Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. Easy ways to repair cracked fiberglass with pictures. Stress cracks can help us understand what caused the damage. Do your own fiberglass and gelcoat repair with epoxy resins, filler, sealants, and fiberglass repair kits from west systems, 3m, and hibond.
Using a mixing stick, apply gelcoat to the cracked area. One of the best qualities of a fiberglass boat is how easy it is to repair. The first step to laminating the repair patch is precutting your patch materials. These fiberglass cracks can be purely cosmetic, or can severely degrade the boats ability to stay afloat. The old deck had rotted out and need to be replaced. He checked the stringer to make sure they were still good. If your fiberglass deck is cracked, leaking, worn, and in need of repair, this article will bring you up to speed on everything you should know for the repair. Instructions on how to repair a fiberglass deck on a boat. Since these cracks often form from small impacts or minor flexing, they can appear just about anywhere on your boat.
Additionally many times if it is a stress crack in the fiberglass itself, sometimes this happens over the core materials of certain areas of the boat. West marine offers everything you need for cosmetic gel coat and structural fiberglass repairs. Repairing a deck not only becomes necessary from time to time but also increases the durability and life of the fiberglass deck. Fiberglass floor mat weight in short, resin will eventually crack even epoxy if its used without reinforcing glass. In order for the epoxy repair material to attach to the fiberglass and material underneath it, you need to drill out the damaged material. How to repair deep cracks in fiberglass boats youtube. Core materials wood structure, right under the deck, floorboards and.
Repairing a fiberglass deck is moderately challenging, but you can repair it yourself with a bit of patience and grit. However, the repairability of fiberglass is one of its best characteristics. Repairing yourself lets you save on costs for professional repair and also saves a lot of precious time. Fiberglass layup is nothing more than layers of glass fabric saturated with polyester or epoxy resin, yet most boatowners imagine a selfapplied repair as only slightly more durable than a wet bandaid. It is far better to remove a fixture than have to sand and paint around it. Most of us know that fiberglass has a very limited ability to bend instead it cracks when overstressed.
Repairing stress cracks in a nonskid textured surface boat. The cheapest way to do the deck is with light mat 1 or 2 oz and poly resin. The stress cracks are not much larger then the thickness of a hair. Charles in dallas repaired his boat deck using fiberglass warehouse products. I have a light grey awlgrip finish on the deck of my boat, over non skid. Epoxy will work ok alone for a while, but eventually it will develop issues. This will stop the crack from extending any further. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for. Although the structural members of the hull are designed to accommodate for these stresses by flexing, the skin of a fiberglass boat is rigid and responds to these forces and effects by developing weak spots where the fiberglass attempts to stretch. Enter the email associated with your account, then click submit. I have some cracks and crazing in areas, but none of your colors match.
Product title bondo fiberglass resin repair kit, 00420, 0. Fiberglass sundecks were once a popular feature of new homes in greater vancouver. Apply your fiberglass boat cloth and use as many coats of resin as you need to get the job done. Stepbystep fiberglass deck repair the ensign magazine. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats.
Youll need to grind down through the crack until youve exposed uncracked gelcoat or fiberglass beneath the surface, but dont try to rush this part of the job. I also have what looks like a repair done on the port quarter and is a different color than the rest of the hull. Well email you a link to a page where you can easily create a new password. These fiberglass cracks can be purely cosmetic, or can severely degrade the boat s ability to stay afloat. Repairing a deck not only becomes necessary from time to time but also increases the durability and life of the fiberglass. If its not clean and dry the epoxy wont adhere well. This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. The stress cracks are not much larger then the thickness of a.
I want to repair them before i get damage to the core, but i also dont want to loose the textured deck surface. Carefully apply masking tape, lifting back to ensure that no air pockets have been trapped in the gelcoat. West system fiberglass handy repair pack wholesale marine. How to repair a fibreglass crack for beginners youtube. The texturing of the deck is dimpled, for lack of a better term.
There was also a six inch crack in the front from a rock hitting it on the road. For this reason, fiberglass repairs rely upon the adhesive quality of their resin for. In fiberglass boat repair the repair area may have hardness very similar to the original laminate and you can accidentally change the shape of the surrounding area. Discussion in fiberglass and composite boat building started by eusscmp, jul 1, 2004. The core became soggy, and finally pressure on the stanchion broke a hole through the deck. No other boat deck paint products on earth can duplicate this transformation, because no other single component boat deck coating product may be. Home boat design forums construction boatbuilding fiberglass and composite boat building spongy spots in the floor. Climb aboard sign up for emails and stay uptodate on the latest news, events, and promotions. Trying to find a stain that i can apply to the gel coat in layers to try and match the color of the hull andor deck. Fiberglass boat cracks repair forums boating forum iboats. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. Step 4 as soon as the crack has been channeled out, wipe it clean. For example, dont paint the entire boat if the deck is the only area that needs repair.
Fiberglass boat repair fiberglass boat repair in alexandria bay, ny and the islands region. To diagnose spider cracks, inspect your boat and look for the following. Apr 06, 2020 one of the best qualities of a fiberglass boat is how easy it is to repair. The most horrifying hole in a fiberglass hull is quickly healed with a bit of glass fabric, a supply of resin, and. I actively searched for the best way to patch small holes in fiberglass on the web, and. How to repair deep cracks in fiberglass boats with the new west system fiberglass boat repair kit. The adhesive filler, colloidal silica, helps control the viscosity and help prevent run off. My problem is not repairing the cracks, but trying to match the color of my deck. The cost of a fiberglass repair on your boat will greatly depend on the level of damage, the materials being used with the repair, where you live and the professional you choose. Cut the largest fiberglass patch to extend several inches beyond the actual break in the hull and at least two inches beyond the next smaller fiberglass layer.
Yes, hairline fix is perfect for use on fiberglass. There are a lot of posts regarding the sponginess of floors and the way to repair them. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. If the gel coat is a little thick and there is any flex in the floor it will eventually crack, this type of. If its a hairline crack, use an electric or hand held rotary blade to widen the crack just a bit. Plan on using a variety of sanding tools if you are dealing with a repair that bridges both a flat area and a detailed area such as a chine or gunwale.
Fiberglass needs a rough surface with which to adhere and a wire brush or scraper will provide the right surface. If you need a quick and dirty but structurally sound way to fix a fiberglass boat part, backyard lamination will. The ships main training boat, a 1973 santana 30, had developed a crack in the outer fiberglass skin under a deck stanchion. Oct 07, 2019 with this much cloth and resin, you could do a lot of small repairs of cracks and holes.
Step 3 now, once youve removed all hardware, toerails, and other paraphernalia. Repairing stress cracks in a nonskid textured surface. Cut through a fiberglass boats hull or deck and you will find either a. Easy ways to repair cracked fiberglass with pictures wikihow. If left unattended, a small blister can quickly crack and tear away the boats top fiberglass surface. Painting supplies free delivery possible on eligible purchases.
The problem, though, is that soft spots indicate an underlying problem that, if ignored, will spread. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. Cracks on my boats deck most of the time small cracks like you described dont mean much and are only a cosmetic issue, but without seeing them its difficult to tell. If you need a quick and dirty but structurally sound way to fix a fiberglass boat part, backyard lamination will do the trick. How to do a fiberglass deck repair and new decking alternatives. Next, remove all hardware and accessories that you can from the area to be painted. Heres everything youll need to know to repair these cracks. This will make it possible to fill the crack with epoxy resin. The west system handy repair kit has every thing you need to make minor repairs on your boat. It can be difficult to diagnose spider cracks, especially when youre not aware of them. Previous episodes go over other types of fiberglass. And covered it with knitted fiberglass, gp resin and isonpg gel coat. Oct, 2014 my problem is not repairing the cracks, but trying to match the color of my deck.
Cut the fiberglass patches, making certain each layer is staggered in size from any other layer on either side of the repair. Rot repair in glass boats epoxy products to repair and. Also, older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking. Find a professional to paint your boat with an antifouling finish and be sure to clean the bottom of the boat regularly to mitigate costly repairs resulting from fouling. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. When area to be repaired is thoroughly dry from cleaning solvents and well supported by backing material begin roughing up the surrounding area of the repair site. When you notice a small soft spot in the deck of your boat, its often easy to ignore it, thinking the problem is one of limited scope. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. These are some qualities of the sanitred boat floor coating paint products that sets sanitred above all other boat deck paint products in the world in the field of marine waterproofing and repair. How to repair soft spots in fiberglass on a boat gone.
Wipe the crack with a dry rag to make sure its clean and dry. Fill the crack with a fair amount of fiberglass epoxy resin, using a plastic applicator. Any crack that goes deeper than the gelcoat definitely needs attention. Repairing stress cracks in a nonskid textured deck ive got a 79 f36 trojan. One quick and easy way to repair gelcoat stress cracks yourself is by using magicezy hairline fix a purpose built diy repair solution for stress cracks in gelcoat and fiberglass. Selection includes resin and resin hardeners, fiberglass cloth and tape, gel coat repair kits, resin additives, fillers, putties, resin tools and vacuum bagging kits. Small cracks forming, especially at the surface of the fiberglass cracks spreading out from the center, much as you would see in a spider web once youre sure youre dealing with these types of cracks in the outer gel coat. Check out our new website its pretty flippin awesome.
Repair cracks and scrapes, gelcoat blisters, loose hardware, delaminated decks and panels, damaged keels and holes up to 1. Magicezy hairline fix is a onepart, pretinted available in 10 colors sealant that allows you to complete the repair in seconds without having to grind out the. How to do a fiberglass deck repair and new decking. While a damaged wood boat requires expensive and intricate work, a fiberglass one can usually be repaired with just a few materials, even by people with only basic knowledge and skills. They may indicate whether something inside the boat has broken loose and. The basic plastic boat repair methods described here still represent best practices, but for optimal results use these methods with gflex 655 epoxy on plastics. In boat repair circles it is a job for a professional yard tear the old transom away and replace it. Step 2 then toughen the laminate that contains the crack or cracks by solidifying it. The information discussed in this article is available in our fiberglass boat repair manual and west system user manual, and on the west system website. Step 1 figure out what caused the cracks to begin with. How to repair fiberglass on a boat the family handyman. Repairing a soft spot in a fiberglass deck is both a monstrous. This show covers how to repair fiberglass stress cracks on your boat using polyester resin. All about fiberglass boat stress cracks fiberglass boat.
This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks. 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. The time required for this job will obviously vary quite a bit depending on the number of cracks and how widespread they are, but should take no more than three hours per square foot of repair area. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Repairing hairline fiberglass deck cracks sailboat. You can read a lot of glass boat repair manuals and never see anything on the selfrepair of transoms. There are recessed spots over the entire nonskid surface. The 105 resin epoxy creates a hard and durable coat while the 205 fast hardener will have it set in a few hours and completely ready in 14 days.
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