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REPRINT FROM WOODEN BOAT MAGAZINE

LINEAR POLYURETHANE
COATINGS

Are these space-age finishes
right for your boat?

By Doug Templin

Not everyone wants the ultimate high-gloss finish on a boat, and only certain types of wooden boats are successful candidates for a linear polyurethane paint job, yet we think this state-of-the-art coating system deserves some discussion in the pages of Wooden Boat.

"But it’s got to breathe!"
"What has to breathe?"
"The wood," my long-time boat builder friend exclaimed, "The wood has got to breathe!"

Frustrated, I asked my antagonist how he had been convinced that "wood had lungs" and needed to breathe. I had been through this sort of discussion hundreds of times during my many years of linear polyurethane coatings sales, and had momentarily forgotten that there are, indeed, many intelligent people who are skilled, knowledgeable, and curious who, nonetheless, simply cannot imagine applying "plastic" to wood. The common denominator in all their collective objections seems to be that plastic coatings impede the wood’s need to take in and release moisture. My friend James was a staunch supporter of this theory, and it was clear, before the conversation deteriorated further, that I needed to spend more time to make my point to the contrary.

He had just completed a beautiful new boat and had asked for my advice on finishing it, having long appreciated the glossy urethane finish on my own wooden 36’ Angelman Sea Witch ketch, SEA MIST. He, like many of the other skeptics I’ve run into, would think nothing of applying 8-10 coats of varnish on his bright work, or coat after coat of enamel primer and topcoat to achieve a titillating finish, and is even more relaxed nowadays with the application of epoxy coatings, both inboard and outboard, for protection. All of these coatings isolate the wood from the environment to the degree that the coating films are very impermeable to the transmission of water vapor and/or actual moisture, and yet James and many other builders still differentiate these applications from the newer urethane systems, as far as moisture exchange is concerned.

Nicely varnished trim on a wooden boat prevents that wood, for all practical purposes, from having any contact with water vapor or moisture. That is why such trim can maintain its beautiful looks season after season, as long as the varnish film is maintained. We all know what happens, however, when it wears too thin or a break occurs – at a loose scarf joint, for example. The water gains entry through the wood’s end grain, and very soon the wood becomes moist and discolored. This oft-seen occurrence should quickly illustrate how well even a varnish film obstructs moisture transmission when it is intact.

A urethane film over wood, applied over a substantial buildup of epoxy primer, does the same thing. It helps isolate the wood from its environment, preventing water vapor and moisture from contacting the wood. These new polymers do an even better job of isolation that that performed by traditional finishes, owing to their very dense, chemically cross-linked structure and the very substantial adhesive forces between coats, compared to enamels and enamel primers. This all results in fewer and smaller spaces between pigment particles, fillers, and resin molecules, in turn offering greater obstruction to the movement of water molecules.

As James could see, my wooden boat looks beautiful with her urethane system; I’ve done two applications over the course of 10 years (now 20 years and 4 paint jobs).  The first was still looking gorgeous and glossy after five years and could have gone longer, but because I’m in the business and SEA MIST is a showpiece, I treated her to a second application. SEA MIST met the criteria for a urethane system – dry wood, tight joints, and no flexing – and her urethane system was properly applied and has been carefully maintained. Though the initial cost was higher than it would be for a traditional yacht enamel finish, the urethane has lasted far, far longer and has always kept its stunning gloss and color. Clear linear polyurethane can armor-guard varnish on a boat’s exterior, enhancing the effect of varnish and greatly prolonging its life, and can be put to good use below decks, too.

Urethane chemistry, now a 20-year-old science, still represents state-of-the-art technology, since little has come down the pike in the interim to improve much on the more advanced systems.

When first conceived, the early two-component urethanes were soon found to be durable, chemical-and-abrasion resistant, color-retentive, and long-lasting. The coatings were quickly taken up by the aviation market, where corrosion protection was critical, aesthetics were important, and the cost of recoating was so high. They proved successful in that market and quickly branched onward to the marine field for the same reasons. The automotive, truck, and industrial markets soon followed suit, accepting the higher cost of urethane coatings because of their long life expectancy and durability, and today, we see an endless array of other industrial applications.

The chemistry involved in urethane curing is relatively simple. It consists of a reaction between two materials: one we call isocyanate; the other a polyol. The isocyanate is composed of chemical groups containing a nitrogen, a carbon, and an oxygen atom, unusually bonded to be very chemically reactive. The isocyanate chemistry was developed in Germany by the Bayer Company (the aspirin folks), who subsequently licensed Monsanto in the United States to produce the product to their formulation, later purchasing their interests and creating a domestic company, Mobay Chemical, which still produces the purest and highest-technology isocyanates available.

A great deal of improvement has occurred over the years, making  isocyanates less volatile and much safer to use, with better performance properties. Though the word isocyanate has a nasty twang, it has no relationship to cyanide, the common poison, but it is a respiratory irritant. (The solvents used with urethanes, however, are toxic.)

The polyol component of a urethane is usually a high molecular weight alcohol containing the pigments, flow agents, fillers, and other miscellaneous ingredients, commonly called the color base. The polyol is loaded with reactive hydroxyl (OH) groups, the same hydroxyl that is found in the water molecule (H [OH]).  They are, however, most reactive in the types of polyols used for urethane chemistry, and their greater availability increases the number of reactions that can take place with the isocyanate component, forming a denser cross-link meshwork when the components are mixed.

There are as many polyols as there are coating companies, each having been designed to service a specific purpose or a fairly narrow marketplace. Some are designed for economy, some for resistance to temperature or chemicals; others are designed for heavy film thickness or corrosion protection; and the ones we use in the marine field are built for high initial gloss and long-term gloss retention.

Let’s take a closer look at the urethanes that are designed for marine applications. Some of the differences come from the two types of polyols that are used: those containing acrylic resin, and those with a polyester "backbone." The acrylic systems are generally referred to as modified urethanes, while the polyester systems are usually regarded as "pure." It is the resin which provides the structural backbone and helps characterize what the ultimate film will or will not do.

Acrylic resin-based systems are generally designed for quick drying, a fairly hard surface, and the ability to be buffed. They are more vulnerable to heat and chemicals, but they dominate the auto and transportation industries, where the buffable feature is so important. The acrylic systems are usually not as elastic or abrasion resistant as their polyester counterparts.

Dupont’s Imron dominated the acrylic-modified systems available to the transportation industry, and they are certainly the leading such system in the marine field. But in high-corrosion elements and in the Southern latitudes, Imron does not seem to demonstrate as much gloss and color retention as the high-quality polyester systems do. Because there are polyester-modified systems with better elasticity, I think Imron is better suited to metal or fiberglass boats than it is to wooden boats. Its use is also limited by the fact that it is not satisfactorily brushable.

The polyester systems are found more frequently in the jet aircraft industry, where high solvent resistance and elasticity are mandatory. The dominant polyester coatings on the market are manufactured by the Sterling Lacquer and Chemical Manufacturing Company (the Sterling System); U.S. Paint (Awlgrip); International Paint Company (Interthane), and Koppers Company (Z-Spar). These systems, all polyester "backboned," are quite different from one another, even though the ultimate performance properties can be considered rather similar. Each has a brushing system that has received fairly wide attention in recent years.

Stories about coating systems seem to run the gamut – we’ve all heard and seen success stories and disasters, often about the same coating system! Naturally enough, everyone would like to end up with a successful boat finish, and there are some very important preliminary considerations that will help the job turn out well.

Dry Wood – Urethane coatings are only appropriate for wood that is uniformly dry and has reached equilibrium with the environment. There should be no manifestations of excess moisture, such as blistering or bubbling paint. If enamel paint only lasts one season on a boat, wet wood could be the culprit – and you won’t have success with a urethane finish, either.

Any healthy, properly dried, dimensionally stable wood is an appropriate candidate for polyurethane, although we have the most success with hardwoods. Problems can be experienced with woods such as "pissin’ pine,"  (fir and redwood, too)  because it continually bleeds sap from its many knots.

No Flexing – If your boat has a hull or deckhouse where there is a good deal of shear movement between planks, you shouldn’t use urethanes on those areas. The older the boat, the looser it is likely to be and the more plank movement is to be expected along its seams. This can happen from the stresses imposed by driving in a seaway, or it can simply result as the boat is moved from very hot to very cold climates, very wet to very dry environments, and vice versa.

Any hull whose seams have worked in the past is sure to do the same whether a urethane or an oil-based coating has been applied, shortening the life expectancy of the finish. When cracks or breaks develop in the coating, it begins to lose its integrity, water gets under the coating, and it’s no longer doing its job. If you want to get maximum life out of a urethane system, you should only apply it to a wooden boat that does not flex – a well-built plank-on-frame boat in top condition, a strip-planked boat with glued seams, a plywood boat, a cold-molded boat, or one that has been sheathed with fiberglass.

Grooved seams, left exposed and sealed with a flexible caulking, offer the best accommodation for expected occasional shear movement on even the tightest of hulls. Not all boat owners will find grooved seams aesthetically pleasing, however, and once the grooves are cut on the plank edges, they’re there for good. But these V-grooves mask incipient tiny seam cracks through the coating, being far less visible than they would be on a hull with flush seams. Polyseamseal, a single-component, water-soluble latex caulk, is an ideal material to finish off these seams. A light bead of this quick-drying caulk is applied along each groove, and a wet fingertip is used to make a smooth, concave bead below flush. The excess is wiped off the already-sanded planks with a damp cloth, leaving a very thin meniscus to cover the seams. Don’t sand it afterwards; this will tear the bead.

This product is also ideal for running small beads along bulkheads and bulwarks, beneath railcaps, along trim moldings, or anywhere there is a possibility of joint movements. Creating a small radius in such areas, the day before the urethane topcoat is applied, allows for the greatest possible flexibility of the film.  (Run neat tapelines along joint to be caulked, press the bead into the corner, pull tape immediately to create clean edges.)

Tight Joints – A wooden boat should be closely monitored to be sure all butt joints, scarves, seams, and cracks are sealed tightly to prevent the entry of water into structural members, where it can work its way along interspaces and within the wood grain. Nothing destroys a finish faster, and it’s not uncommon for this to be overlooked by the naïve wooden boat owner – who will eventually discover troublesome and unsightly blistering and bubbling of the coating film in areas where the moisture comes to the surface. A polymer film is no more resistant to this than an oil-based enamel; in fact, it may be more vulnerable, because entrapped moisture working its way to the surface will not pass through the more impermeable polymer film as readily as it would through the more impermeable polymer film as readily as it would through a less dense enamel coating. It tends, therefore, to push the film off the surface instead, forming a blister.

Urethane and epoxy coatings generally have more toxic ingredients in them than traditional enamels do, but you should beware of the enamels, too, since as they become more sophisticated, they use primers and thinners that contain solvents that are every bit as toxic to breathe or get on the skin as those commonly found in urethane systems. Epoxies, as we all know, have many ingredients that can cause dermatological sensitivity and other reactions. They should be kept off the skin, and good respiratory protection should be used – fresh activated charcoal filters on a tight-fitting mask are a minimum.

The isocyanate component in a urethane system is aerosolized during spray application and finds its way quickly into your lungs. It is less toxic during brush application, because its high molecular weight keeps the molecules from evaporating.  But whether you’re brushing or spraying, you’ll be exposed to the strong, toxic solvents in the system, which evaporate rapidly and head for the lungs.

If you’re working outside in the fresh air, fresh activated-charcoal filters on a tight-fitting respirator mask will give you protection at a minimum. If you wear a beard, you should know that it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to get an airtight fit, and therefore adequate protection from this kind of respirator mask. If you’re spraying in closed quarters, if you have a beard, or if you want more reliable protection, you should use a positive-pressure fresh-air supply respirator. The respirator and gloves should always be worn when you’re mixing, applying, or cleaning up these chemical products. If you can taste or smell the products at any time, your exposure is dangerous and should be corrected. Be sure you read the Material Safety Data Sheets (available from your supplier) for any chemical products you use; don’t just read the back of the can!

My business manufacturers, markets, and distributes adhesives, sealants, and coatings, so I’ve had experience with a wide variety of products. And I’ve had time to develop a personal bias, to which I freely admit. The application instructions which follow are geared toward the Sterling Company’s products, one of the coating systems which my company handles and with which I’ve had a great deal of experience. I happen to like the Sterling urethane system, and although I know a case can be argued for the other good urethane systems on the market, I’m going to limit my practical advice to this one system.

I’ve had experience with both spray and brush applications; in fact, I use both on my boat. I don’t recommend a spray application to anyone who hasn’t already developed some expertise with spray painting techniques. But I’ve found the Sterling brushing system to be unusually user-friendly, and generally the results for anyone experienced in brushing enamel are better than the applicator expected.

The urethane system is a thin, tough, very glossy coating – either colored or clear – that will only look its best if it is applied over a perfectly smooth surface. Even the most minute scratches and hairline scratches will show through this film. So surface preparation is every bit as critical as proper application, and the steps for a colored topcoat are different from those for a clear finish.

If a boat’s enamel paint is intact and in good condition, it can work very well as an undercoat for the Sterling urethane system and need only be sanded with 180-grit paper, glazed, and primed with U-1000 (now easier with 94U-1000) primer before topcoat application. You should be very discriminating about the existing paint job, however. If the enamel paint is not in good condition, you will have much better results with "wooding" the boat and starting from there.

There are two widely accepted methods of surface preparation, both involving epoxies over bare wood. The first option is to use, for a sheathing, grain-filling function, any good-quality, moisture-resisted unfilled epoxy resin, such as  WEST.  Two or three coats may be thinned with solvent (use Sterling C-8762) about 10% and applied with a roller, rough sanded, and cleansed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, to serve as a base for subsequently applied primers.

As an alternative, a product like Sterling U-2555 (now easier with U- 4749) High Build epoxy primer can be applied directly over the bare wood, in several applications by brush, roller, or spray (if you have the equipment and expertise), until sufficient coating thickness has been achieved so that the low spots can be brought up to the highs in the sanding process. This primer should be allowed to stand or pre-react after mixing for up to one hour before application. The high-build epoxies are very tough and harder to sand, but they help strengthen the wood and reduce its vulnerability to dings and scratches later. Do not be duped into using a high-build primer that’s easy to sand, because it won’t have enough impact resistance. Remember, easy sanding means easy dents; hard sanding gives you the best resilience.

If rolled, the high-build epoxy primer goes on with a noticeable stipple that is more difficult to sand flush. Going around the hull several times with spray here is a great timesaver because the primer levels itself, building the coats more quickly.

Once an effective barrier coating has been applied to the wood – and it is best done with epoxies – some fairing might be in order. If so, a putty can be made up using epoxy resin, adding a low density filler like phenolic micro balloons or Microlight™ and applied with a stiff blade.  A factory-made fairing compound of low density, such as Sterling U-2706 (or U-4870), may also be used.

When the faired surfaces have been board-sanded, smoothed, and all major low spots filled, the broken surface must be loaded with High-Build primer again so that the open cells of the hollow spheres exposed during the sanding process can be filled above flush. After brush, roller, or spray application, and drying, it’s sanded to the 100 grit stage.

Epoxy primers contain solvents that assist their flow and, as the system cures, evaporate from the drying film. As the solvents leave the surface, the film shrinks, and will continue to do so until it is completely free of solvents. Do not be too quick, therefore, particularly in cold weather, to sand a heavily built-up primer surface, particularly if numerous coats have been applied, before each one has had a chance to thoroughly release the solvent.

Finely filled epoxy putty, such as Interlux Red Hand™ may be used to glaze out the remaining wood pores and nominal scratches, and the surface is then taken to a 150-180 grit profile.

Lacquer (acrylic) glazes are often used instead for the very finest in defect filling. They aren’t recommended by the coating companies, but they work reasonably well – although they should always be allowed to dry overnight to prevent shrinkage and, ideally, should be spot-primed.

I don’t recommend using a polyester putty such as Bondo™ for glazing on a wooden boat. Polyester resin is a water-attractive material, and these putties are very porous with substantial solvent in their makeup; they tend to shrink or swell later with ambient moisture changes.

You’re not ready yet. Now it’s time for a finish-sanding surfacer. I like using the Sterling U-1000 (now easier with 94U-1000) primer for this, thinned appropriately for brush, roller, or spray application. A quick-drying urethane, it is quite elastic, demonstrates excellent adhesion on all substrates, and has beautiful sanding qualities. It should be applied in a smooth film, appropriate for finish sanding to 220 grit.

After finish sanding, a close survey of the film with one’s fingertips should reveal no palpable defects – a perfect surface for a perfect finish.

Now you’re ready! The color base is mixed 2:1 with the U-2964 brushing catalyst, and, generally, small amounts of the U-2900 accelerator are used to speed drying of the film so that it behaves much like a good enamel. Accelerator also helps prevent blushing of the gloss, something that can occur if moisture falls on it before it is sufficiently cured, in exterior applications.

After mixing, allow a pre-reaction or induction period of 30-45 minutes to provide time for the early formation of polymer structures and to help the film behave more predictably when spread thin.

After this induction period, brushing thinner (U-2965 or variants, depending upon climate conditions) is added at a rate of about 25% of the catalyzed mixture. It is important to reduce the paint’s viscosity, or it is guaranteed not to flow as desired. Too much thinning, however, will prevent proper coating thickness from developing and could reduce long-term gloss retention.

Use a good quality brush – not necessarily the most expensive, but a bristle/oxhair combination brush such as the Corona "Europa," Redtree, Linzer, or even the more expensive Hamiltons, if you wish. Have enough on hand, because you’ll probably go through quite a few. Brushes need to be thoroughly cleaned immediately  (with MEK or acetone) after use, then rinsed, wire brushed or combed to remove all traces of cured material, and squeezed again several times with clean thinner. Usually a brush will not be clean enough to use for topcoat application after two days’ usage because of cured material in the heel of the brush, and should be relegated to primer application.

On large surfaces, such as powerboat cabin sides and hulls, we’ve found that low-nap foam roller sleeves, phenolic-coated to prevent solvent intrusion, are ideal for applying the urethane. The painter or co-applicator creates the initial wet line with the roller by going from top edge to bottom edge in, say, a section about 1’ to 18" wide, wetting the roller moderately and pushing the material into a thin film. The brusher follows immediately behind, tipping the film two or three times in vertical and horizontal directions. Some applicators swear by a final vertical tipping, since fewer sags and runs are thus produced; others follow the more traditional method of sweeping the brush with the sheer on the last pass. I’ve found that sags are more easily prevented by tipping the last time in a vertical pattern. Thinner may be added as the job progresses, anytime the coating feels sluggish, just as one would do with a brushing enamel.

(A second coat should be applied the next day...no surface preparation being required.)

If the system is to be sprayed, the color base is catalyzed 1:1 with the U-1001C spray catalyst, accelerated as necessary, and allowed to pre-react. The mixture is then thinned about 25-30% with the thinner selected for the day’s climate conditions.

The first pass over the work for the tack coat should show a nice gloss and should not be "fogged." Just enough coating should be applied so that the film stretches into a nice, reflective surface. (Many other products, when applied this heavily on the first pass, will quickly sag.)

The first pass is allowed to become touch-dry (one-half hour to one hour), and then a wet coat is applied, once again with enough material so that the surface stretches into a nice gloss within a few minutes after application. These two spray passes generally create sufficient coating thickness.

Accent stripes may be applied as soon as the film is hard enough to mask (wait at least overnight, or longer in cooler temperatures). If the film has dried more than 36 hours, areas to be coated should be lightly sanded first.

Cleanup is easy with MEK solvent; remember to wear your gloves and respirator.

We’ve had lots of experience applying clear linear polyurethane under all sorts of conditions, and my instructions include some important basics, learned from years of experimentation and lots of failures.

Just as with a colored topcoat, we have the same concerns about creating an intact film over dry, non-flexing surfaces. But with a clear coating, we also have to consider the effects of the sun on wood. It is best to apply urethane over a well-built-up coating of varnish. The amber-colored particles and ultraviolet barriers in varnish protect the wood from degradation. By itself, varnish is a relatively soft, easily-scratched surface which goes dull quite quickly from exposure to sunshine. But the clear urethane is hard, brilliantly glossy, and very scratch resistant. It will protect the varnish and produce an excellent combination of benefits. We have seen this package outlast varnish by a factor of four to five – or more – time and time again, in Florida, Southern California, and in the tropics.

After the varnish has been built to sufficient coating thickness to produce a defect-free surface – usually eight coats or so – allow the last coat to dry hard, sand to 220 grit, and then apply two to three coats of clear Sterling urethane, preferably one coat a day over successive days. Sand between coats only enough to remove dust spots and minor surface defects; the film is vulnerable to chemical intrusion for at least 36 hours after application, making it unnecessary to do a thorough sanding as long as reapplication occurs within that period. But a very thorough sanding to remove all gloss will be necessary if the film dries for more than two days.

We’ve had excellent luck applying clear Sterling in this fashion over teak, mahogany, oak, spruce, pine, cedar, rosewood, padouk, ironbark, ash, and many other woods. Below decks, in the absence of ultraviolet exposure, clear Sterling may be applied directly over bare wood and is a great way to "armor-plate" floorboards, lockers, galley surfaces, and any other areas that take a lot of wear and tear, for it is nearly indestructible.

Because there’s nothing easier to keep clean than a high-gloss urethane surface, we’ve tried it – with great success – in the bilges, on the engine, and on brass for an easy-to-clean shiny surface. It’s also been found to be a good protective coating over clear epoxy resin in cold-molded construction, since it reduces sun-induced oxidation and chalking.

Maintenance of a linear polyurethane coating is easy – simply wash with soap and water from time to time. Stubborn grease, oil, and paint transfers on your topsides from other boats, buoys and docks can be easily removed with strong solvents without injuring the Sterling film.

Keep a sharp eye out for any cracks or breaches in the coated surface where water could gain access, and repair them immediately. Remember, you don’t want moisture to creep under the film.

After a painstaking paint job, the inevitable usually happens – an errant buoy, a side tie by a careless skipper, a wild billfish, or even a blister will cause that "Ferrari fender" look to move from the limelight.

A small scratch or chip can easily be touched up by mixing a small quantity of the color base and catalyst. Allow it to sit after mixing for an hour, so that it thickens up considerably. Then use a small brush to fill the spot and, if necessary, repeat the process several times to build the depression up to flush.

Larger scratches can be repaired professionally with spray techniques so that they are hardly visible. After repairs to the area have been made, preferably with epoxy putty, and the area has been masked, a very light spray film of primer can be applied, finish sanded, and the area then top coated by spray. By not moving the wet line all the way to the masking paper, an unsightly masking line is eliminated. After a few days’ drying, the dry spray at the edge of the repaired area may be lightly sanded with 1500 grit, wet or dry, then buffed with a very fine rubbing compound and, lastly, buffed with polish (such as 3M Finesse It II) for an almost perfect repair.

The boat owner himself can do a spot repair with brush techniques; the result will be as good as the same kind of repair to an enamel paint job, but not as invisible as the professional method just described. I’ve had the best results by dry-brushing at the perimeter of the repair to bring the newly applied coating as close to flush as possible. If done correctly, such patches are difficult to see from a few feet back.

Most linear polyurethane coatings cost from around $200 to $250 per catalyzed gallon, while the primers, depending upon quality and type, can cost from $125 to $160 per gallon. This boils down to a cost per square foot of around 75 cents for brushing and $1.00 for spray (the difference is because of over spray – paint that does not land on the surface). Enamels, by contrast, can be purchased at about less than half the cost if one uses a medium-grade marine enamel, or nearly as much, with a high-quality import.

Given a proper boat, with proper preparation, application, and post-application monitoring, a polyurethane application is certainly capable of enduring three to five years’ service or more. Through this period, the coating will be easier to clean and more scratch and abrasion resistant than an enamel coating. It will shed soils, oils, and fuel stains far better, and the colors will stay brighter and more vibrant. The tradeoff for twice the price at the time of application, then, turns into a payoff after the second year, just on the cost of materials alone.

We all know how labor-intensive any haulout and coating project can be, so after the second year, one really saves money on the urethane system. It is little extra work to brush or spray a urethane primer over a solid enamel substrate and then apply the topcoat, than it would be for an enamel system. Starting from scratch, from bare wood, is unquestionably more expensive, but since the boat should have to be painted only once or twice over a 10-year period, it is easy to visualize the savings. Don’t be shocked, therefore, by the initial expense of materials without considering the service they are capable of providing.

The combination of wood and urethanes can be a winning one. The result can be absolutely stunning and should far outlast a traditional yacht enamel finish. Now you’ve heard my argument for putting "plastic" on wood.

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