Painting in cold weather?

[BrianW]

Folks,

I'm trying to sell my old fishing boat, and she's need's lots of paint. Unfortunately, it's cold, windy, and rainy now in S.E. Alaska.

What's the deal on painting in this weather?

I can't haul her, as she's too big. Tarps wouldn't last long right now, too much wind.

Is painting in 30F to 40F degree weather just out of the question. That being on the rare sunny day?

Edit, to throw in a picture showing some paint problems...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/BrianW/FV%20Ginny%20C/FV%20Ginny%20C%20Small%20Pics/ginnyfamily.jpg

[ 11-17-2005, 03:25 AM: Message edited by: BrianW ]

[joejapan]

.
Brian, just sail by here, pick me up and we'll take her down to Dingo's where it's warm and sunny. :D

[Wild Wassa]

5 degrees F too cold, at 45F you migh have a chance.

If I had to do it, I'd use polyurethane and dry it with a hairdrier. I'd paint a square metre then set the square metre (that should take about one minute) ... it is what I do normally anyway, force dry poly. It is exactly what I did tonight, 5 coats in ten minutes.

If you don't use space age materials ... painting can be difficult in extreme heat, cold and extreme humidity.

The problem when painting below the manufacturer's recommended minimum temp can be,
with poly the cyanates go yellow and stain the paint. With enamel and acrylics, 'blooming' happens, a surface whitening results. With coloured paints the pigments float to the top (and looks really wild with the blooming).

Another problem when painting outside in the cold is, the paint will dry at different rates giving different surface types. Some areas can look glossy while others will look less glossy, if not dull.

I once read that the manufacturer Ceco made paints that can be applied in extreme cold (but that is all I know).

Good luck Brian.

Warren.

[ 11-17-2005, 05:22 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[TimothyB]

Brian, you could just do a touch up job, working under a heated collar at the touch up spots (a rigged up blown air space heater under a clear plastic piece over the work area), then do the full repaint in warmer weather. It would work, but take a long time since you would need to run the heater for awhile to preheat the area.

[WoodenBNut]

Hum? Well, sounds like you are just trying to make it look a little better(covering the flaking existing paint) while trying to sell her. I have heard that you can get away with painting with oil based paints as low as 20 F, even though most manufacturers recommend not painting below 40 F with their oil based paints. ** You could try a small area with oil based as see what it looks like in the cold weather. I would also be concerned that the existing paint has flaked off due to moisture below and in the wood suface. You just are not going to get that wood dry in the winter outdoors. You would somehow have to "tent it" and put heaters in there to dry the wood out and that sounds like it is going to be a big job if the wind is really whipping around.
** Maybe just go for a quick touch up with oil based, but I don't think I would have high hopes that it would last too long over wet wood. Sorry.

[Bob Smalser]

I paint in 40-degree weather when I can't avoid it.

The problem ain't that my alkyd deck enamel doesn't cure, the problem is that it's almost impossible to do vertical surfaces without runs, as the paint doesn't flow and level well.

Paint left in the house overnight to thoroughly warm and the brush in one hand and a heat gun in the other helps some, the heat gun drying and warming the wood before applying the paint.

The local naval shipyard can't put an aircraft carrier in a heated shed, and they paint all winter. They tent off sections where they can and use high-speed epoxies and polyurethanes. What I adore about epoxy paints is their quick cure.

[ 11-17-2005, 09:42 AM: Message edited by: Bob Smalser ]

[Bruce Hooke]

What about adding a bit of Japan Drier to the paint?

[Bob Smalser]

Originally posted by Bruce Hooke:
What about adding a bit of Japan Drier to the paint?Doesn't do diddly for the flow. And the deck enamels have enough in it already to dry hard in the cold.

I don't find Penetrol helps any either, in cold weather.

Haven't tried it, but Klitz tinted to match your paint will serve for touchups until it gets warm enough to paint.

[ 11-17-2005, 01:12 PM: Message edited by: Bob Smalser ]

[Alan D. Hyde]

Paint small areas at a time, with volatile paint (that dries quickly).

Keep a heat lamp or lamps on each painted area as it dries--- the radiant heat from the lamps will make a difference even on a windy day.

Experiment on some small areas first, and figure out what mix of paint and conditions works best for you.

Alan

[pcford]

First, paint with a high quality marine paint. These have accelerants for cold weather and retarders for hot weather. You can paint down to freezing at least.

The problem is getting sufficient time for the paint to tack off between the time of frozen dew lifting from the surface and the dew settling again. In the winter around Seattle with temperatures in the 40s, one should have between 10:30 and 2:30. One gets the paint on as early as possible in that time frame…it should tack off before the dew falls.

I’d guess you could do your job one side at a time with two painters using roll and tip.

Not sure what time dew will fall in SE, but I think it is possible you can do it.

[Terry Etapa]

When I had to paint the new cabin on my boat, the project was so behind schedule, that I was painting in December in Seattle. The temp's were in the low 40's. My only problem was getting the paint to flow properly.

I've got an old fishboat, and I didn't think the two part paints were worth the effort. I used an industrial alkyd enamel.

What pcford said about dew. If the dew settles on the paint, it will be flat.

[ 11-17-2005, 02:53 PM: Message edited by: Terry Etapa ]

[Gary E]

First, paint with a high quality marine paint. These have accelerants for cold weather and retarders for hot weather. You can paint down to freezing at least.
I didnt know that... Is it an additive or is it already in there?

I was gona say, for "just for now" slap some white housepaint on there...let it chalk off then do a proper job next July..

Reminds me of when my old white Chevy had some gray primer on it.. While painting the house one summer Dad got tired of looking at that and slapped some housepaint on it... spose it looked ok at 60.

[ 11-17-2005, 03:22 PM: Message edited by: Gary E ]

[pcford]

First, paint with a high quality marine paint. These have accelerants for cold weather and retarders for hot weather. You can paint down to freezing at least.

I didnt know that... Is it an additive or is it already in there?

I was gona say, for "just for now" slap some white housepaint on there...let it chalk off then do a proper job next July.. They are just thinners; they are proprietary to the manufacturer.

You could slap some house paint on your boat. Some people even use latex. < !> I don't know what quality of paint would satisfy you. Not that a lower quality paint is necessarily "wrong" particularly in the case of a work boat.

[BrianW]

Thanks gents, for the help. At least now I know it can be done, but only during lunch hour. smile.gif

[pcford]

Thanks gents, for the help. At least now I know it can be done, but only during lunch hourWell, yes, that's maybe a bit of an exaggeration but not much. It's a pain but it is possible.

[Dan Payne]

But remember, SAFETY FIRST. Keep and eye an that heater, don't let it get too close to your tarp, paint, body, ect. Also try to have someone nearby, the heated fumes can be nasty, make you dizzy, spill your drink, fall in the drink...Putting safety ahead puts accidents behind...dp

[pcford]

Heating is not necessary.

[Bob Smalser]

Give it a try, Brian.

But I tried 90-dollar-a-gallon Interlux once for the same reasons and didn't find it flowed any better in 40 degrees than 24-dollar-a-gallon Kelly Moore.

[Paul Pless]

Sounds like a good excuse to cruise somewhere warmer. ;)

[Terrence Gilhuly]

Why not sell it and let the new owner do the painting?

[Ken Hutchins]

Yesterday morning I applied a quart of varnish to the inside of the boat with the temp in the mid 20's F. The varnish initially was at 70 F, I added some japan drier, then as the can of varnish started to cool down to the air temp it started getting so thick the brush was developing a receeding hairline, the varnish was pulling the hair right out, so I added a small amount of tinner to improve brush ability.
After letting it set for about 4 hours I covered it with a tarp and placed 2 75 watt lights inside to help with the drying. I did get a few runs which could have been tipped out, but most of the varnished area will be out of sight so I just let them sag in the interest of saving some precious time.
A day later and it looks fine and the varnish has dried.
I absolutely would not paint or varnish inside of a cover like a tarp or with heaters or lights in close proximity. Doing that is way too dangerous both from a health AND a fire hazard.