Paint over urethane

Hi guys,

I’ve read a lot about finishing over epoxy with a urethane to protect from UV but if I’m painting the hull, should I apply paint to the epoxy finish and then varnish over that? Or varnish and then paint? Or just paint and then go over it with Clear coat?

I apologize if this has been covered before but I haven’t found anything asking this specific question.

Thanks
Rmh

 

If you are painting over the epoxy there is no need for a clear, or other coating over it.

Just paint the epoxy.

 

Most urethane paints are far more durable and UV resistant than varnishes. If you intend to paint then varnish is contra indicated. If you want to feature wood grain as in old style traditional Gentleman's Runabouts then you will not use paint at all, you will use varnish only. With varnish only, you will anticipate a new varnish job within 6 to 12 months depending on weather conditions. With two or three part urethane paints you can expect adequate protection for many times longer than varnish.

 

Varnish is not designed to be applied over paint. Some paint systems are designed to include a specific clear top coat. Use top coats only over the base it was intended for. Base/clear coat paint systems are usually tricky to apply and intended for professional use. You have been warned. There are many high quality single stage (no clear top coat) which are designed to be applied by non-professionals.