Bittiness, Gritty Paint
What is it and how do I solve it?
When painting your boat, there are a variety of ways that the paint surface can become contaminated by airborne material or debris. Some are difficult to avoid such as pollen floating in, but others can easily be prevented by following some simple guidelines.
How to recognise it
Rounded blisters of various sizes usually no larger than about 3-4 mm diameter. In a few instances they may be quite a lot larger.
Causes and how to prevent them
- New and old brushes or rollers not washed prior to use to remove dust, lint and bits of bristles.
Prevention: Ensure all equipment has been properly cleaned and prepared before use. - Dirty containers used for pouring paint into.
Prevention: Use very clean or new containers. - Dusty rags used for wiping everything down.
Prevention: Use clean, wet cloths. - Dusty floor leads to dust storm when moving around painting.
Prevention: Ensure immediate area is either dust free or wetted with water to hold dust down. - Incorrect choice of clothing.
Prevention: Wear suitable dust free overalls and cover hair with suitable hood / hat. - Surface not cleaned thoroughly after sanding.
Prevention: Carefully clean the surface after sanding. - Airflow blows dust from ceiling, walls and shelves onto the surface. Pollen floats in on air currents. Flying insects land and leave debris.
Prevention: Ensure no draughts can occur.
How to treat it
- Repair will depend on size and extent of the problem. Abrade or completely remove the contaminated layer and recoat e.g. for topcoats, lightly sand the surface with 320-400 paper until surface is smooth and recoat.
- Leave it as is and in some cases the larger bits may be worn down during use.
- Do not try cutting and polishing as that will seriously reduce the product’s ability to retain its initial gloss level.
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