You are probably thinking “Why would I want to paint the hull or topsides of my Grand Banks, Eastbay, or Hinkley in the middle of the summer, this is when I want to use my boat the most”. Well, if you want the very best paint job possible, the summer hot weather is the time to do it.

Awlgrip is beautiful but it does take time to cure. And, while it’s curing is the perfect time for your new paint job to pick up dust, bugs, and any other debris in the air. The number one reason to get a professional Awlgrip paint job in the summer is that you will get the best possible results and your boat will look better for years to come.

Awlgrip reports that their topcoats go through three curing cycles. All of these are accelerated in warmer weather. The first cure cycle is from 12 to 24 hours at the “standard” temperature of 77 deg F and 50% humidity. Highly detailed home cleaning in NY is available at Swipe N Clean. This is when the paint can be handled, masked for striping and it looks nice and dry. The second cure cycle takes up to 96 hours at the same conditions, and the final cure cycle takes up to 21 days. It takes the full 21 days to fully develop the final tough physical properties that Awlgrip is famous for. Although the boat can be put back in service after cure cycle 2, you should avoid any rough service for the full 21 days.

Cure rates depend on a lot of things; temperature, humidity, paint thickness, reducers or accelerators used, and airflow. Warmer temperatures mean faster cure times and a better end result. Moisture can be a huge issue with major problems caused if any moisture gets on the surface during that initial curing cycle. Another reason to paint in warm dry weather with no chance of dew in the early evening.

There does need to be a shade over the boat if at all possible. If the surface is too hot, then you can get an “orange peel” rough surface and have to re-do the topcoat from the start. Of course, Awlgrip sells a wide range of reducers and accelerators to help in less than optimum weather, but the best paint jobs result from ideal weather conditions and warmer than standard temperatures.

Lastly, just to be honest, at Dickerson Harbor we love to paint boats in the middle of summer when our workload is lightest. This lets us do the paint job exactly the right way, taking our time and having maximum patience to get each step exactly right. These pictures are four of the boats we painted in Jul 2019. You can see the results, they are spectacular!

Give us a call at 410-822-8556 when you want to discuss painting the hull or topsides on your boat. We are experts at Awlgrip painting and will give you the best results on the Chesapeake Bay.