. Just wonder if we are talking about the same paint.

The topsides of my fishing vessel is painted with oil based paving paint.
 
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