Truth be told – you can’t just go slapping aluminum coating on your boat and expect it to adhere and look great. While it provides excellent anti-corrosion properties to your boat’s aluminum finishes, you need to know when and how to use it. It can be a great solution for saltwater protection on open and closed bridge, convertible, and sportfish vessels. Don’t let your anodized aluminum dull and pit. Learn about our system that can restore and prevent expensive maintenance in the long run.

There are many use cases for Starke Aluminum coating. The first being that it’s a very effective clear high gloss ceramic coating that can protect your vessels aluminum substrates. Tuna Towers, Outriggers and T Tops benefit greatly from this type of technology. You can prevent pitting, oxidation, and rust with just one single layer application that can last up to 3 years. Maintenance is also drastically reduced which will reduce cost over the long run and help maintain your vessels value.

How to clean your aluminum?

It’s all in the prep. Knowing how to clean and polish your aluminum substrates is important before application. The goal is to remove all contaminants like oxidation and mineral deposits. In some cases, you may have old coating or light pitting that needs to be removed. This may require wet sanding with 1500/2000 grit or scuffing the aluminum with 0000 bronze wool. Use Starke Metal Polish by hand and with a microfiber to clean the aluminum and remove oxidation. For deeper marring and swirls, machine polishing may be more effective than polishing by hand. Once the aluminum is looking good and you have achieved your desired results, wipe with Surface Prep or some type of alcohol-based solution to prepare for coating application.

Applying the Aluminum Coating

Aluminum coating comes ready to use and has a shelf life of about one year. Applying the coating is simple. Using an Autofiber applicator pad or fingertip applicator, gently wipe on the coating leaving behind a very thin layer of coating that is barely visible. Do not load up the coating to where it will run and drip down. You should work the coating into the aluminum by wrapping the applicator around the tubing and using a stroking motion to evenly spread a very thin layer. Once you have a thin even layer of coating spread out, walk away. Do not remove the residual unless you are experiencing a “rainbow effect” or “halo”. Do not apply a second coat. If you do apply a second coat, the coating may gunk up and crystalize or the second coat will bead up and “sweat” on top of the already cured coating. This can cause a mess and can be visibly unappealing and take hours to fix.

What else can you use Aluminum Coating on?

This formula can be used on other substrates or areas of the boat as well. Pontoons that are polished to a mirror finish are good candidates for the Aluminum Coating. We have also had professional installers use the coating on nonskid and vinyl seats. We always recommend that you test a very small area before applying to these areas. Yellowing can occur on the vinyl seats. It’s always best to test first before you are considering initial application.

If you want to learn more about Aluminum Coating, you can browse through our wide selection of products. Or better yet, learn where Starke Yacht Care and Services covered areas. If you have questions regarding Aluminum Coating or any of our other products, you can contact us anytime.

August 06, 2022 — John Watkins