Painting GRP Decks

[Wandering Star]

Righty Ho, after a couple of years prevarication and with my small GRP boat ashore with Power & water nearby, I’ve started the job of stripping the very old Treadmaster decking from the boat, after 2 days hard labour, I’m about halfway finished and my thoughts are turning now to painting. There’s a lot of conflicting advice online so I’d be pleased for any advice on the following:

The GRP substrate is in fairly good condition and fairly clean but it’s not perfect, would a primer/undercoat be advisable before applying the deckpaint and should it be 1 or 2 pack?

What sort of coverage will I achieve - what quantity of paint will I need to buy for a fairly typical 27 footers deck? The boat is a 1979 Dufour 2800 if that helps.

Any other advice and recommendations for paint manufacturers?

As you’ll see from the above, this is an old boat and I don’t want to spend more than I need trying to achieve the impossible but nevertheless I do want a smart hardwearing finish after all the hard work it’s taken to remove the Treadmaster!

 

[Tranona]

Fill and fair then prime with International Pre Kote and then Interdeck. You might get away with one tin of each but read the data and application sheets which will give you coverage rates. One tin used to do my 26' comfortably before I laid a teak deck!

 

[MagicalArmchair]

I did it as below with Triolas old deck. Worked wonderfully - it was a lot of hard work though!

Paint your deck outside in winter - Triola - Albin Ballad #50

 

[pandos]

If you break the deck into panels using tape it gives you a chance to take a break and will allow you to achieve a better finish.

Interdeck is great stuff...on top of pre- cote is what I used, with perfection gloss around the edges and in the gaps between the panels...

I have no idea how many cans I used but it was many less than I estimated...

I filled the imperfections with fiberglass filler and sanded with fairly aggressive paper before applying a few votes of precote.

 

[scozzy]

Has it been painted before? Either way if it's currently factory finish 2pac now you can apply either 1 or 2 pac finish,if it's a 1pac finish on it now then whatever you do do NOT use 2pac!!
Lots of choices finish wise foam brushes and rollers can give a good finish whilst short of spray like finish if you're confident painting it can come up a treat.
If you're in the UK I'd be paying lise attention to the weather and effect on drying times

 

[William_H]

Just don't go for white or a glossy paint. The sun mioght come out and you will need sun glasses. ol'will

 

[Red Panda]

I did it as below with Triolas old deck. Worked wonderfully - it was a lot of hard work though!

Paint your deck outside in winter - Triola - Albin Ballad #50

View attachment 185349

I’ve just read your wonderfully detailed write up. My Albin Nova has the same deck style, with the moulded in anti slip (and cracks and pinholes). I’ve been considering painting it, now I feel like I really ought to.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

I’ve just read your wonderfully detailed write up. My Albin Nova has the same deck style, with the moulded in anti slip (and cracks and pinholes). I’ve been considering painting it, now I feel like I really ought to.

It is very rewarding. The best bit is the high build InterProtect going on and seeping into all those pin holes and cracks and watching them melt away. It did nearly kill me though doing the work!!

 

[Wandering Star]

Thanks for all the advice and agreed Red Panda, the article and transformation described in MagicalArmchair’s link was absolutely fantastic and very helpful, I don’t think my own results will ever reflect his capabilities though!

I’m about 3/4 of the way through the stripping process now, using the mild weather while it lasts. I’ll probably settle for using an International Prekote & international Interdeck finishb as suggested by Tranona. & others.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

The results were all down to Internationals awesome products really. I had never painted a deck or used two pack paint before, so I was far from professional. The paint is incredible stuff, especially the self levelling properties of it!

Good luck and just you wait, by spring she'll look amazing. Courage will win out - removing all the deck fittings is about as alarming as it comes. I had some dark moments when I thought I had bitten off far more than I could chew, but it was all worth it in the end.

I saw another thread about ownership vs chartering, and many would see this as a negative for boat ownership. I do see it quite the opposite as I get great satisfaction from sailing, but also from this kind of graft with such a stunning result. It's a bit harder to get the time for these bigger projects mind you now I have four crew (aka kids) - they do help with the actual sailing bit though.

 

[dancrane]

I’m about 3/4 of the way through the stripping process now...

View attachment 185429

...by spring she'll look amazing.

Those photos and the possibility of such work will make me look much harder at the condition of decks on yachts for sale in future.

Has anybody else seen the nice chap in the 'Sailing Zephyr IV' videos? He re-did his Westerly Oceanquest decks...hard work.

 

[Wandering Star]

Thanks for the video dancrane, I hadn’t seen it and it was very helpful to me, his deck after he’d removed the Kiwigrip stuff looks to be in a very similar condition to my own after I’ve removed the Treadmaster, I’m starting the filling of the imperfections this weekend weather permitting. Anyone got any ideas why he painted the deck with Toplac enamel over the primer? I was planning on painting the interdeck directly onto the primer?

One thing I agree with him on - it’s blooming hard work but I’ve been lucky with the weather, pleasantly warm and dry, I just hope it stays that way for this weekend!