Painting - Need to paint a dock

Hello,

I've just moved into a house on the water and the previous owner had painted the dock. After only a few months the paint is starting to peal. How do I do this right? Do I need to sand blast before putting on new paint? Is there paint designed for this or do I need some form of sealant afterwards??

Thanks!

Welcome to the forums

I'm not sure that I have ever painted a dock - have stained a few. I'm not sure if paint iis a good choice for such a harsh enviroment. Sandblasting is probably not necessarry but removal of all loose paint is.

Whenever I have questions about the best finish to use I usually contact the paint rep at a local paint store.

Not so sure I'd go with sandblasting on wood. Sandblasting can etch wood. A sander might be the better way to go for paint removal on horizontal surface. Countersink all nails or screws. If paint is really peeling, a pressure washer may be effective for blasting off most of the paint and then a hand scraper used for any small areas remaining. There are deck sealants available such as Cabot's.

Wow, second time this weekend I've seen where someone used paint in the wrong place to prep a home for sale.

I don't recall ever seeing a painted dock. Stained, yes. Painted, no.

If you use a pressure washer, use low pressure and a wide nozzle. Sanding is best but will generate a lot of dust and that isn't good for the pond life.

Thanks for the help guys! Here's a pic:

http://www.djcyfer.com/images/side.jpg

And another so you can see the scope of the project:

http://www.djcyfer.com/images/boat.jpg

It's not quite a pond, it's the inner coastal near Clearwater beach FL. There is no speed limit in the channel that runs through the back yard, so often I get 45 foot speed boats doing 70 through here or, large yachts, both of which can create wakes that crash up on the dock. Hence, why the "paint" is peeling at the base first. (I'm kicking myself for not realizing that "paint" should have never been used here!)

Last week I had to jump in to un-wrap a casting net from one of the support poles I had got it snagged on. Eight feet to my right a school of dolphins popped out for some air.... Scared the SH!T out of me, looked like sharks at first glance, they do patrol the area so I'd prefer not to spend any time in there with them ;)

I guess my remaining question is; If I pressure wash off the peeling paint, and scrap what I can, do I need to remove all of the paint? Or can I use a stain of comparable color to redo the entire dock?

Thanks!

Wow...sorry, not supposed to paint a dock
That's a pretty lousy thing to do to the next owner

The proper procedure would be to contact someone about the local regs regarding paint removal on a dock

It may or may not have to be handled in a specific manner