Latex Paint

[saltydingo]

I posted a topic in the past about alternatives to the expensive marine paints for old beater boats. What came out of it was look for oil-based or polyeurathane based paints. Guess what...None of the Home Depots, or OSHs, or Ace's sell any of this paint. Even the specialty stores don't. Only Marine shops...and at triple the price of regular paint.

So here's my question...what would happen if I used a standard outdoor "WeatherBeater" latex paint? Would it last a year or two? Or would it peel off in the saltwater environment?

Please advise...

Eric

[Bob Smalser]

Originally posted by saltydingo:
...it was look for oil-based or polyeurathane based paints. Guess what...None of the Home Depots, or OSHs, or Ace's sell any of this paint. Even the specialty stores don't. Only Marine shops...and at triple the price of regular paint.

California's own Kelly Moore paints has their 1300-Series Tredcoat Industrial Alkyd Floor Enamel in any color you want for 24 bucks a gallon. Compare it's tech specs to marine alkyds and you'll see it's the same durn thing.

I use it for all my topcoating.

http://www.kel lymoore.com/admin/file_handler/635cac1606f34e8fcfad33e773a65759/1095352727/1300TDS.pdf (http://www.kellymoore.com/admin/file_handler/635cac1606f34e8fcfad33e773a65759/1095352727/1300TDS.pdf)

And there looks to be at least 300 Kelly Moore Paint stores in California:

http://www.kellymoore.com/cat.html?cat_id=3

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3075025/59367496.jpg

[ 03-24-2005, 01:05 AM: Message edited by: Bob Smalser ]

[Ian McColgin]

Spurred on by the late Spaulding Dunbar, my family and I have used something like SearsBestExteriorLatex since the latter 60's. Seems to hold up good.

Maybe the newer latexes, especially those designed for decks, are a tad better. Good quality house paint holds well for up to five years absent any dings. It shows dings and bumps more than traditional stuff like Kirby's and if you want the boat looking sharp, yearly painting is required. Since that's not really odd anyway, might as well make the yearly job with something under a quarter the cost of conventional enamal and that takes under a quarter the application time.

[paul oman]

When I had an old coronado 25 on galveston bay in the 1990s I switched from using non marine enamel on the decks to using non marine latex paint on the decks. With the enamel I had to repaint every season and lots of color fading. With the latex I got several years and could do touch up years later with no big difference in color between the old and the new.

paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers

[brad9798]

I ALWAYS use latex on cabin top/sides ... works VERY well for me.

I've a coverd slip, so if it last on my house, it will SURELY last on boat top.

Been on there three years now ... looks like new still.

[Keith Wilson]

If it stays on a house for 15 years, why would it fail on a boat in a year or two? The boat is a more demanding application, certainly, but there's nothing magical about salt water. Porch and floor paint is a lot harder than regular house paint, and will stand abrasion better.

[JormaS]

One problem with the latex I have used is that it was almost impossible to do a nice touch-up job. I could not sand the edges of the area to be re-painted because the old paint kept being torn and "rolled" by the sand paper. I was not able to chamfer the paint edge so it always left the repair visible.

Are the modern latexes different in this respect?

[dmede]

My little canoe is latex. Touches up very nicely. I do think the tendancy to roll when sanded must be an old problem or due to some other issue.

[Bob Smalser]

The yearly repaint is one thing....building the boat is another.

What I like most about the porch and floor enamel is that it was designed to cure quickly. You can paint the bottom then turn the boat over in a couple of days without worrying so much about how fragile the green paint is.

Also sands extremely well compared to house paint, making it easy to feather in repairs.

[Paulyboy]

Since chemical "flatting agents" soften whatever liquid they are introduced into be it laquer, varnish, paint, etc., would it hold true that gloss latex paint would have a harder and thus easier to work surface as far as scrumbling? I've always been taught in woodworking to finish a piece with gloss varnish first for the durability and hardness factor, then topcoat with satin or semigloss layers to achieve a less than gloss final appearance. Doesn't the same work for latex paints?