Best paint for inside hull surfaces?

[sneuman]

I have a number of cubby holes, etc. that need to be cleaned (i.e., de-mildewed) and then painted. What brand of paint I use is less important than what type, I think. Would enamel be best?

[Pblais]

Would enamel be best?

Epoxy would be better. Consider if you got mildew again. Odds are you could get it. Even an oil based enamel finsh can be damaged from mildew.

A one part epoxy paint I would think would be good enough for non UV applications. In the end, the cost is a bit more but you'll spend a lot of time and money doing all the prep work cleaning and priming no matter what paint you use. It would be nice if you got a bit of mildew down the road you could just clean it up and not have to do this again.

Interior home bathroom paints add a anti microbe growth agent to reduce the mildew problem, but it does not last forever nor works perfectly. On a boat it would be a joke.

[GordMay]

After a thorough cleansing (thorough mold kill and removal*) of the surfaces to be painted, use a Mold & Mildew-Proof Paint, or one to which your local paint retailer has mixed in a Mildicide.

* After the killing of all visible surface mold, the next step is to remove and to clean off as much surface mold growth, mold stains, and mold odors as possible. Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold - it must also be removed.

[Boracay]

If you are getting mildew then your first line of defense is to make sure that there is good ventilation and all water drains freely to the bottom of the boat.

Then make sure there is no sugar (wood?) for the fungus to grow on.

Originally Posted by sneuman

I have a number of cubby holes, etc. that need to be cleaned (i.e., de-mildewed) and then painted. What brand of paint I use is less important than what type, I think. Would enamel be best?

Interlux Bilgekote might work. It is tough (intended for painting bilges), oil and water resistant. I havent used it myself (yet) but this is what the guys in the local yard like to use. It is an enamel.

But it only comes in two colors. Grey and White.

[Alan Wheeler]

NEVER EVER use water based Acrylics!!!
Enamels are good all round paints. Polyurathanes are better at scratch resistance. Two pot poly's are hard wearing and scratch resistant. Notice a trend here. The better the paint, the more expensive it is.
International has a single pot polyurathane that has teflon in it. This is an excellent paint for cabinets and shelves as it is hard wearing and easy to clean. It's a nice paint to apply.

[Trim50]

Here is what I use:
McMaster-Carr

Epoxy Paint Grey 7829T3 $64.69 gallon

This stuff is as tough as nails.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Boracay

If you are getting mildew then your first line of defense is to make sure that there is good ventilation and all water drains freely to the bottom of the boat.

Then make sure there is no sugar (wood?) for the fungus to grow on.

Amen to this. In the past I have set up my solar panels through a Flex-charge regulator with a funtion on it that diverts excess voltage to computor fans distributed around the boat (dorades, mushromm vents, engine room, ect.). Every 1/2 hour or so, the fans would run for a few minutes. Since I had done this the mold situation came to a screaming halt. You could smell the difference upon entering the boat. Or maybe I was doing my laundry more often.
P.S....I think it is defeating saying "never ever" to anything. There are no absolutes in life. We all find our own way.