High-Gloss Clear Varnish for Boats

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A high-gloss clear varnished wooden surface catches everyone's eye. All the more so in the sunlight, when your boat shines like new with a high-gloss clear finish. Futhermore, our high-gloss marine clear varnishes provide optimal protection against the cold, heat, water and sun. Want to buy high-gloss clear varnish? In our shop you will find the right high gloss marine varnish for your boat as well as high gloss clear lacquer for wood from brands such as INTERNATIONAL, EPIFANES, HEMPEL and BOERO.

How do I get a high gloss finish on wood?

- Different high gloss varnishes for different types of wood -

Whether teak, mahogany or cherry - high gloss varnish really brings out the best in fine woods. Unlike wood stain, varnish does not soak into the wood, but forms a protective coating that sits on top of wood and acts as a barrier against environmental influences or impacts. There is a wide range of high gloss clear lacquer for wood on the market. Want to buy clear high gloss varnish and use it correctly? The demands on any high-gloss varnish vary greatly depending on the type of wood and its intended use (on furniture or boats). For example, interior furniture will be much less exposed to the same stresses to which the outside of a boat is subjected. Furthermore, wood types differ in terms of porosity or they contain resins, oils or tannins. SVB offers only high quality products from the brands INTERNATIONAL, EPIFANES, HEMPEL and BOERO for the interior and exterior of boats and for furniture.

Water-based wood varnish dries less quickly than solvent-based varnish. When fully cured, however, water-based varnish is just as resilient and can withstand high demands both indoors and outdoors. Water-based lacquer is more suitable for indoor use because it does not pollute the indoor air with harmful vapours. In addition, tools can be easily cleaned with water after painting. A disadvantage is that any water stains on the substrate remain visible. These have to be covered with a top coat. Some types of lacquer, such as acrylic lacquer, are now also available in water- and solvent-based versions. For outdoor use, experts recommend synthetic resin-based lacquers because they are generally more resistant. Highly exposed or stressed surfaces should also be treated with an impact-resistant PUR lacquer (polyurethane clear lacquer).

High gloss clear lacquer for wood must be matching to the type of wood. For example, light-coloured woods such as birch or maple work well with a transparent varnish. Coated with a high gloss clear coat, the grain of the wood is still visible, giving an elegant look to your boat. Because of its deep pores, some woods such as oak need to be sanded thoroughly and then primed with an undercoat. With highly waxy or oily woods such as teak or iroko (melicia), adhesion may be reduced. Water-soluble wood components, such as in ash, or tannic acid in oak, can cause discolouration. Here, too, PUR varnishes are more suitable. Experts always recommend applying a test coat to determine the colour effect, bonding and drying properties, and a special primer for woods containing resins or that are rich in components.

2K high-gloss clear coat or 1K high-gloss clear coat?

- Two systems with advantages and disadvantages -

Two-component lacquer (2-K high-gloss, 2-part gloss lacquer) and one-component lacquer (1-K lacquer) are so-called reaction lacquers and are very tough and durable. In the curing process, they react with air/moisture or an additional hardener component. With a 1-component varnish the hardener is already added, 2-component varnishes require the hardener to be added shortly before use and thoroughly stirred. 2K paint is more expensive and slightly more complex to process, but it is more scratch-resistant and resistant to chemical influences such as those caused by fuels, oils or light acids and alkalis. It often contains UV absorbers or UV filters.

The disadvantage of 2-component high-gloss varnishes is that the drying time is significantly longer than 1-component high-gloss varnish. At temperatures below 10°C, this type of paint cannot be applied at all because the chemical reaction cannot occur, which leads to drying and curing problems. The maximum working time for most 2-component high-gloss coats is 4 - 5 hours. For this reason, only small areas should be worked on at any one time to prevent the paint from hardening during application. Surfaces must be well prepared for a perfect result, but this is true for all high-gloss lacquers. To do this, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions and directions for use.

How do you put on high-gloss paint?

- Apply a high-gloss finish to boats and furniture in just a few steps -

If you want to put high-gloss paint on wood yourself, you should follow a few important tips. In the end, only patient, clean and precise work will guarantee a perfect end result. Wood stain will bring out the grain of any type of wood. But be careful when varnishing over stain, as you need to match the wood stain with the type of finish that you want to use on your wood. You should also test high-gloss paint first on a more hidden area to make sure you like the look.

Applying high-gloss lacquer to untreated wood requires a smooth and well-filled surface. To do this, first sand the wood with medium-grit sandpaper. Remove the sanding dust and apply the necessary coats of undercoat, depending on the type of wood and porosity. Thinned clear lacquer can be used for this purpose. Apply the first coat a little thinner to avoid bubbles. The other coats can be applied in full. Allow each coat to dry before applying the next (follow the manufacturer's instructions). A roller or brush can be used for application. You can also spray, making sure to thin the lacquer according to the correct ratio.

When applying high-gloss paint, make sure to fill any rough spots in the wood before, as even the smallest marks in the surface will be visible later. After filling, sand the wood surface with medium-grit sandpaper. For the best high-gloss result, sand each layer of filler before applying the next coat. Make the grain size finer and finer, starting from P320 at the beginning to P500 for the last layer. If using an eccentric sander with high-gloss clear lacquer, sand by hand along the grain before applying the last filler coat, otherwise round sanding marks may remain.

Before the final coats can be applied, the surface must be meticulously cleaned of sanding dust. This can be done with a brush, thinner and a special dust cloth. This is followed by two coats of high-gloss clear lacquer. Before applying the second coat, the first coat must dry for about three hours. You shouldn't sand before applying the final coat. Once your high-gloss lacquer has dried and is completely dust-free, the result often already looks pretty good. But if you want the perfect high gloss, don't stop here, start polishing. However, you must allow a drying time of at least three days.

When polishing, wet sanding is the first step. Spray water with washing-up liquid on the surface and gradually sand with P1000, P1500 and P2000 grit. Now begin the first polishing step: First "buff" over the surface with a coarse polish and lambswool pad and then repeat the same with a finer polish and foam pad. You can remove the remaining haze from the polish with a microfibre cloth and then polish out by hand with high-gloss polish.

Can you recoat high-gloss clearcoat?

- Touching up and repairing paint damage -

Chips in your high-gloss varnish or small scratches not only look bad, moisture, dirt or UV light can also penetrate the surface, which can damage the material and increase wear. For this reason, painted surfaces, both indoors and outdoors, should be inspected regularly in order to detect damage at an early stage. Minor paint defects such as a rough surface or hairline cracks can usually be repaired if the substrate is still intact and structurally stable.

Dull or rough paint surfaces on the lacquer can easily be made smooth and shiny again with a polish. This can also be done by a non-professional, provided that the manufacturer's instructions are followed. Even minor repairs to damaged paintwork is no problem with on-board tools. The first step is cleaning: The damaged area must be clean and dry, chipped paint must be carefully removed with a scraper, wire brush or sandpaper - working as gently and over as small an area as possible. However, in the case of more extensive damage, it sometimes makes more sense to renew the entire surface to avoid obvious signs of any repair job.

A professional paint job consists of one surface layer and several materials in several layers. Professionals talk about 'paint systems' and use perfectly coordinated products. After repairing major paint damage (by cleaning, filling, sanding and priming), a new layer of surface paint must be applied. In order to avoid mismatches, it is advisable not to just paint the damaged area, but also to include the surrounding surfaces (e.g. the entire door or bonnet of a car). But be careful, repainting over a previous layer of paint is not easy! If you really want your repair job to be unnoticeable, you should hire a professional. Professionals not only have all the products necessary for a perfect paint job, but are also able to determine which paint to use in case the original paint type is unknown.

Spot repair / smart repair: Some manufacturers offer paints that are suitable for overpainting, which you can also find in the SVB range. A so-called spot repair or smart repair method is used to repair paint damage that is located in the middle of a surface. Overpainting is rarely possible here because it would be obvious to see the transition between the old paint and new paint. A special thinner is used to dissolve the original paint around the damaged area, creating a clean transition. However, this process only works with 2K clear coats.

The damaged area can be treated with a high gloss lacquer out of a spray can. First, the area must be sanded with P120 grit sandpaper, then with P240 and finally with P400. Then the surface is sanded matt with a fine sanding fleece and a little water. Remove grease and dust with silicone remover and then mask off surrounding surfaces with newspaper. Now apply a primer from the spray can in two to three thin coats. After drying, this is sanded with P600 to P800 sandpaper and cleaned again with silicone remover. Now gradually spray on a base coat. The layers must be allowed to dry carefully. Spraying distance is about 20 cm, temperature ideally 20°C. Then follow with a 2K clear lacquer from the spray can. First only a thin mist layer to allow good adhesion for the further two to three coats. Now remove the newspaper from the lacquer before completely dry, and mist the transition very thinly with a mist spray thinner. Now the lacquer layer must dry completely overnight. Finally, wet sand the surface with P2000 sandpaper and then polish to a high gloss finish.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of high-gloss lacquer on boats

- Make your boat shine -

Not only does high-gloss clear varnish look good, it is also particularly smooth, making it difficult for dirt to stick to. However, dust particles and fingerprints can be seen more quickly on high-gloss varnished surfaces. You should also be aware, especially when painting motorboats and sailing yachts, that the sun can be reflected by the smooth surface of the paint and could therefore cause glare. Before you decide to paint your boat with high-gloss clear varnish, you should also think about how your other on-board equipment is painted. A high-gloss varnished boat chair may not be a perfect match to one that is already satin-finished - but experimenting with a mixture of satin-finished and high-gloss surfaces can create an interesting effect.

Related categories: Varnishing accessories

Other helpful products are available from us in other sections on our website, including thinners, protective clothing for boat work and matching painting accessories so that you can paint your boat to perfection!

Customer ratings & reviews

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Gregor H. on 18.03.2024

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CRISTIAN DAN P. on 18.03.2024

Perfect !

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Bostjan K. on 18.03.2024

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