Rawlins Paints Blog Industrial Paint Tips, Guidelines & DIY Articles
Follow our 3-step guide below on how to paint over fibreglass for interior and exterior projects, with Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3, Perma-White, and Allcoat products – click here to skip recommended products and to continue reading.
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- Zinsser Paint Over Fibreglass Products – The Benefits
- Step 1. Surface Preparation
- Step 2. Priming
- Step 3. Decoration
- More Information
Zinsser Paint Over Fibreglass Products – The Benefits
Fibreglass can be tough to paint over as it needs to be suitably prepared and primed for topcoats to properly adhere and stick to the surface. Zinsser’s Bulls Eye 1-2-3 is ideal for priming fibreglass as it provides a perfect key for topcoats.
Zinsser listens to contactors and develops new products – or adds features to existing products – to meet their changing needs, delivering world class products that meet “real world” challenges, providing tried and tested solutions to painting problems, such as painting over fibreglass.
Step 1. Surface Preparation
Prepare surfaces by ensuring they are clean and dry, free from anything that can interfere with the application or adhesion of materials and Zinsser products to be applied, removing loose and failing material by scraping or brushing with a stiff bristle brush to a sound edge.
Feather the sound edges with a fine grade abrasive paper, removing all visible signs of organic growth and using Zinsser Mould Killer & Remover to treat areas (in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions) before allowing them to dry.
Step 2. Priming
Use methylated spirit to ensure the surface is free from any contaminants and anything that could interfere with adhesion, frequently changing the cloth, before priming overall with one full coat of Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3.
Apply the primer in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and allow a minimum drying time of 1 hour (in normal drying conditions).
Step 3. Decoration
Decorate interior surfaces with two full coats of Zinsser Perma-White Interior, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, and allow a minimum drying time of two hours between coats.
Zinsser Perma-White Interior is available in Matt, Satin and Semi-Gloss finishes with over 4,000+ colours from RAL, NCS, and British Standard.
For exterior projects, decorate with two full coats of Zinsser AllCoat Exterior in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow a minimum drying time of one hour between coats.
Available in water-based and solvent-based products, Zinsser AllCoat Exterior has Matt, Satin and Gloss finishes in a selection of over 4,000+ colours from RAL, NCS, and British Standard.
More Information
If you require more advice on painting over fibreglass, give our technical team a call on 0113 2455450 (option 2) or send a message to [email protected].
Cleaning, priming, painting.
Can I clear coat after all this?
What brand of clear coat do you recommend?
Hi Douglas,
Thank you very much for getting in touch.
The clear coat we could recommend would depend on the surface to be painted, be it a topdeck of a boat, a flat roof etc. If you could please supply us with some information on this we would be very happy to assist.
I hope this helps and we hope to hear from you soon.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hello,
Im planning on repainting a Santa Sled, fiberglass prop. Would the process be similar to what is stated in above followed by the paint color after priming?
Thank you,
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
Many thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Yes, we would recommend following the above guide when painting a fibreglass substrate.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hi
i want to paint a fibreglass exterior door canopy.
it was previously painted with im not sure, but was flaking off the underside of canopy.
want to spruce it up with fresh white paint.
Can you advise what i need to use.
And what i need to do to prepare for painting.
Regards
Maria
Hi Maria,
Thank you very much for your question and for taking the time to read our blog. For this application we could recommend Kolorbond uPVC Painting Kits. These kits contain all of the products and application tools required to ensure a high quality finish on uPVC.
This includes:
Full application instructions can be found on the product page for Kolorbond uPVC Painting Kits as well as the Product and Safety Data sheets which can be found in the ‘Data Sheets’ tab on each page.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hi, I’m looking to freshen up my fibre glass fronted motorhome. The fibreglass is in generally good condition but is oxidising when left for a couple of months my thoughts are should I use a two pack clearcoat or something else?
Hi Dennis,
Thank you very much for your question. A protective coat on the fibreglass should prevent the oxidisation that is occurring – we would recommend Teamac High Performance Polyurethane Topcoat for this application which is available in clear or a wide range of colours.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
I have a fiberglass headliner from my van. the fabric fell off from the heart. instead of reupholstering it. can I paint it with your primer and paint?
thank you
matt
Hi Matt,
Thank you very much for reading our blog and for your question. For painting the fibreglass surface we would recommend cleaning the surface, abrading it lightly followed by 2 coats of Rust-Oleum CombiColor Multi-Surface in your chosen colour.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Have a fiber glass pedestal outdoor dinner table that has small cracks and no shine. More that 15 years old. Can I just paint it with a gloss outdoor paint.
Hi Dorothy,
Thank you very much for reading our blog and for your question. For this application our Technical Team would recommend using Bradite One Can in Matt or Eggshell.
The surface should first be cleaned, degreased and dusted off. Then apply 1 full coat of Bradite One Can to prime, followed by 2 full coats of Bradite One Can to finish.
Thank you for your patience and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hi there, I have 2 fibreglass garage doors that need repainting from faded red to Black. They are textured so already have a key but would be difficult to sand before painting. Could you recommend a self priming/levelling paint that I could just use and make sure I clean really well beforehand please?
Many thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Many thanks for taking the time to read our blog and for your question. Subject to a compatibility test (assuming this is textured fibreglass and not another coating) once thoroughly cleaned we would recommend applying 2 coats of Zinsser Allcoat Exterior (Water Based) Gloss, Matt or Satin directly to the surface providing temperatures are above 10°C. This method does not require a primer.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
i wish to recoat my fibre glass kitchen roof. it is leaking but no obviously holes. the surface is slightly crazed and the joining lines are showing but not cracked. can i use the suggested paint applications in the original article ?
Hi Nicola,
Thank you very much for taking the time to read our blog and for your question. For the project on your fibreglass roof we would recommend using the Eagle Desmopol Waterproofing Roofing Kits 15 Year Guarantee.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Can I paint my fiberglass well cover. It’s in the middle of my yard and a ugly green
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you very much for your question. For this application we would recommend cleaning, degreasing and abrading the surface followed by two coats of Rust-Oleum Combicolor Multi-Surface.
This will need to be reinstated every year or so, with a light abrade, clean and recoat with Combicolor Multi-Surface as above.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
I would like to paint a fibreglass sculpture that im busy making to look like like bronze. It will need to handle extreme weather Ie. Sun. What sort of coatings are reccomended?
Hi Egon,
Thank you very much for reading our blog and for getting in touch. As the substrate is fibreglass/GRP, we would recommend priming with Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3, followed by Ardenbrite Metallic Paint (Solvent Based) in Old Penny Bronze No. 35 and finishing with Ardenbrite Protective Glaze.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions
Many thanks
Stuart
I have a fiberglass garage door that needs help. it’s old and clearly hasn’t been taken care of. does a fiberglass garage door need any additional prep that what has been stated in the blog?
Hi Debbie,
Thank you very much for your question and for taking the time to read our blog. Our recommendation for this application would be to thoroughly clean and degrease and then lightly abrade the door back to remove loose flaky material and make the substrate sound.
We would then suggest applying two coats of Zinsser Allcoat Exterior Satin (Water Based) directly.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
I have an ugly yellow/faded bath tub. Can I paint to change the color? It is not dirty nor oily but it is shiny.
Hi Kay,
Thank you very much for your question and for taking the time to read our blog. Unfortunately, assuming this is the internal element of the bath, we don’t current stock a product which would be suitable for this application.
Apologies we couldn’t help on this occasion, and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hi, I have faded Rosewood coloured garage doors. Which colour Allcoat exterior satin would you recommend as a match?
Hello Martin,
We offer colour sample sachets in 4,400+ colours so that you can choose an appropriate colour – we recommend buying several shades “either side” of your chosen colour, ie some lighter, other darker, to help decide. Without having seen the doors it wouldn’t be possible for us to suggest a match I’m afraid, though you can use our colour match service to send in a sample of your garage doors.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Kyle.
I would like to paint the fibre glass roof of my motor home
Which paint system would you recommend please ?
Tim
Hi Timothy,
Thank you very much for reading our blog and for getting in touch. Assuming the roof is not completely flat, with no pooling water. We would recommend a 2 pack polyurethane product such as HMG Multi Surface Topcoat.
It is important to make sure the surface is clean and degreased, making sure no algae or lichen is present – it may also be a good idea to wash down the surface with an anti-fungicidal wash to kill any spores that may be present.
Lightly abrade the surface using a scotchbrite pad (green). The substrate needs to be to be clean, free of grease, oil, dust and completely dry prior to application. Following this 2 coats of HMG Multi Surface Topcoat can be applied.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hello: I have two fiberglass planters from the 60s that I sanded and spray painted but the paint is now flaking off and the planters are splotchy as a result. I can follow your recommendations for using Bulls Eye and methylated spirit but is there any other recommendations to ensure that the paint sticks to the surface? thank you so much
Hi Sallie,
Thank you very much for you question and for taking the time to read our blog.
Firstly for this project we would recommend abrading the surface to remove any flaky paint and get back to a sound, feathered edge on anything that stays well adhered.
We would then suggest cleaning the surface using Zinsser Universal Degreaser & Cleaner.
The surface can then be primed using Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 followed by two coats of Zinsser Allcoat Exterior (Water Based) in either Satin, Gloss or Matt finishes.
Please note temperatures must be in excess of 10°C during application and drying.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart
Hello,
The previous owners of my house had the basement waterproofed with the walls being Fiberglass (FRP) white panels. I am currently looking to paint these wall panels a different color but was wanting to know what kind of prep, primer, and paint would you recommend?
Hi Claudia,
Many thanks for taking the time to read our blog and for your question. For this application we would recommend a thorough clean and degrease using Zinsser Universal Degreaser & Cleaner followed by one coat of Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 and two coats of Zinsser Perma-White Interior.
I hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.
Many thanks
Stuart