Surface gelcoat scratches can be buffed with polishing compound, and deeper scratches can be filled. Extensive spider cracking common on older boats is due to aging of the gelcoat. Wash with soap and water to ensure the piece is acetone free. Professional refinishers are a better choice for less experienced doityourselfers. Force out any air holes and be sure to overfill, as gel coat has a tendency to shrink as it cures. Once the gel coat has cured you will want to begin sanding with a 400 grit wet sandpaper using water. The new finish coat is applied as a liquid, so the tub is. Faded, chalky, oxidized gel coat can be brought back to its original luster and shine, with these simple steps. Scratches attract dirt, which can be difficult to clean. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. Aquatic gelcoat repair kit in white35rkwh the home depot. Gelcoat repair is a job for an experienced handyman. Thats where the professional gelcoat refinishing and gel coat repair services offered by our yacht maintenance specialists at yacht management come in.
Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. You might think that a post about refinishing a door is boring. Cultured marble repair procedures multitech products. Painting over cracked and chipped gel coat moderated. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Also, older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking. Gelcoat can also be rolled or applied by foam brush in patch areas, but spraying tends to yield best results with the least amount of followup sanding. Smooth out all the cracks and fractures in the gelcoat. This resin can be used as a protective surface over the top of fiberglass. Scratches and gouges can also be repaired with gel coat by filling the area, sanding flush, and polishing. Wetsand the cured gelcoat with 320grit wetdry paper on a soft sanding block.
Wax in the gel coat rises to the surface when it is sprayed, rolled, or brushed, creating a film and barrier that enables the curing to. Apply the gel coat so that it stands proud of the surrounding surface by about an 18th of an inch. The gel coat should be ground off with sandpaper to expose the fiberglass. A friend of mine wants me to get his boat looking like new. The following products are available from klingspors. The gel coat should be ground off with sandpaper to. It is engineered by dow chemical to be extremely durable. Whats left over will fill the pits in the gelcoat and restore the shine.
Fiberglass bathtubs and showers refinishing, resurfacing. You can successfully complete basic fiberglass boat repair by following these steps. Restoring cracked gelcoat on canoe boat design net. For use with a white aquatic gelcoat bathtub, shower or shower pan. Tub and shower repair kit repairs worn and damaged gel coatfiberglass tubs and shower enclosures. How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in boat. Faded, chipped or cracked rotted, broken, damaged just plain ugly bring your watercraft to a whole new level. Gelcoat repairs and refinishing yacht management south. The repair technique recently rediscovered by l h g in the boston whaler literature sounds. How to refinish an exterior door the easy way with gel stain. This video segment is part one of a 2part series that will show you how to do a simple nonstructural gel coat repair.
As long as the gelcoat around the deep scratch is in good condition, you will be able to use gelcoat paste or you can make one using. Finish off once dry, sand down the gel coat resin and remove the masking tape before giving the surface a buffing to leave it nice, smooth and uniform finish. I want to learn this art of fiberglass work so im subd. Discussion in fiberglass and composite boat building started by brad123, jun 4, 2004. Extend each coat farther than the previous one, with the last coat out to the tape line. Now i am into the project and find my 14 sheet finish sander with 60grit sandpaper is not up to the task. Evercoat one step finish premium gelcoat uses a resilient, isophthalic polyester coating that does not require pva or other airinhibitors to cure to a hard surface. This tub refinishing coat is nonflammable, and offensive odor is reduced.
If the cracks are along the seams between floor boards, any. It is faded nicked up and has a burgundy faded stripe down the side. If your gelcoat has lost its luster or has a few scratches and dings, most doityourselfers can restore the gleam with the right products and elbow grease. With over 250 store locations, 100,000 products in stock, and knowledgeable associates, trust west marine for your boating, sailing, fishing, or paddling needs. Gelcoat crack and crazing repair moderated discussion areas. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Gelcoat is a fiberglass resin that has had a pigment added to it. This gelcoat also has an added ultraviolet inhibitor to greatly slow fading and discoloration. When looking at a scratch in the gelcoat, you need to determine whether it is a surface scratch or a deep scratch. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. Gelcoat blisters wouldnt be more than a cosmetic concern, if theyre treated and not ignored. How to fix cracks in fiberglass gel coat using fiberglass resin duration. Use fine grit sandpaper and an electric palm sander to prepare the area that you are refinishing.
You can rejuvenate the appearance of your diving board by applying a fresh coat of paint. The primary purpose of exterior gel coat is contact molding spraying on a mold. Over time, however, the sink can get scratched and nicked. Refinishing a floor with dominant cracks makes the job a bit more difficult, but there are a few ways to disguise the imperfections. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. Once it is, make sure that the brush doesnt have any loose bristles.
Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently. How to refinish a gel coat on fiberglass gone outdoors. Repairing minor damage to the gelcoat surface of your boat. Keeney bathtub inlay kit for bone colored tubs in the. The number of boats that develop serious blister problems is extremely small. West marine is committed to outfitting your life on the water. Start by wiping down the area with acetone and sanding the damaged gelcoat down to the fiberglass. How to repairing fiberglass gel coat cracks in bathtubs. If mildew is present, add a cup of household bleach to your cleaning solution. Next, using a putty knife, fill the areas to be repaired with the paste youve mixed. The causes of cracks and faded gelcoat on your vessel.
When a shower stall is cracked, chipped, scratched, or faded, there are two options for repair acrylic and gelcoat. Try not to remove any of the fiberglass resin or cloth. Repairing gelcoat tubs and showers bathtub refinishing. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying awlgrip. A palm sander significantly speeds up this process. Confining work to the immediate repair area, continue wetsanding with 600grit paper until nearly even with surrounding gelcoat. It has a high gloss, stainresistant, deep tone finish which looks and feels great. Add a second coat of paint when the first coat is completely dry, using a new roller pad and tray. Gelcoat refinishing and repairs typically become necessary once. If stripping a piece with multiple paint coats, you may have to strip off a coat or two and wait until the.
The other repair for spider cracks involves a little more work. Once the wax is mostly dry, it will form a hazy finish. Fiberglass cracks w if the fiberglass under the gel coat is cracked, the gel coat will have a wide separation as opposed to a hairline crack. Mix your gel coat as recommended on the can and add your color if required. Repair nicks and scratches with a fiberglass filler kit and a gelcoat kit. Diamond glaze surface synthetic porcelain is a superior tub coat. Boatus magazines mark corke shows you how to easily repair those pesky spider cracks that show up in your boats fiberglass gelcoat. Linear crack caused by flexural strain thermal fatigue cracks when gelcoat repeatedly expands or contracts.
This resin can be used as a protective surface over the top of fiberglass, or simply as a finish, much like you might varnish a piece of outdoor furniture. As for painting above the waterline, the light blue interior and white exterior gel coat need refinishing. Instead, this post is super exciting and about a product that has changed my life well, my front doors life, at least, and made my homes entrance look amazing. Two additives will help with a desired final finish.
Fiberglass is a common material for sinks, because it is relatively cheap and easy to maintain. Fiberglass swimming pool diving boards tend to endure a large amount of duress, and over time the finish can begin to fade in the place where jumping feet meet the board. The first step in restoring the gloss to dull gelcoat is always a thorough cleaning. After masking off the area with painters tape, use a paint brush to apply gel coat. Allow this coat to dry for about three days before you refill your hot tub. I posted here some time ago about refinishing cracked gelcoat on a fiberglass canoe.
Once you finish one area, move to the next section immediately next to it. Fiberglass deck refinishing the easiest way to refinish a fiberglass deck is paint, preferably with a two part polyurethane. Things like durability, ease of repair, professional or diy, and effects as aging occurs are at the top of the list. When applicable, cracks can be repaired using mtp procedures outlined in the bathtub crack repair procedures. We offer complete cosmetic and structural repairs for wood and fiberglass watercraft. Once you see this haze, use a soft old bath towel to buff away the excess wax. The reason being is that surface scratches can easily be buffed with a rubbing compound as opposed to deep scratches which take a couple more steps. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Radial cracks spider cracks, star cracks caused by impact or by a fixture bolt that puts strain on a certain area of a boat and cracks occur around the hole. And no, this is not a sponsored post in any way, shape or form it is simply me sharing my enthusiasm with you. Used to fill gouges, chips, scrapes and deep scratches in fiberglass gel coat finishes.
Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and although it usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can grow, deepen, and eventually threaten your boats structural integrity. Use the remaining halves of the mixtures for the paint, mixing in the same manner as you did for the first coat of paint. We can repair them prior to beginning the refinishing process. How to repair cracks and chips in damaged gelcoat duration.
When deciding between an acrylic or gelcoat repair for a shower stall many factors should be considered. With time, it is possible that gelcoat can become cracked, simply through wear and tear or a specific incidence of damage. Use a marine grade fiberglass resin, and be sure to keep it in a separate container until its ready to apply. No problema little elbow grease, a buffer, some basic cleaning supplies, and a few hours of your time is all it. A new fiberglass tub or shower has colored finish or gel coat applied to it over the raw fiberglass compound when it was originally made. Add a cup of detergent to a gallon of water warm water is better and use a sponge to wash the surface with this solution. Magic fix for hairline cracks in gelcoat practical sailor.
I have the gelcoat and feel much better about spraying the boat with it. Where the gel coat layer is too thick, as we often see in areas of a molded boat where it can easily accumulate such as corners or radii, the shrinking gel coat may create its own stress, resulting in cracks. The consenus was to sand out as much of the cracks as possible and repaint. For extensive cracks, cracked through the surface, rather than simply refilling the cracks, we have a more extensive process in which we will grind the gel coat, reapply fiberglass matting, and use a fiberglass filler to strengthen and repair the crack. A prior owner had fixed a few with evercoat gel coat scratch patch gel coat repair, with ugly results. My plan is to remove the many coats of antifouling paint below the waterline, then apply three coats of the west system epoxy and repaint it. How to repair a gelcoat scratch bottom paint store. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Most cultured marble countertops have a top layer, usually 30 to 50 mils thick, of a clear gel coat resin to protect the colored surface and provide visual depth. Does the gelcoat on your boat look chalky and old and need to be restored to shine once again. A finish that is cracked, crazed or simply dull can often be made beautiful again with a little effort and a number of rejuvenation products.
381 153 256 1250 656 999 700 97 1442 1063 1065 1323 1208 376 267 1290 1197 277 573 795 825 1384 1071 70 387 455 1316 1445