Paul-

After prepping, there was still some residual paint that was welded on and couldn't be removed without stripper. Since the product is designed for 'less than perfectly prepared surfaces', it didn't require messy stripping chemicals or excessive prep work.

The Aluthane has an nice aluminum sheen and cures very hard. It has a watery consistency and spreads easily. It filled pinhole size gaps, making the surface airtight. I was able to mimic the original paint scheme because of Aluthane's aluminum color. I used it as a primer and topcoat. Aluthane made my 50 year old boat look new again!

Very satisfied, Matt

Tom wrote (10/2008):

Thanks Paul; here are a few comments on the Aluthane.

I was looking for a product to use on the 4" steel pilings on a newly constructed boat house. I wanted to extend the life of the piles and the overall structure since the boathouse cost roughly $50K to build. Aluthane was recommended. At the time, the water was down around three feet from normal pool so I was able to paint roughly 4 feet of the piling that was exposed. For prep, I used a simple paint scraper to smooth off the rough, loose rust and then a wire brush. I did not put a lot of effort into preparation. Total prep time per piling was no more than 3-5 minutes. I used a 3" roller and rolled the Aluthane on. Again, very simple and quick. The Aluthane will run, so you do have to roll it on and smooth any runs with another quick roll over.

The results looked great. Basically a shiny aluminum look. When the lake came back up to pool, I kept watch for any signs of deterioration and saw none 12 months after application. The water went back down even further in the last few months, so I was able to inspect much closer and even apply the Aluthane further down the pilings. There was absolutely no rust through with 12-15 months of submersion.

The Aluthane surpassed all expectations and I now am in a wait and see mode on how long it will last before corrosion...no signs yet. I know its not advertised for submerged applications, but I can attest that it works very well for at a minimum of one year in fresh water applications. Excellent product that requires very little prep and seems to be very effective.