Removing deck paint!

[Jonnysailboat]

I started scraping the thick layers of paint off the deck at the weekend, I say "started" as I gave up after around half an hour of sheer hell! The paint is thick in places & thin in others (I presume where the previous owner made a start!) but it seems to be made of the hardest substance on the planet. It has to come off as it is hideously flaked & patchy. How do I get it off though?...scraping, sanding, dynamite?

 

[Poignard]

You have my sympathy. Mine needs scraping off but because of the sand embedded in the paint it blunts any scraper in no time. I was wondering about getting one of these firms that sand blast hulls to do it. Has anyone tried that?

I also read about a gadget called a Perago which attaches to an electric drill but not heard any independent reports of it's effectiveness.

 

[srp]

I bought a Perago wheel - its basically a moulded rubber star shape with a small piece of hacksaw blade moulded into the ends of the 'arms' of the star. I bought it to remove antifouling from a wooden hull. Cost me about £25 I think. Absolutely useless. Lasted about 10 minutes and didn't remove any paint worth talking about. Don't waste your money.
Spend it on paint stripper instead.

 

[alistairh]

very coarse sand paper on a orbital sander or you could try a belt sander

 

[Jonnysailboat]

I thought about grit-blasting but I’m presuming it will be pricey; and would also involve having to remove all the timber from the decks? The paint stripper is a good call; International have one that doesn’t harm the gelcoat and would cost me about £20 for a small-ish tub. This would, however, still involve a certain amount of scraping and sanding to finish so I think I'll just sand it straight off. I have a sander and some coarse paper already so it won't cost me anything more, and hopefully the orbital will do most of the work. I was just a bit wary of scouring the nice white gelcoaty bits in between the scruffy, painty bits. Guess I'll just have to be careful won't I? Thanks guys.

 

[Poignard]

Please let us know how you get on

 

[sarabande]

Have a look at hiring an air compressor with a reciprocating chisel. You can get a tool which adjusts to have just tiny "jabs" at hardened paint, and with a bit of practice and a sharp edge, you can lift even stubborn deck paint off GRP, steel, or wood.

www.shop-com.co.uk/op/~Sealey_Air_Chisel_Set_5pc-prod-27544502?sourceid=363

 

[philh]

I have been on all winter with my snapdragon 27. I am using a mild stripper called Dilunet. It is about £25 for 2 litres and takes a layer of paint off at a time. Slow work, but means the deck built in anti skid is not harmed by sanding etc.

Have treat each panel about 7 times now and think I am about half way there !!! However I do feel the previous owner put the deck painton with a trowel.

regards
Phil.

 

[alistairh]

what are you planning on doing after you remove the paint, because if you are just repainting it why bother with completely removing it. Just sand the flaky bits off. and smoothen it out.

 

[Blue5]

I inadvertantly dropped a blob of chemical stripper (nitromoors) on my deck paint while trying to remove some varnish from the woodwork, it certainly removed the deck paint.

 

[Jonnysailboat]

[ QUOTE ]
what are you planning on doing after you remove the paint, because if you are just repainting it why bother with completely removing it. Just sand the flaky bits off. and smoothen it out.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do intend to re-paint once the paint has been removed. However; I can't simply smooth over the flakey bits and paint over it because there are large areas where the paint has flaked off completely (see non-blue bits on photo!) which would leave ridges all over my decks where thick paint meets no paint! (if you follow me?) Sanding just the flakey bits smooth would mean sanding the entire deck anyway to make sure they fair in to the surrounding paint-scheme.

Also, if I just paint over all the old layers 'cos I can't be bothered doing a proper job... I'm just as bad as those before me aren't I? I prefer to cure faults; not symptoms. The paint has flaked because it was either too thick, deteriorated or it was poorly mixed or applied. Whatever the cause; chances are it will continue to flake and I don't want to be doing this every winter!

I'll sand it all off and post the results when done (If we all live that long!). /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[wooslehunter]

I've been slowly getting to grips with mine over the past 3-4 winters. Like yours it's thick/thin/flakey - not as bad though. I think I've now removed most of the loose stuff.

I used a random orbital sander with a course disk. Where there's a sound patch, I've feathered the edges. Where the paint is flaking, I sanded down to remove the loose paint and then feathered the edges. It's not perfect but looks OK.

Just keep at it a bit at a time. You have to decide how good you want it to be. If you want a perfect finish, then it'll take a long time. If you just want a "working" finish it'll take less.

 

[pampas]

Just done mine ok, used a scraper with a tungstan blade, the name escapes me now, it removed all of the sand leaving a smooth base of the paint did a 24 Ft boat in two days (Due to medical condition).Tiring but left a good surface for the new non-slip. the tool I bought several years ago from Travis Perkins .alloy tool holder and orange handle about 9" long, Sandwick seems to ring a bell for the name,bits are pricey, so I use the surface grinder to sharpen. Best method that I have come across for this job. Good luck. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Poignard]

This sort of thing?

See here or even cheaper from here

The 665 type looks like it would be the best as you can use two hands on it

 

[pampas]

Thats the type I have the one on the right,best scraper I have ever used, thanks for that, Old age and brain power /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Georgio]

I have done the same as PhillH. I'm removing deck paint from a textured surface so can't sand as we would lose the non-slip texture. I have found that leaving Dilunet on for a few days and then taking a pressure washer to the area works but it is a long process. I think it was about 7 coats of Dilunett to get all the paint off. I'm going to a largish patch each winter so should be done in 2010.

I also found that Dulunett doesn't work so well in the cold (sub 5C) but above 15C it dries on too quickly.

The problem with deck paint is that it is formulated to be tough, so it's a bugger to get off!!

 

[Slow_boat]

I had the exact same problem with my Macwester over winter. Having bluntened two chisels many times I gave up. I used a powerful pressure washer to remove as much as I could, and that was a lot. Then I used a scotchbrite heavy duty drill attatchment all over, painted a coat on the bare bits to bring it up to the level of the painted bits and lastly painted the whole thin in two coats of texteued masonary paint.

Looks good so far!

BTW, the Mac27 next to me in the yard found that nitromores works a treat on deck paint and doesn't react with the gelcoat. I wish he'd found that out before I did mine, it would have saved a lot of effort.