Painting vs. Gelcoat

[Pamela S.]

I would be happy to just rejuvenate the gelcoat on my camper, but I had to repair a good-sized crack on the front street-side corner with new fiberglass cloth. So, obviously the color doesn't match the rest of the camper at this point.

I had assumed that I would have to repaint the entire camper to get a consistent color and a nice, finished look. However, I was browsing the West Marine site, and found that it is possible to buy gelcoat for repairs.

What would be a better approach, spiffing up the old gelcoat, and adding new gelcoat to the repair, or repainting the entire camper?

Based on what I've read on this site, I would use something like Marine Interlux with an extra small, high quality roller if I went the route of repainting.

[Raya]

Hi Pamela,

Assuming the rest of your gelcoat is either in good shape, or can be brought back (compounding or buffing) - and that you like the color - repairing a small area of it will probably be much less work and expense than painting.

Prepping for paint and then doing a good paint job is no small feat. It is a lot of work to do it right, and supplies are expensive. Especially if you use a premium coating, like a two-part LPU (more durable and the gloss is much longer lasting than a one-part paint such as Interlux Brightsides, which is a modified alkyd paint).

Now, that's not to say you shouldn't paint. A good paint job is a wonderful thing. Some high-end boatbuilders are delivering new boats with LPU paint instead of gelcoat right from the get-go. But making a gelcoat repair is going to be much easier and more cost effective, if it is feasible.

(And if you decide to go ahead with a repair we can give you tips.)

Raya

[Pamela S.]

I think I can probably revive the bulk of the gelcoat with poliglow or something. I didn't realize that I might just be able to fix the gelcoat on the repaired area. I thought gelcoat was only applied when the fiberglass was first molded.

[Raya]

Well in a sense you are correct. The trailer is made in a female mold. First gelcoat is sprayed in, and than after that the fiberglass is applied (sprayed chop, or hand laid, or etc.). The gelcoat is mostly a cosmetic thing, but it is part of the molding process.

Gelcoat can be "painted on" or sprayed later, but in my opinion you have then lost the main reason to use gelcoat, and might as well put on something like a good LPU coating (meaning, if you had a bare fiberglass egg with no gelcoat and wanted to coat it, at that point why use gelcoat) (but that is just my opinion and others might have different opinions).

Anyway, the main point is that gelcoat can be patched - it's done on boats all the time.

Raya

[Donna D.]

Too it depends on your expectations when finished. Your trailer is 26 years old. The gelcoat is not a consistent color across the body of the trailer. If you're expecting a perfect match on every patch, you may be disappointed. I would imagine every single patch would need to be judiciously color matched.

[Roy in TO]

A few years back I got some video's from the local library on gelcoat repairs. The interesting thing is that when you colour match gel coat, the colour does not change like paint when setting.

Link to my original post on videos.

I did a quick test while repairing my door using a brush on technique without colour matching and the gelcoat repair has held up.

Ray Massen totally redid his gelcoat. I've poured over Ray Massen's work a number of times to read how he did it. If I was keeping my boler American, I was going to try it.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/boler...ges?msg=5633.3

http://www.artechweb.com/boler.html

http://www.artechweb.com/2005arc.html

If I understand him correctly, the prep work is the same as prepping for painting. Applying the gel coat is about the same as painting, and getting the shine is about the same as restoring an old finish. IF I had a shop to work in and a place to store it, I am positive that is the way I would go. I even found a local supplier of gel coat that does custom colour matches.

[KevinC]

Gel coat is relatively easy to work with. You can spray, roll or brush it on and it can be sanded with superfine wet & dry sandpaper to get the same smooth finish as it comes from the factory. Once it is sanded smooth, buff & polish to bring up the shine.

You may have to tint the gel coat to match the patch are for colour, the closer you come to the surrounding colour, the more invisible that patch will be. The down side is the catalyst that is required to make it harden.

Kevin

[pot roast n kisses]

can any one clarify for me. To "redo" the outside, I mean restore the white shiny exterior of my Burro general steps are thus:

wash and repair fiberglass holes cracks etc.
sand and prime whole unit
apply paint then gel coat? Or apply paint or gel coat?
3-4 coats with sanding in between
polish and shine with wax?

also has anyone done this to the interior?

also I have no garage can this be done out side on a fine day? or do I need to construct or buy a " temp garage"?

thanks K

[John in Michigan]

Karen,

Restoring the exterior gelcoat surface can mean many things including:

- Scrub, wash, wax and polish: good idea to try this first to determine whether the original gelcoat is in good enough condition to rejuvenate.
- If the original gelcoat is not in good enough condition to rejuvenate, either because it is severely damaged (chips, cracks, etc) or worn through to the glass layer, then it can be repaired and then coated with either new gelcoat or paint.
- Much of the work can be done outside in fair weather, however, applying either new gelcoat or paint is easier done under cover.

Restoring the interior gelcoat surfaces can usually be accomplished by cleaning, waxing and polishing, unless its severely damaged.

EDIT: Its my understanding that gelcoat is more difficult to work with than paint. First, matching/coloring gelcoat is usually a DIY task, unless you buy off the shelf colored gelcoat and coat the entire camper, e.g., white. Second, it produces a very hard, rough finish that must be sanded extensively before re-coating. Paint on the other hand is easy to match in paint stores and just requires light sanding between coats.

John

[Nor Cal Mike]

The OP dates back to 2010. It's interesting how some of these can remain in play. Especially when they have relevant questions.

Here is a good comparison of gel coat vs paint by someone who knows a lot about the topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Xw...yP54SQABQBuUte

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Pamela S.

I would be happy to just rejuvenate the gelcoat on my camper, but I had to repair a good-sized crack on the front street-side corner with new fiberglass cloth. So, obviously the color doesn't match the rest of the camper at this point.

I had assumed that I would have to repaint the entire camper to get a consistent color and a nice, finished look. However, I was browsing the West Marine site, and found that it is possible to buy gelcoat for repairs.

What would be a better approach, spiffing up the old gelcoat, and adding new gelcoat to the repair, or repainting the entire camper?

Based on what I've read on this site, I would use something like Marine Interlux with an extra small, high quality roller if I went the route of repainting.

West Marine has a youtube channel. Before you try to make a definitive decision you can watch their gel coat repair video. The best decisions are informed decisions and videos showing what you will be doing when you make a purchase of a product does allow you to make an informed decision.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...0280DD6B1D2331

[rjannunziata]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

A few years back I got some video's from the local library on gelcoat repairs. The interesting thing is that when you colour match gel coat, the colour does not change like paint when setting.

Link to my original post on videos.

I did a quick test while repairing my door using a brush on technique without colour matching and the gelcoat repair has held up.

Ray Massen totally redid his gelcoat. I've poured over Ray Massen's work a number of times to read how he did it. If I was keeping my boler American, I was going to try it.

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If I understand him correctly, the prep work is the same as prepping for painting. Applying the gel coat is about the same as painting, and getting the shine is about the same as restoring an old finish. IF I had a shop to work in and a place to store it, I am positive that is the way I would go. I even found a local supplier of gel coat that does custom colour matches.

Hi,
Can you tell me who did the custom color matching on your gell coat?
Ours is beautiful avocato green.Trillium 1300
thanks,

Rich

[Per Walthinsen]

Our neighbor has a huge tree which the authorities have deemed to be of historical value and therefore we must stand there and wait for it to fall on its own. It sheds generous amounts of brown stuff which makes the spring cleaning a real chore for an old man. It usually degenerates into a resentful round of sandpaper with elbow grease.


I have come to the conclusion that gel coat is too porous and happy to take stains for my liking, so I have started the process of painting with Brightside. If the weather cooperates I will attack the project in earnest, but the contrast between the newly painted gravel shields and the truly awful rest of the gelcoat is eye popping.


I have been practicing the roll-and-tip method of application and already had fitch (badger hair) brushes from an earlier life, so the result so far is acceptable or better.


One characteristic of this paint is that years from now one is supposed to be able to open a new can and not need to color match. This alone would make me happy.

[redbarron55]

Try to avoid painting if possible.
Paint only when you have to.
Thar would include painting with gel coat as well.
When you paint it is critical that you properly prep and prime the surface or you will be creating a future problem.