Refinish Your Boats Properly

Refinish Your Boats Properly

Updated: August 26, 2021

Refinishing your boat protects the hull from wind, water and marine life. You refinish a boat by removing old paint from the bottom and applying a fresh coating. This process can help extend the life of your boat and let you enjoy it for longer. 

How to Remove Paint From an Aluminum Boat

Traditional methods for refinishing a boat can be both harmful and time-consuming. Hand-scraping old paint can take hours and yield uneven results. The chemicals used for paint removal and sealing are also toxic to marine life and can threaten your health and safety. 

Abrasive blasting can save you time and give you superior results to traditional paint-removal methods. The best way to remove oxidation and paint from an aluminum or fiberglass boat is with abrasive blasting. Your boat will be cleaner and better prepared for painting and finishing with the right blasting media and system.

Focus on Removing Specific Layers

As you begin preparations for refinishing, it is essential to understand the boat’s different layers to prevent unnecessary harm. The various layers of the coating are: 

1. Gel coat: This protects the fiber of the hull and helps the primer affix properly. Damaging this layer leads to water penetrating the hull.
2. Primer: Underneath the paint, a primer helps with paint adhesion and prevents premature flaking. 
3. Paint: Anti-fouling paint protects the hull from algae and organisms and helps improve resistance and fuel consumption. 

The main concern with refinishing is penetrating through the gel layer, which causes deeper issues.

What Is the Best Way to Remove Oxidation and Paint From a Boat? 

Abrasive blasting eliminates the concerns of traditional paint- and oxidation-removal methods while providing a simple alternative. There are several benefits to abrasive blasting that make it a responsible choice for refinishing your boat.

Lower Cost

You will not have to splurge on multiple chemical treatments if the paint resists the first round. Instead, you can reuse your blasting system and media to remove all the paint in one sweep, saving you time and money. 

Faster Turnaround

Some chemical stripping treatments can take days to remove the paint, and you still have to scrape away the excess. Abrasive blasting can be done in a day or less. Blasting takes a seemingly high-effort project and makes it easier. 

Cleaner Environment

The chemicals and acids used for paint removal often end up in the water supply. You also risk breathing in harmful fumes. Blasting material includes sand, walnut shells or other natural material that do not affect marine life.

Improved Safety

Abrasive blasting can remove heavy marine growth, paint, primer and epoxy without damaging the gel coat. This way, you can immediately prepare for painting without worrying about harming the gel. 

Contact Finishing Systems To Refinish Your Boat

If you are ready to refinish your boat and want to cut your project time and budget, contact Finishing Systems. We have expertise with different types of vessels such as fiberglass and metal to help you find the best media for your next refinishing project.