Deck lost paint what filler can I use to make it all one level?

Question

The deck (upper boat deck) of my ship which is metal has lost paint due to being walked on. What can robust material can I put down to bring the surface up to the surrounding "years" of paint as just pouring paint it has not worked in the past. Thanks

Answer 1

Interlux paints are a great boat paint. www.yachtpaint.com.

You may want to grind down the gelcoat and use Interlux Watertite filler to fill the area.

Answer 2

You need a two part filler.  One where you have the base filler and the tube of hardener.  A two part car body filler would do it and so would a two part decorators filler.  They'll stick to bare or painted metal, but make sure there is no dust or residue that would act as a barrier between the metal and the filler.  To give you an idea, the two-part decorators filler I use I once dropped a golf ball size onto a plank of wood - later when I tried to pull it apart the wood split apart before the filler would let go.

Any two part filler would probably do it, but maybe there is an extra special one in marine stores.

There is a bit of an art in use two-part filler.  It goes off quick.  Don't use it if your deck is hot from the sun.  If you have a lot to do it might be worth buying two metal filling knifes for mixing and single edge razor blades for cleaning the filling knives.

Answer 3

Is the paint being worn off by walking on it or is it chipping and coming up in sections??  

If its still intact and bonded to the metal,  Try a good marine topcoat paint with a non-slip grit in it.  The non-slip grit will build up the area and will keep you from sliding around.  There are different grit sizes from ones small enough to sit on with bare skin to ones that will give road rash through blue jeans.

If its coming up in sections or chipping, leaving exposed metal then the best thing is strip the whole deck and replace the paint.  Make sure to use a primer for the type of metal you have, either aluminum or steel.

Try West Marine, although they don't have the best prices sometimes, they have a pretty good selection and online help/selection guides to help pick which paint is best/affordable for you.  westmarine.com

Answer 4

If it's a large area and it's just a difference in paint thickness you want to fix, it would probably be easier to remove the other paint and re-paint the entire deck.

Interlux paints are about the best you can buy, when it comes to boat paint. www.yachtpaint.com.

If walk thru is a problem, there are some good epoxy garage floor coatings that might work for you.