Painting the Fiberglass headliner

[jthistle]

Its too cold to paint - so I may as well start planning. I'm going to paint my headliner in the 35-2. Its molded (and moldy) Fiberglass. Any opinions on paint? I've read everything from exterior house paint to interlux brightsides. I wan't this to last but am open to the "non-marine" options - don't want to have to do this again - especially after all the sanding, grinding etc to get the old flaking pain off. The Boat is in freezing temps now and the previous coat is peeling off. I guess that's what happens when a boat moves from the tropics to Newfounldand.

Any advice on paint type? Experiences, tips and hints are appreciated.

Cheers
Jason

 

[Frank Langer]

I used exterior enamel house paint on the inside of a previous boat, and it was easy to apply (after thoroughly cleaning the surface), and lasted well. We used Interlux Brightside paint on a friend's boat, also with good results. While the Interlux "felt" like a better quality paint, both worked well. The interior really doesn't get much wear/abuse, compared to the exterior of a boat.

If I was doing the exterior, I would use a marine paint (I have had good results with both Petit Easypoxy and Interlux Brightside on the exterior of boats).

Frank.

 

[Mike.Gritten]

We use the Pettit EasyPoxy in all our interior lockers and would not hesitate to use it on the headliner (ours however, is in excellent condition ). We find the EasyPoxy is very durable and consequently wears extremely well. It is easy to clean and is scrubbable (is that a word?!).

 

[tenders]

I like Brightside too. It's easy to apply and I think looks better than housepaint.

I've heard that exterior housepaint often yellows when applied indoors. Something to do with less (or lack of) UV exposure--not sure if that applies to boats.

 

[Emerald]

I've had good luck below using a paint by Bruning called Silathane II. It is an interior-exterior acrylic semi-gloss enamel. It is incredibly durable and flexible and covers very well. The can has some interesting notations like, "Authorized by USDA for use in federally inspected meat and poultry plants". I think to get this it has to have a very smooth surface that can't harbor bacteria, which for us translates to not holding dirt and cleaning very well. OK, I know I must be crazy here (up late with a sick dog), but from the can, "It is ideal for machinery, tanks and equipment used in areas of extreme weather conditions, bright sun, marine atmosphere, snow, rain and sleat. It is recommended for pedestrian traffic areas on wooden and concrete floors..." and so it goes. After all this, I think I must say I have no association with any company doing anything paint related, just stumbled on this stuff a ways back and liked it

 

[jthistle]

Thanks for opinions...

It seems there are lots of options and opinions with paint - thanks for them all! I keep looking for definative answers when I do my research on "boat fixing" and it seems that this is much more an art than a science. I'm trying for a semigloss white for the headliner which seems easier to get in landlubber paints... I don't want to compromise the durability for price either...."it just don't pay with paint". I painted over the wood on my benches/lockers and covers with white marine urathane - the guy at the shop tells me that the fishermen use it to paint just about anything...so off we went with brushes.I have alot of deck work to do in the spring ...gotta fix a few leaks/hardware etc. The goal is to "sail a shell" this summer - seeing as how the electrical and interior has been "dismantled".thanks for the advice... - Going to get t'scraping and sanding in the cold. Great way to keep warm.CheersJason