TOPIC: Good interior paint? Talked to Rustoleum-Update

We have completed the install of a new deck and glass on the '60 Glastron Fireflight. I am extremely pleased with how the glass turned out, especially since this was the first time I had worked with CSM and Biax. I am planning on using a marine grade carpet on the deck. I would like to 'freshen up' the interior sides. I think the paint job at the moment is the original and it is a dull, dull gray-white with specs. I have been reading about paints and of course there is a lot of info. Does anyone have a recommendation based on what they have used? I want to roll the paint and I want something relatively easy to use. Obviously this will not be walked on, so I don't need a additive to prevent someone from falling. I want to use white, or something close, but don't want to be blinded by the glare from the sunlight (Maybe semi-gloss). Also, do I need to paint my glass even though I am going to install carpet? I am thinking yes, just from the standpont of giving the glass a finished look.

Hi Gina, glad to hear the Fireflite project is coming along so well! I was hoping someone with more paint experience would chime in on your question, but I'll give you my two cents for what they're worth.
I'm planning on using the same Valspar (implement) paint I've been using on the interior, with the hardner. (Very similar to Rustoleum, I believe.) I am considering adding some grey (flat or semi-gloss?) to the white to hopefully tone down the glare a little. Some of the "fleck" (like a zolatone style) jobs the gang here has done look really cool too. Just a thought....? I have it in my mind to paint the floor, even though carpet will be going down over it. (More protection?) May not be the best idea, would love to hear some input from the experienced guys and gals on this as well.

This is just my THREE cents on boat paint and I'm sure some people out there are going to disagree but here you go ! Boat paint and protection are for boats that are out in the elements 365 days a year exposed to salt spray,seagull poop and salt mist and direct Sun . Now how often does that really happen to these little trailer boats that sleep in a dry garage and get a shampoo bubble bath when they come out of the water or have a canvas cover if they have to stay outside? When I paint the INTERIOR of my boats I use a good quality Exterior latex house paint. If I paint the deck I use a good quality Porch paint . These paints are designed to protect my house and porch which in Washington Sate we get alot more water and weather than my boat will ever get exposed to. If you have fiberglass on your deck and install a carpet I would not put paint on top ? If Carpet gets wet it's going to hold the moisture and the paint that is underneath is going to give up way before the bare Fiberglass resin is going to . I'm not saying to paint the exterior of your boat with House paint - I'm saying the inside of a cabin or the deck which does not get the exposure of the exterior. I have never had a problem with using exterior paint on the cabin or interior decks ? Just my Three cents

A good quality oil based enamel paint will work fine- use the rustoleum, I don't see a huge need for the "marine" paint, especially in your application. Rustoleum paints work fairly well in a boat, if you understand their limitations. They go on very glossy, but tend to loose that gloss rather quickly, especially when exposed to harsh sunlight. This is relative to other paints, though- the enamel tends to dull after a few years of exposure, where a urethane or other paint may last twice that.

I'm not personally a big fan of using any latex based products on a boat, though it might be ok for most since the vast majority of them are, like mine, trailer queens that will be for the most part kept out of the water and covered / garaged. I have painted a couple of wood boats that I built with a floor and deck enamel, which lasted longer than the boats did! Just don't expect any kind of gloss...

A good quality oil based enamel paint will work fine- use the rustoleum, I don't see a huge need for the "marine" paint, especially in your application. Rustoleum paints work fairly well in a boat, if you understand their limitations. They go on very glossy, but tend to loose that gloss rather quickly, especially when exposed to harsh sunlight. This is relative to other paints, though- the enamel tends to dull after a few years of exposure, where a urethane or other paint may last twice that.

I'm not personally a big fan of using any latex based products on a boat, though it might be ok for most since the vast majority of them are, like mine, trailer queens that will be for the most part kept out of the water and covered / garaged. I have painted a couple of wood boats that I built with a floor and deck enamel, which lasted longer than the boats did! Just don't expect any kind of gloss...

Painting the deck under the carpet my be overkill but I would. You will want to make sure the glue used on the carpet will not react to paint, like melt the paint. Latex paints get soft if allowed to soak in water overnight. A 2 part epoxy paint would be the best choice. Another good option is bilge paint, I use Interlux Bilgekote www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=119 . It comes in white or gray and can be mixed 1-1 or 2-1 to get the shade your looking for.

I've thought about trying the epoxy garage floor paint with the sprinkle chips. rustoleum.com/cbgproduct.asp?pid=16

I am not a fan of carpet, but if you want to paint the sides just use the same paint you used on the bottom. Spray it on and speckle it. To speckle I used a HVLP gun with air turned down all the way. I sprayed some of the topside color, and some grey primer to get my glastrons speckle. Looks just like the original. It is pretty shiny, but it does not bother me with sunglasses on.
Hope to see pics soon!

Polyester and Epoxy resins will photo degrade from sun exposure. They do need to be top coated with a durable finish if exposed to sunlight. If you insist on gluing down carpet, do not paint the floor. The solvents in the carpet glue may attack the floor paint, and the carpet will protect the resin & glass from sunlight. Paints without hardener should be avoided for floors, gasoline and foot wear will tear them up.


For what it's worth, I don't like carpet in boats. Carpet is comfy and attractive, but it creates problems. Carpet holds water, which promotes rot. This is the case even if the floor is glass. Carpet holds sand and dirt, which can be impossible to get completely out of the weave. The sand gets under the pile and abrades (digs into) the floor finish. Eventually, this can cut through the finish allowing water to seep into the wood. Consider rubber matting instead of carpet, or put rubber backed carpet in the boat - but don't glue it to the floor. The carpet can be removed to dry out & wash. A boat with a glass floor (no carpet) is very practical and easy to wash out if mud gets in the boat. This can even be done while the boat is in use. There are all sorts of attractive options for finish. Gelcoat spatter finish (original) will hold up the best & look great.

My thoughts were to do a variation of the "snap in" carpet jobs, only use industrial velcro strips instead of snaps. (I'm not too keen on screwing anything into the new floor!) An upholstery shop (or friend with a sewing machine?) could "bind the edges" of the carpet, making it looks more "finished"? That way it could be removed for cleaning, drying out, etc. if needed.

Good friendly discussion and input from everyone; that's what makes our forums work!

I am leaning toward the RustOleum Marine Topside paint in a semi-gloss white. Factors in the decision: cost (budget friendly), great reviews, easy of use, responses to this post, easy to touch-up down the road. As far as application, I will need to sand the surfacing wax I used on my last layup and clean the deck/sides with acetone, correct? I plan to use the matching primer. Also, I have read that some add a hardener? Why? Seems like it should not be needed?

I think the deck will look better painted, so I am going to paint it. Orca has not had carpet in the year I have owned her. We picked up a piece of indoor/outdoor charcoal gray on sale at Lowes for $20 and put it over the deck for our trip to the lake this past weekend. It felt really good under bare feet. It will wind up being used with the camper later. My plan with the carpet, as suggested by Bruce, is to use a rubber backing, marine-type.I need such a small amount cost should not be a factor. I like carpet as far as looks, but can't stand the thought of wet carpet on my new deck, much less glued carpet! I am going to try to make it removable for ease of cleaning the deck and cleaning the carpet on a clothesline. I am also looking for a thick, removable rubber mat of some kind that I can use in my battery box/gas tank area.

My boat doesn't sit in the water and is parked under a shelter and covered during the off season. The RustOleum is touted as: UV resistance,gloss retention, durability in extreme weather conditions. It probably wouldn't work on a shrimp boat, but for this application I believe it will be fine. We will see. Will post pictures of the before and after! Thank you everyone, Gina

I agree Mark! No way I am putting screws in this deck! Binding the edges after the carpet is trimmed to fit is a great idea. I am not extending the carpet into the battery box/gas tank area. It is really going to be a small piece.

Rustolium is great paint. That is what I used on the Larson project. All their paints hold up well and go on nice. That Charcoal carpet from Lowes is what I used on the bulkhead of my Dorsett and it seems to be doing good also. It is wise to have the carpet removable so you can shake it out and let it dry.

abrading the finished floor shouldn't be necessary. This is more of an issue when bonding more polyester resin & glass to a finished surface. Paint usually bonds to polyester resin extremely well. I would contact the paint manufacturer for guidlines though.

Bruce--You don't think I will need to remove my wax? That would be great. We have an excellent local paint store in my town that I do a good bit of business with. I will call and ask. Also will try to contact RustOleum.

Update: I called Rustoleum. First off, only had to wait about a minute to talk to a real person! The tech was very helpful. Suggested a light sanding to remove the wax, so no more chemicals or solvents needed. Reminded me that surface prep was the key to a good finish. Advised to use dish-washing liquid to clean everything, allow to dry thoroughly, and start priming. Big thumbs up for customer support!

just for scale here are a couple of $13 dollar Rustoleum paint jobs the first one is the interior of my 1972 Glastron GT160 and the second one is a 16 foot fiberglass canoe i rebuilt .

Just have a go at it with the Rustoleum. I have used it on many boat projects and never had a problem with it. Just make sure you clean the area to be painted really good and it is dry really dry before you paint it. To help in the drying of the paint you can add a couple of oz. of Japan Drier to the paint. It really speeds up the drieing process and helps to make the paint just a bit harder after it dries. You can get it at any paint store or menards, home depot. Comes in a quart can. Nice thing about this paint is that it rolls on easy and lays flat good. Good luck with it.

I like Rustoleum. But I used a good oil based brilliant whit paint inside the MFG and boy do I hate it. Sure it looks nice but it reflects all that wonderful sunshine into my eyes while I'm fishing.

Thanks for posting the pictures. The paint looks great. I am glad I will be breaking up the white with my carpet. Can't imagine being in a boat that has an all white interior. Order the paint yesterday on Amazon 2qts white, 1 qt primer, free shipping=$51.

Allow me to hijack this thread a little bit; I want to get color specific. I am going to be doing the deck on my Glastron in a bright red (I call it hooker's lipstick red). Red has a history of being one of the least stable colors in terms of fading. What is anyone's history with red paints?

Sterling Red on my Skagit $$$$$$ still as bright as the day it was painted (4 years) And I used the Rustolium Red ( with Hardener)on my Larson. I think as long as you don't store it in the direct sunlight it will hold up and survey says Red boats sell the best ?

Red IS very prone to fading, but if you keep it covered and maintain it, you will minimize that. Any dark color is going to have 'issues' with fading and chalking.

The worst problem I had with my red paint was getting good coverage, red tends to be a bit on the transparent side.

Andgott wrote:

Red IS very prone to fading, but if you keep it covered and maintain it, you will minimize that. Any dark color is going to have 'issues' with fading and chalking.

The worst problem I had with my red paint was getting good coverage, red tends to be a bit on the transparent side.

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If red gelcoat is taken care of it will last a VERY long time.

The red gelcoat on our 1960 Glasspar G-3 is ALL ORIGINAL with the exception of a small area on the splashwell. This boat is now FIFTY THREE (53) years old!