Painting sunbrella

[MJKobernus]

I have mismatched canvas on my boat. Sail cover and spray hood are navy blue, while the cockpit enclosure is a deep red.

I recently read something (somewhere) about painting sunbrella. Does anyone have any tips on this? I think it would be great to have matching canvas, so long as it only cost me time and a tin of paint!

Any advice appreciated.

[Delancey]

Haven't done it myself but have heard of people painting Sunbrella.

Whenever I spill paint on my paints it ruins them because it never comes off! Artist's paint pretty pictures on canvas. Awning companies sometimes paint or silk screen signage on Sunbrella. Even back in the wooden boat days it was pretty common practice to cover the wood decking with painted canvas.

Test the paint you would would like to use on a small area or on a scrap piece first but you should be fine. Have heard of people using acrylic house paint before.

[babaluey]

There are applications on classic wooden boats where painting canvas is appropriate (canvas covered decks, mast boot). But, these are not meant to be flexible. If you paint a piece of fabric that is free to flex, it seems likely that the paint will crack and eventually peel.

[Cotemar]

Yes, you can paint Sunbrella with Chalk Paint.

Here is a process that will work.

Painting Outdoor Pillows (You can do that! Who knew?!) |

DIY Saturday: Spray Paint Those Old Faded Outdoor Cushions - A Cultivated Nest

Look around for more instructions.

[MJKobernus]

Thanks for the input, folks. And a big thumbs up to Cotemar!

[Privilege]

A water-based acrylic paint works well. Do not use oil-based paint and avoid an acrylic latex paint as the latex forms an elastic film and prevents it penetrating the fabric. I painted the UV cover on my genoa to match the rest of the boat and also used it to paint the name of my boat on my sunbrella sail bag. It has lasted many seasons with minimal cracking and still looks good. However, I did find that on the larger area that I painted, the material became stiffer than when it was unpainted. It didn't really matter on the UV strip as it was rolled onto the furler but I don't know what would happen on your bimini if you needed to fold it.

[rwidman]

Have you considered contacting Sunbrella and asking hem for advice?

[MJKobernus]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Have you considered contacting Sunbrella and asking hem for advice?

Actually, no! Maybe not a bad idea. Clearly it is possible, but there might be some recommendations from them.