Painting Exterior Window Trim on 1987 GB32

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grandbanksbayfield

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2017
Messages
143
Location
U.S.
Vessel Name
Solvogn
Vessel Make
Grand Banks 32
Our 87 GB32 has what appear to be teak exterior window trim It is in good shape butis breaking down some on the corners, etc. I want to touch it up. the "paint" is very thick and looks like it could be a plastic coating. Is it plastic? In any case, what would be a good touch-up paint?
 
Hard to say what could have been done to a boat that old, but I would guess wood. Drill a small hole in it to find out - you're going to paint it anyway. Any paint would be good for touch up, but to look decent you need to paint the entire frame. My go-to paint was always Awlgrip for my GB. Lasts forever.
 
I redid mine with Awlgrip. Go to my blog, "grandbankschoices" for pictures. I did a total rebuild. PM if you have questions.

Awlgrip has a GB color, and matches perfectly.

If you want to clear them, and I have seen one done that way, it is a whole nother story.

All frames are hand made, mine were hand sawn, then faired with something like Bondo. Very good stuff, it outlasted almost everything else.

To fair the frames and clear them would be doubling the man hours. I did twenty.

Awlgrip will last 15 years. Awlwood at least five. You don't want to do it again.
 
I found Awlgrip's oyster white to be the correct color, especially for an older GB where the gelcoat has bleached to become a little brighter over the years. The system is expensive but it works well. Buy the accelerator with it so you don't have to wait ages for it to dry.
 
Greetings,
Mr. g. IF your frames are teak and clear coated AND you want to paint them, might I strongly suggest you feather out the chips and cracks in the present coating and coat with varnish or Cetol before you put on your paint. You or the next owner may want to go back to "natural" teak at some point and if not sealed, before painting will be VERY difficult to remove/strip any applied paint on the previous bare spots.
 
Sounds to me like the frames are clear coated. If so, I'd use a clear product like Bristol or Interlux Perfection Plus (two part urethanes) to refinish. Very long lasting and tough as opposed to conventional varnish or Cetol. I'm not a fan of painting(versus "varnishing") teak.
 
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The window frames in the earlier Grand Banks could be teak or mahogany.

In a 1979 GB42 I had they were teak finished with varnish.

More commonly, though, they are painted mahogany. More practical!
 
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