2 K polyurethane topside/deck paint life.

[Panache 4]

Getting to the point on my boat restoration where I need to decide on what brand of paint to use. Panache will be spray painted. I have had mixed results with various brands of paint over the years. So much sanding and prep goes into getting a good glossy finish I want it to last. What I would like to know is how many years are you getting from your modern 2 pack polyurethane marine spray/brushing paints before they suffer surface degradation in the form of chalking and loss of gloss. I was thinking of painting the hull a dark blue which would show any early signs of chalking.

Thanks 

[Zozza 351]

I've had a mini rant on this before - you are pretty much stuck with three bands in little 'ole backwater NZ - Altex, International, & Hempels.  There is also Resene's 'Durepox' which I have no tech knowledge of, and some guys know how to get hold of Awlgrip in NZ.

[Ed 151]

Awlgrip is an International product, or at least under the same askonobel umbrella as international

[Priscilla II 445]

I’ve gone with Carbothane for something different this time around.

https://nz.carboline.com/products/product-details/?prod=0859&global=true

[Cheap Transport 77]

The degree of surface degradation, chalking, loss of gloss etc comes down to how much time and effort you're willing to put in in maintenance. It's the same with vehicles and homes. Being in the industry it astounds me how many people will spend a couple of million on a nice beachside home, have it painted professionally, and then do jack sh*t maintenance and wonder why their house looks tired and rundown after 4 or 5 years. Washing your boat/ car / home regularly removes dirt, bird deposits, moss/mould etc all of which contribute to faster degradation of paint. A wash a few times a year will go a long way, a wax and Polish even better. You get out what you put in. A paint system applied to a properly prepared surface and then maintained should easily give 10 years of service.

In terms of dark colours, they'll require a lot more maintenance to keep looking fresh and you're likely to see it last 50-60% of the time a white would last. 

[Frank 166]

My Hull and deck were done with white International Perfection and its approx 15 yrs since the repaint. The "wet Look" is long gone but there is no chalking , I have only ever experienced that when I painted directly over an epoxy undercoat.  Solid colours seem to fade faster particularly anything with red in it.