HELP!

Coatings for Immersion Application and Use

by: Progressive Epoxy (industrial site)

and Progressive Epoxy (marine site)

Lots of different kinds of coatings and paints can protect your belongings and projects, but when it comes time to coat something that will live underwater (such as the sides of a swimming pool, a boat bottom, the inside of a fountain), the selection options disappear quickly.

I can think of 4 approved products:

swimming pool paint (whatever that is! - I don't really know much about it - I have never had a swimming pool)

epoxy paints - our business! - all epoxies are OK for underwater use. Some can even be applied underwater.

marine anti-fouling bottom paint - used to control marine growth on boat bottoms. Another topic I will confuse ignorance on.

vinyl esters - Yet another class of coatings I know nothing about except they have lots of solvents and seem to be used less and less.

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There are other products that we sell that have been successfully used by myself and/or our customers for underwater immersion use although they aren't necessarily officially approved for that use. Use them at your own risk. All I can say is that they seem to work underwater without problem.

Aluthane - our aluminum filled, moisture cured urethane. A favorite product of mine. Commercially it is used on bridges etc. so it sort of is an immersion coating. Anyway my tests and boat bottoms and misc. other objects coated and left underwater have all been successful. The product has its own web site. More on Aluthane CLICK HERE.

Acrylic Poly UV Plus - this is our 2 part clear polyurethane with max amount of UV blockers and absorbers. Urethanes are not suppose to work underwater, but this one (unoffically) seems to fine. We had an engineer boil a sample of it every day for 3 weeks. I keep a panel of it soaking in my hot tub. No problems. Find in our Industrial catalog or in our marine catalog.

Knowledge is Power - We like informed consumers!

Learn the basics of epoxy at our educational EPOXY 101 page - Click Here.

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by: Progressive Epoxy (industrial site)

and Progressive Epoxy (marine site)