Paint Flaking

[Dan Dickison]

The paint on the interior has begun to flake off to bare fiberglass. What should I do? and what type of paint, primer, and prep do I need?

Dan Dickison responds:

For starters you might want to check out the overview article on interior maintenance that Tom Wood wrote entitled Off-Season Boat Projects.  Then before you begin, consider that the keys to any repainting job include using compatible paint products and achieving proper surface preparation. Find out what kind of paint is on there now and try to match it in terms of its base (epoxy, oil, etc.). Make sure that you lightly sand and tack the surfaces before attempting to repaint them. Also, don't try to accomplish this job if there's a lot of moisture content in the air (humidity or rain), because you won't get the new paint to adhere as well. If you have to do this job in a moisture-laden environment, you might try using a dehumidifier before and during the painting.

High-gloss finishes are usually preferred in an interior because they're easier to keep clean afterward. Don't try to cover the surface with just one coat of paint. Instead, start with a very thin base coat, and then apply several coats on top, sanding lightly and tacking in-between each coat. Here's hoping this information helps you.