Lauren Marine
Group Holdings
Group Holdings
Woolston Southampton
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Top Sides Paint Jobs
Some of our work
Painting the top sides of a boat is more difficult than it appears when
watching a professional at work. at Lauren Marine we have painted many
types of boats , below is a short description and information sheet of my
thoughts on the subject and how we go about it.
watching a professional at work. at Lauren Marine we have painted many
types of boats , below is a short description and information sheet of my
thoughts on the subject and how we go about it.
You have lost the fight when the colour on the topsides of your boat has faded and all the colour restorer, waxing or polishing fails to restore the colour and gloss of your boat's topsides, so you are thinking of paint. Painting your boat will greatly increase its appearance and value. With quality paint and the proper, professional techniques a good painter, a beautiful looking finish can be achieved.
Painting a boat is time consuming and can be costly but it has to be one of the most gratifying jobs that we do at Lauren Marine. It's like giving the boat a new life when you step back and you see this most beautiful and shiny new boat.
Yacht paint development
Boat owners have always sought the perfect topside finish, desiring colour brilliance, gloss and durability. For many years, pigmented paints were the only paints available. Like many of the paints we have all bought from DIY shops to paint our windows with, they are relatively easy to apply and required no professional knowledge. However, they are limited in gloss and durability and of course not that good in a salt water environment.
To overcome some of the drawbacks that many paints have, two-part polyurethanes were developed. Composed of a base and reactor when mixed, the result in a chemically-cured paint film with superior gloss, keener colour and an extremely durable finish. Most recently, single-part polyurethane technology has evolved to produce superior gloss and lasting performance that's similar to two-part polyurethanes but with the application ease of conventional DIY paints. Today's technology offers you a choice of both one and two-part polyurethanes. However, I have found the finish of single part polyurethane to be not as good as the two part paint system .
I have found single-part polyurethane paints will last for two to four years and two-part paints between four and ten years. The longevity of the paint depends on where your boat is kept fender wear that she may sustain in a marina and boats moored fore and aft tend to fare better. Also the finish on boats in southern climates, where the sun is more intense, will not last as long as those finishes in northern regions. However time will tell on the global warming front!
Two-part polyurethane is the finest all-around coating that you can buy. When applied by the professional using a brush or roller or even sprayed, using the proper safety equipment, you will have a boat that will turn heads.
Two-part polyurethanes must be thinned out quite dramatically with the manufacturer's specified thinner. It's important never to mix different manufacturer's products. Two-part paints should never be put over single-part paints or primers as the solvents will attack the single-part paint causing poor adhesion.
Thinners are added in order to get proper flow of the paint. Paint manufacturers will have a suggested thinner based on the paint you are using and whether you are brushing rolling or spraying. The amount of thinner needed varies and it's wise not to stray away from the manufacturer's suggested quantity.
Safety
Polyurethane paints contain isocyanates, which contain VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and I cannot stress enough how important it is to wear the proper safety items. These include rubber gloves, goggles, safety glasses or other eye protection, long sleeve shirt and pants (tape the cuffs) and a respirator rated for toxic fumes.
Always read the labels on the containers before using. Work in a well-ventilated area and observe all warnings. Solvents contain hazardous chemicals that can be absorbed through your skin so use them only in painting and not for washing your hands, surface Preparation or cleaning the boat. By purchasing quality marine paints from well-known companies and our professional skills you are assured of great results and longevity.
Procedures
Topside paints should never be used on parts of the boat which will be submersed in water for long periods of time as the paint will blister . It's best to divide your boat into two parts: above the waterline, which this paper deals with and below the waterline.(see my paper on osmosis). Topside paints can be used on any surface (wood, metal, epoxy, gelcoat) as long as the surface is prepared properly. The preparation is the key and the most important in my view . It's said that preparation is 99% of all successful jobs, and it's true. However this is where most of the cost goes.
Before we start, it will help to put your boat in our tent/shed and build a scaffold around your boat to ensure easy access to the boat and to allow us to apply the paint without any interruptions or delays due to the weather.
If your boat has previously been painted and you are unsure what type of paint was used ie. two-part or single-part paint and as I have mentioned two-part paints are not compatible with single-part paints then the first step would be to determine the type of paint on your boat .
The next step is to sand the entire surface with 120 to 180 grit sandpaper, depending on the hardness of the surface. When power sanding, a variable-speed, random-orbital sander with a circular foam pad will be used. We take care to hold the sander perfectly flush on the surface or it will create dips and swirl marks.
Then any filling (of scratches and the like) will be undertaken.Then a further sanding with wet and dry using it wet down to 360 grade paper will ensure a stable and smooth surface. Apply primer or undercoat then more sanding to maybe as fine as 600 wet and dry grade paper.
For top coats we use a brush and roller at Lauren Marine as we find we achieve a spray like finish in this way with the right techniques of which we have many years of experience. The finished Job is then left to dry and cure.
And there you have it a lovely shinny boat , now I ,always suggest that the owner buys and fits fender socks and keeps the boat well polished to help fight against UV damage
I hope you have found this informative and if you would like a chat do give me a ring.
Painting a boat is time consuming and can be costly but it has to be one of the most gratifying jobs that we do at Lauren Marine. It's like giving the boat a new life when you step back and you see this most beautiful and shiny new boat.
Yacht paint development
Boat owners have always sought the perfect topside finish, desiring colour brilliance, gloss and durability. For many years, pigmented paints were the only paints available. Like many of the paints we have all bought from DIY shops to paint our windows with, they are relatively easy to apply and required no professional knowledge. However, they are limited in gloss and durability and of course not that good in a salt water environment.
To overcome some of the drawbacks that many paints have, two-
I have found single-
Two-
Two-
Thinners are added in order to get proper flow of the paint. Paint manufacturers will have a suggested thinner based on the paint you are using and whether you are brushing rolling or spraying. The amount of thinner needed varies and it's wise not to stray away from the manufacturer's suggested quantity.
Safety
Polyurethane paints contain isocyanates, which contain VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and I cannot stress enough how important it is to wear the proper safety items. These include rubber gloves, goggles, safety glasses or other eye protection, long sleeve shirt and pants (tape the cuffs) and a respirator rated for toxic fumes.
Always read the labels on the containers before using. Work in a well-
Procedures
Topside paints should never be used on parts of the boat which will be submersed in water for long periods of time as the paint will blister . It's best to divide your boat into two parts: above the waterline, which this paper deals with and below the waterline.(see my paper on osmosis). Topside paints can be used on any surface (wood, metal, epoxy, gelcoat) as long as the surface is prepared properly. The preparation is the key and the most important in my view . It's said that preparation is 99% of all successful jobs, and it's true. However this is where most of the cost goes.
Before we start, it will help to put your boat in our tent/shed and build a scaffold around your boat to ensure easy access to the boat and to allow us to apply the paint without any interruptions or delays due to the weather.
If your boat has previously been painted and you are unsure what type of paint was used ie. two-
The next step is to sand the entire surface with 120 to 180 grit sandpaper, depending on the hardness of the surface. When power sanding, a variable-
Then any filling (of scratches and the like) will be undertaken.Then a further sanding with wet and dry using it wet down to 360 grade paper will ensure a stable and smooth surface. Apply primer or undercoat then more sanding to maybe as fine as 600 wet and dry grade paper.
For top coats we use a brush and roller at Lauren Marine as we find we achieve a spray like finish in this way with the right techniques of which we have many years of experience. The finished Job is then left to dry and cure.
And there you have it a lovely shinny boat , now I ,always suggest that the owner buys and fits fender socks and keeps the boat well polished to help fight against UV damage
I hope you have found this informative and if you would like a chat do give me a ring.