How to Preserve My Steel Deck Boat
Preserving a steel deck on a boat starts with the paint. The paint of a steel deck on a boat is the first line of defense when it comes to fighting off rust. Oxidation is the worst enemy of steel there is.
Things you will need:
- Empty one gallon paint can
- Epoxy marine paint and primer
- Stirring stick and stirring attachment
- Paintbrush, short-nap paint roller and roller pan
- Painters tape
- Copper based bottom paint and red epoxy paint
- Polyurethane rust converter and replacement metal
- Grinder, drill and chipping hammer
- Start working on that steel. Remove any chips with the chipping hammer and remove all old paint. The grinder or a blast sander will help remove all old paint. Bare metal should be gotten to when removing all of this old stuff.
- Filling in any holes left by the odd rust spot will help the steel deck hold up better in the future. Any missing metal should be replaced at this point.
- Use the polyurethane rust converter to paint all the portions of the deck. Use a paintbrush for this action to evenly spread the rust converter. The polyurethane is clear and turns color once dry and will make any spots missed pop out.
- Watch the polyurethane dry. After that is dry, use the short-nap roller to put down a coat of primer. Always read the directions of the primer before applying. Safety should always come first.
- Allow the primer to dry. Stir into the one gallon, empty paint can part epoxy marine paint and part red, epoxy paint, as well as, the hardener and stir vigorously with the drill and the stirring attachment. This can be poured into the paint tray and rolled onto the deck with the short-nap paint roller. Allow this to dry fully.
- Apply this mixture to the hull as well. The copper based paint can be used on the hull using the same technique as used on the deck. Use the painter's tape to mark off any places that do not need to be painted.