Request recommendation for houseboat roof recoat person

[ChadHubbard]

HI
I need to have the roof re-coated on my 1986 Waterhouse 14 x 52 houseboat. It is inside an insulated, unheated building in S Indiana. The work can be done inside the building. Can anyone recommend a person or company for this work. I am undecided if I should go with gelcoat or a polyurea coating. At any rate, I am 65 years old and need someone to do it. I can help, but don't think I can do it on my own.

Again, the boat is in inside storage and can be done without concern for the weather.

any recommendations appreciated.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard Chad,...... We're more of a Diy site, rather than a job referral site,.....

Can't help ya find help, But more than glad to offer opinions of what needs doin',.....

Just how bad is the upper deck,..??
Is the upper deck used as a walkin' surface,..?? it is on my houseboat, or atleast the aft 2/3rds,....

I'm hopin' to coat mine with a light blue bed-liner product this comin' Summer,....

 

[ChadHubbard]

Bondo
Thank you for the input. The upper deck is used as a walking surface. Boat has a party top. The deck is not bad, does not have soft spots that I am aware of. Surface is old and has cracks. It has dried all winter in storage and want to seal it before we take it back to the lake. I have read quite a bit on the bed liner material, which I believe is a polyurea product. I don't think I am able to prepare the surface and seal it myself.

 

[ChadHubbard]

Hi All:
Wanted to post a follow-up. I was not successful in finding anyone to recoat our houseboat roof for us. Either we were too far from their business (I am in Seymour, IN) or they did not leave me with any feeling they cared about the quality of the job. So, my wife and I have almost completed the work ourselves. We selected Tuff Coat as the material to use. It is an acrylic and urethane produce with rubuseber embedded for texture. I think it is very similar to Durabak.

It has been a LOT of work. I don't see how this could be done with the boat in the water:
-steam clean with detergent and hot rinse
-use floor sander with 80 grit paper to scuff the deck
-steam clean with detergent, then hot rinse
-clean the gutter edge with an abrasive wheel on a drill all around the edge of the roof
-remove all the railing and party top feet, wire wheel/clean. Reinstall them and seal with 3M 4200
-primer the aluminum feet and gutter edge with metal primer
-primer the top with two coats of primer purchased from Tuff Coat
-(finally) roll on the top coast with the 'special' rollers from Tuff Coat
-Putting 2nd coat of the Tuff Coat on this am. May require 3, we may be applying it a little thin.

It looks good, but I can share in 5 years if it is a good product. I have a few pics, but they really don't show much. I am 66 years old, and did not really want to do this myself, but it looks like it is about done. Maybe it worked out for the best. I at least know that the roof has been redone as recommended by Tuff Coat. NO shortcuts have been taken.

I don't know much about all this, but am happy to discuss my experience if it can help anyone.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Glad yer closin' in on the finish line,....

I bought gator-grip for one project, 'n dura-bark for another, neither of which are done yet,....

Thank you for the update,...