Using Polytrol to revive the exterior of your barge will help keep it in tip-top condition, which is essential if you want to ensure that you can enjoy it for many years to come.
The exterior of a barge is often one of the first things to start looking a bit run down. Reviving a boat’s exterior will not only help to make it look as good as new, it is also a vital piece of work that it’s highly recommended barge owners should perform, as part of their boat’s maintenance needs.
Use Polytrol colour restorer to revive and protect the exterior of your barge
Polytrol restores the colour and appearance of dull and faded surfaces caused by rain, sunlight and pollution. It is a deep penetrating oil which dries to a tough and long-lasting flexible finish, that won’t peel or flake.
Plus, it’s surprisingly simple to use.
Prepare your surface
It’s important that you remove any dirt, grease, grime or mildew from the surface you’re going to apply Polytrol to.
You can treat mildew by scrubbing a 50:50 bleach and water solution onto the surface of your barge and leaving it to stand for around 10 minutes, before rinsing thoroughly.
Any waxes or polishes (or similar substances) or silicone, should be completely removed too.
Time to get going
It’s important to work in areas that you can complete in 10-20 minutes, so that you end with an even appearance.
Simply apply Polytrol with a brush or cloth and leave it to work for 10-20 minutes.
Wipe off any excess product with a lint-free cloth before it gets tacky. If you want a really shiny finish, you can buff the surface with a lint-free cloth.
Now, you should leave it to dry.
If, immediately after you have applied Polytrol, you find that there are some matt and shiny patches, you will need to move any surplus product to the matt areas.
Polytrol is also available in a spray can, which is great for those difficult-to-reach areas.
We always love seeing our customers’ before and after photos, so we were very pleased when one of our customers got in touch to say what a difference Polytrol had made to their boat.
“I took your advice and ordered the 1 litre tin of polytrol for our 57ft narrow boat. I thought you might like to see the before and after pictures…what an amazing product..totally transformed our boat… Many thanks again for your technical support… We will certainly recommend your product to other fellow boaters.”
Please remember, it’s always important to read the full instructions when using Owatrol Products as there are lots more in depth application instructions, safety instructions, clean up instructions etc. that are not fully included in our articles.
We hope you found this post on Polytrol being used on a narrow boat exterior interesting! If you have any other advice or top tips, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. We love hearing from you!
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest at @OwatrolUK or find us under the hashtag #OwatrolUK
About Owatrol Team
Our team are ready and willing to support you with your requirements whether it is protecting your newly laid deck or renovating a luxury yacht, whatever the application Owatrol has the solution you are looking for.
Hi Folks,
I’m considering using Polytrol on my narrowboat which, over the last few years has faded, resulting in the use of a paint restorer, followed by a polish at the beginning of each year.
Three questions:
1. After 24 hours, once the process has dried, is it possible to polish to protect the finish even more or does the polish remove the Poytrol finish?
2. How long does the finish last? I’m concerned that if the boat requires treatment every year that the paint won’t sustain the treatment.
3. I’ve had my boat for nearly nine years is it possible that I could use Polytrol for at least the next 5 years?
Thanks for your time.
Regards
Ken Clark
Hi Ken,
Polytrol penetrates deep into the surface restoring the colour from within, where as waxes and polishes just sit on the surface and so dry out very quickly. Using a polish over the top of Polytrol could potentially help protect the restored finish for longer, but it may be more effort than it is worth.
Depending on the environment Polytrol can last for at least 12 months, but usually much longer, before another application is necessary. And even when maintenance is required, it is so easy to apply – wipe on, leave for a few minutes, then wipe off.
Polytrol can be used as often as you need and over 5 years shouldn’t need to be applied that often.
If you have any further queries, please don’t hesitate to call us on: 01582 592707 or email: sales@owatroluk.com
All the best,
The Owatrol Team
A note to say what a wonderful product Polytrol is. I have spent a lot of time and money trying to keep the paint protected and rich in colour using various polishes and expensive waxes. Having cleaned my narrowboat and applied Polytrol the results are stunning. My recommendation to other people is use Polytrol and it does not remove any paint, which polishes do. Wish I knew about this product years ago.
Hi Bob,
Thank you so much for your kind words regarding Polytrol. We are always so happy when we hear back from our customers, so thank you for taking the time to tell us about your positive experience.
Your narrowboat will look beautiful for many years to come.
All the best,
The Owatrol Team
I have tried Polytron on faded green on my canal narrow boat. It goes on fine but is too sticky to polish off. What an I doing wrong? I put it on with on old dish cloth, leave about 10 minutes and have used Jcloths, old tea towels and a buffer but it remains sticky. Help required please
Hi Judith,
I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t had a positive experience with Polytrol.
There are a few reasons as to why the surface may be sticky;
– The surface may not have been clean enough before application – dirt can create a barrier so that the Polytrol cannot penetrate into the surface sufficiently so it sits on top of the surface rather than saturating into it.
– If you applied the Polytrol in direct sunlight or on to a hot surface, this will make the Polytrol dry out quickly which will create a film on the surface rather than penetrating into it.
I would recommend carrying out a test.
Try cleaning a small area on your boat with warm soapy water again, leave it to thoroughly dry for 24 hours, then re-apply the Polytrol when the weather is cooler and out of direct sunlight.
I hope this was helpful – please feel free to contact us again should you require any further assistance.
All the best,
The Owatrol Team
Good morning
I have used Polytrol on my 20 year old narrowboat paintwork.
Initially the effect was very impressive, however after a couple of months the surface began to dull and we are left with a “white” patina along the entire length of the boat.
To the best of my knowledge we did everything as instructed so are both suprised and dissapointed by the condition of the paint now.
Any advise as to what we did wrong and how we can rectify the situation would be greatly appreciated
Hi there Michael,
We are sorry to hear you have not had a good experience with Polytrol.
As we have quite a few questions in regards to application etc. can I please ask you to forward this message along with some images to tech@owatroluk.com where they will be able to assist you further?
Thanks in advance.
All the best,
The Owatrol Team