How to Paint a Boat Deck
Painting a boat deck is more than just a design statement. It also protects the deck surface from the elements. By mixing a non-skid additive into the paint for certain areas of the boat deck, you can create surfaces that are less slippery, especially when wet. This makes foot traffic safer. A fresh coat of paint will also add to both the aesthetic appeal and the cash value of your boat.
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Things You'll Need
- Paint brush
- Paint rollers
- Painter's or masking tape
- Non-skid additive
- Semigloss alkyd enamel house paint
Instructions
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1
Remove as much hardware from the surface to be painted as possible.
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2
Use painter's tape or masking tape to separate the surface to be painted from anything you don't want to be painted. Tape over the edge of the surface where it intersects with the deck you're painting. Cover any hardware or other items that couldn't be removed.
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3
Identify which areas of the deck will receive foot traffic and divide them off from areas that won't receive foot traffic, either by taping off the divisions or just making a mental note of them.
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Break any large portions of the deck up into sections no more than 4 feet wide, either by taping them off or mentally noting where the divisions should be.
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Paint any non-foot-traffic areas of the boat, painting one 4-foot-wide section at a time and then moving on to the next. A semigloss alkyd enamel house paint is your most economical, effective and easy to apply paint option. Roll the paint on with a roller whenever possible. In areas where the roller won't fit, use a mini roller, a sawed-off roller or a brush.
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Work just one wet edge at a time. In other words, complete each 4-foot wide section before moving on to the next. As you complete a section you can remove the adjoining tape and paint over the unpainted area beneath the tape.
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Mix non-skid particles or additives into the paint once you're done painting non-trafficked areas. This turns your ordinary paint into non-skid paint.
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Apply the non-skid paint to the areas of the deck you designated as high-traffic areas.
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Allow the paint to dry. Drying times will vary according to which product you chose to use.
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Tips & Warnings
Plan your painting strategy so that, in general, you progress from one end of the boat to the other to keep from "painting yourself into a corner."
