Painting the Fiberglass in the storage Compartments.......

[richandlori]

It seems like everytime I store things under the seats, they are filled with fiberglass "pokies" everytime I go to use them. To solve this, and to make the storage areas look cleaner and nicer, I am considering painting the insides of the storage wells with some type of paint. I would first have to do some mild prep work of sanding away the rough fiberglass "spears" where the cloth ends are exposed and then apply the right paint that will both bond to the raw fiberglass and be thick enough to give me some protection.

Does anyone have experience with such a task? Also is is safe and advisable to paint the raw fiberglass? If so, what would be the best paint material to use for the job?

I have this nightmere that after I finish painting, I go out to the boat the next morning to find the fiberglass melted where I applied the paint!!


Thanks

Rich

[Divecoz]

The same stuff they use to prime Corvettes.( I can go out to the garage and get the name of you like?? ) If you where to brush and or roller it on you could actually have a rather thick impervious coating. Then I would paint it white . Once again use Epoxy this time a Marine Epoxy and it should last a Darn Long Time look bright and clean too.
To Prep . . . stick a Shop Vac Hose in the hold and use a small electric orbital sander. No dust no muss But in Theory. . . . . teheheheh could not resist

[richandlori]

Part of the Question is there any reason not to sand-primer-and-paint the raw fiberglass from a boat fiberglass standpoint?

[Terry]

I asked my dealer about doing the same thing and he said to use gelcoat because it is thicker and will cover over the fibergass slivers and wll dry faster using a hardener. I'm thinking of trying it.

[Jack O'Brien]

Sanding & painting would remove the spears and brighten it up.
Dri Dek will do all that AND keep stuff dry and provide air breathing space. Probably be less labor as well. I lined the bilge everywhere I could with Dri Dek. Took 96 squares so I ordered a full box of 100. Lots cheaper to buy direct rather than from West Marine.

http://www.dri-dek.com/

[Paul S]

I would just sand/clean it well and use house paint. There is no reason it won't stick. I have painted raw fiberglass items before and it has always stuck, well....even outside decorations.

Sand with 40-80 grit, clean, clean, clean some more. Get a nice rough surface for the paint to stick and you will be golden. Go for 2 coats.

If it peels in 5 years..sand and repaint the spots.

You could try garage floor epoxy paint. ...or POR-15 (expensive) but will stick to just about anything.

You can get gallon mis-mixed paint at home depot for $1-5 /gallon.

Just a thought


Paul

[Richard O'Brien]

All these sound good. I'm glad you brought this up Richard, because it seems everything snags down there in the "cactus garden". If you use gelcoatmake sure you use epoxy and not polyester resin. The smell will linger for months otherwise. I have a gallon of regular West epoxy, and some thin open weave cloth. A 3" brush should be all that's needed to brush out the bubbles. I'm just waiting for a warm spell so I can be sure it catalyzes fully. After a few hours This will also add considerable strength, and unlike polyesters you get extra protection against crazing. it's also easier to clean, and hopefully suppresses the original plastic smell.

[Rick Mathews]

I painted the hold areas two years ago with white Interlux Bilgekote, and it has held up very well. All you have to do for preparation is make sure the area is clean, sand it with 180-200 grit sandpaper to knock the glossiness off the fiberglass, vacuum out any dust, and apply the paint. Much cheaper and easier than gelcoat, and it is plenty durable for this application. Our dealer, Blue Water Yachts in Seattle, confirmed that Bilgekote should work fine, and it has. I wouldn't recommend any paint that isn't meant for marine applications, and Bilgekote is specifically formulated for bilge areas where moisture and water are distinct possibilities.

[jsserene]

I painted mine last summer with Killz Primer from Home Depot. I used either the Killz 2 or the Kilz Premium which are water based for easy cleanup. So far I have not had any problems. It definitely made the storage areas look much better, and less fiberglass cuts!!! I just vacumed and then applied the Killz.
Jeff

[Dominic]

A company 'CFS fibreglass supplies' refer to painting fibreglass surfaces as applying a 'flow coat' and have some advice about this on their web site..

http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/

They state..."Gel coat forms the smooth outer surface of the finished laminate and therefore is applied to the prepared mould first. Also used as a flow coat applied after the laminate, as in sheathing. To use as a flow coat a wax solution must first be thoroughly stirred into the gel coat at 2% by weight (20ml per kilo) to eliminate surface tackiness. Flowcoat can also be supplied as a seperate product with the wax solution already mixed. Activated by catalyst added to the gel coat at 2% by weight, minimum. Working time at a temperature of 20degC. is approximately 20 minutes. To avoid styrene attack allow 2-3 hours before applying any more resin. Pigment colour pastes can be added. Also suitable for production mould making."

I have nothing to do with this company but their site is a mine of useful information about using fibreglass....

Hope this is of help.

[richandlori]

Thanks for all the tips and information.

I will now add Hold painting to my ever-growing list of boat Mods/Improvements I want to make. This one is high on the priority list because it will make the admiral very happy.....

Regards

Rich

[Randy Smith]

The admiral likes to see what is in the holds, painting them with white appliance epoxy paint was simple and effective. Don't forget to vent when painting....I know you knew this....but I forgot!!!!!! Got in a hurry and wow I was seeing more colors than white.........Randy

[Matt 777]

Is there any reason vinly flooring could not be used in the storage compartments? I was thinking about using a home flooring type product to line the storage compartments - lots of designs available from solid white to a wood floor look.

I just got my boat on Monday and this is the first thing I want to "clean-up" on the boat.

[ALX357]

suggest using a paint or finish that is flat not glossy, to indicate a normally (hopefully) dry surface and readily show when it is wet as glossy...
also another suggestion...
have replaced all the laminated ply covers with clear plexiglass, (3/8" thick is flush with the liner, and strong enough to sit on.).. put finger hole in center for easy lifting and a bit of ventilation. was somewhat expensive, and time consuming to round all the corners and bevel all the edges - after ordering the panels cut square from one 4x8 sheet by plexiglass supply house. used "chop-saw" power miter saw with high count tooth blade, and belt and palm sanders to smooth, round file for center holes finger comfort...
really pleased with see-thru feature, and strong, totally flat - no potato chip warping. even used it for battery compartment cover, and the rarely-used rear berth covers... combined with bright flat paint on hull inner surface, makes great inspection visibility.
Alx357

[Greg]

I lined the accessible compartments with closed cell sleeping mats purchased at Walmart. They don't absorb water and protect the fiberglass.