3 Tips to Help You Paint Your Boat Like a Professional
Posted on: 9 March 2017
If your boat needs a new coat of paint, and you want to save a little money, you can paint the boat yourself. Here are a few tips that will help you make your boat look like it was painted by a professional.
#1 Prepare the Surface Properly
The first thing you need to do is make sure that you prepare the surface of your boat properly. You are going to need to clean the outside of your boat if it has been out in the water recently. You are going to want to use a scrub brush to ensure that all dirt and residue is removed from the side of your boat.
Once your boat is clean and dry, you are going to want to lightly sand your boat. Use a sanding tool to sand your boat, and apply light pressure as you sand. You don't need to push down hard on the sander; that is unnecessary in order to get a nice, even sand. Make sure that you change out the sanding paper if you notice it isn't sanding as it should.
Once you are done sanding, make sure that you get rid of all the dust that sanding creates. Vacuum the side of your boat and your work area. Then, use a cloth to wipe away any remaining dust, and then vacuum once more to pick up dust you may have loosened. Finally, clean the surface of your boat with a cloth that ha a little denatured alcohol on it. This will help pick up any dust that is still remaining. You don't want to mix dust with your new paint and lessen the effectively of your new paint job.
#2 Work Slowly
You don't need to paint your entire boat all at once. Instead, work slowly and in sections. Boat paint can set really fast, so you are going to want to apply the paint one section at a time so that your strokes overlap one another. This will prevent you from creating what is known as a "wet overlap" that leaves you boat looking streaky. Work one section at a time so you can overlap you strokes while the paint is still wet. This is especially true if it is really warm outside while you are painting.
#3 Remove the Tape Before the Paint Sets
You are going to want to tape off the areas of your boat that you don't want the paint to get on. However, you should not leave that tape on as the paint dries. When the paint on your boat dries, it will form a hard, protective shell on your boat. It is formulated a little differently than paint that you use on your home, which is why you will want to remove the tape after you are done painting but before the paint fully sets and dries.
It may be really difficult to remove the tape after the paint has fully set, and could require the use of a razor blade and result in damage to your new paint job, so be sure to pull that tape off before the paint dries for a truly professional looking paint job.
To learn more about the process or which products to use, contact companies like Sun Stoppers.
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