Aquagard AlumiKoat Brushable Antifouling Paint

HOW TO APPLY AQUAGARD ALUMI-KOAT BRUSHABLE ANTIFOULING PAINT

APPLICATION: Brush or Roller

NUMBER OF COATS: 1-2 (Additional coat at waterline)

**Aquagard Alumi-Koat is a copolymer and can benefit from 3 or 4 coats. 

 **Above times are minimum

SAFETY: Antifouling dust can be a major health hazard and you should be wearing a respirator and particulate filter as well as eye and ear protection. Wear sleeves and gloves during application to keep the paint off your skin.

PREPARATION PROCEDURES:

Painted Bottom

• If the paint on the bottom of your boat is flaking, you should get a scraper and remove all loose flakes.
• If the paint on the bottom of your boat is in poor condition, consider using a paint stripper and removing the old layer completely.

Remember: The adhesion of the new paint is only as good as the paint it is being applied over. Watch for signs of adhesion failure.

• If your bottom paint is in good condition, you really only need to sand it a little with 80-grit sandpaper (you can use a finish sander or a random orbital sander), clean it up, tape it off and roll on another coat.

Bare Aluminum

• Clean the hull surface thoroughly with de-waxing solvent and plenty of clean rags.
• Sand the de-waxed hull lightly with 80-grit paper.
• Wipe down the area again to remove all sanding residue.
• Apply 190 Primer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for primer application.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Mixing the Paint

Note: The antifouling in bottom paint is often heavy and will settle to the bottom of your can. Make sure you take the time and effort to properly mix your paint. If the copper isn’t evenly distributed, some areas of your hull will not be protected.

• If you have a pain shaker, run it for at least 5 minutes to get the copper and pigment evenly distributed.
• If you are mixing by hand, keep dredging up the copper off the bottom of the can.
• Each time you add to your roller tray you will want to stir again to ensure consistency.

Applying the Paint

• Fill your paint tray with paint and dip your roller. Roll the paint onto the hull using a short-nap roller cover (usually 3/8 nap).

Note: Don’t add any thinner to the bottom paint unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise. Be sure to stir the paint before refilling the paint tray.

• By the time you work all the way around the hull, many bottom paints will be dry enough to overcoat. Check the specifications on the paint you are using. A second coat is usually recommended and will increase the life of almost any bottom paint; copolymers benefit from 3 or 4 coats.
• No sanding or other prep is needed between coats.

CAUTION: Be sure you leave all zinc anodes unpainted. If you are installing new zincs, make sure you do not paint over their mounting locations. Good electrical contact is essential for zincs to do their job.

Information sourced from the Flexdel Corporation Aquagard Alumi-Koat Technical Data Sheet.