Epoxy paint question

I was wondering if I could use some Valspar basement floor epoxy paint to go over the seams and rivets in the bottom of my boat. It is a 2 part epoxy paint that is supposed to be waterproof and strong. My parents painted their garage floor with it and have an unopened gallon left over. Would this work or would I be wasting my time?

Johnzsmith said:

I was wondering if I could use some Valspar basement floor epoxy paint to go over the seams and rivets in the bottom of my boat. It is a 2 part epoxy paint that is supposed to be waterproof and strong. My parents painted their garage floor with it and have an unopened gallon left over. Would this work or would I be wasting my time?

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FOR A COVERING ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOAT IT WOULD WORK FINE, ITS DURABLE. TO STOP LEAKS....ID SAY DONT WASTE YOUR TIME.

I was hoping for more than one other opinion on the matter, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.

Shawnfish: Why do you think it will not work to stop any leaks? Have you used something like this before? Or are you just guessing?

Thanks.

The epoxy you are talking about will work as a waterproofer, but the problem lies in whether it will adhere to unprimed aluminum. If the aluminium is primed, even better etched primed, then it will work. Does the epoxy say it can be used on smooth finished concrete? It may already have something in it to allow it to stick to smooth surfaces.

This is more of what I was looking for. Not because it agrees with my line of thought, but because it appears informed. I have some self etching primer, so that should not be an issue, but I will be sure to check the can. Thanks!

As a professional painter, my main concern in addition to adhesion to the aluminum would be the floor epoxy's ability to flex/stretch when the hull expands and contracts, as I'm sure a boat hull "moves" a lot more than a concrete floor. Personally if it were me, I would go with a product that has proven itself suitable for the application. When you figure in cleaning, surface prep, primer if you need it, and application time, spending the $ for paint is the easiest part! JMHO

Catmansteve, flex is my biggest concern as well. I think it will flex enough for just painting the seams and rivets though. Obviously I am not 100% sure on that but I am willing to find out. It's not as if I am actively trying to patch leaks with it, just using it as a bit of extra piece of mind.

Johnzsmith said:

Catmansteve, flex is my biggest concern as well. I think it will flex enough for just painting the seams and rivets though. Obviously I am not 100% sure on that but I am willing to find out. It's not as if I am actively trying to patch leaks with it, just using it as a bit of extra piece of mind.

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you're saving a max of about $73 (cost of steelflex) with the very real possibility of having literally dozens of hours of work to redo it right if the stuff you have doesn't work. don't you value your time? at all?

if you are dead set on using that epoxy, you should do a small scale test before you put it on a whole boat.

acabtp said:

Johnzsmith said:

if you are dead set on using that epoxy, you should do a small scale test before you put it on a whole boat.

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Johnzsmith said:

Catmansteve, flex is my biggest concern as well. I think it will flex enough for just painting the seams and rivets though. Obviously I am not 100% sure on that but I am willing to find out. It's not as if I am actively trying to patch leaks with it, just using it as a bit of extra piece of mind.

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I'm not trying to discourage you from using the floor epoxy, I'm just pointing out that you will have the same amount of time and effort in the job as if you had used Steelflex or something similar... If you choose to use it, I hope it performs how you want, I'm just saying the product hasn't been proven for the application, so you're taking a chance by trying it

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the interesting discussion on my topic. This is what I was looking for when I first posted. Secondly, I would like everyone to know that if I do attempt this I WILL be doing a test area first. My only real concern is how flexible it will be. After all, it is a commercial grade epoxy paint. Wear and waterproof - ness are the least of my concerns. I have some thin tin sheeting that I can brush it on and flex the hell out of it. That should give me an idea of what to look for I think. Thanks again guys!

Post before/during/after flex pics of your test piece, if you can..This question is sure to come up again!