Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Safety And Boat Gelcoat Repair

By Jim Hansen


Everyone loves the way a new boat shines and sparkles. However, after some use it is inevitable that some wear and tear is going to appear. If not a structural problem, you can usually make it look like new again. The secret is to use the best boat gelcoat repair available.

Fiberglass is the material of choice for most boats today. It is very lightweight. However, it does tend to scratch rather easily even though a resin layer for protection and shine covers it. This resin layer is the gelcoat. When it gets scratched, repairs should be done to avoid later problems that could be more serious. If done properly, it will look new again. No one will ever know it was ever damaged.

The main reason damage occurs is by impacts with hard objects in the water. Check carefully for all cracks, chips, and scratches. Unfortunately these things can happen quite easily. If the problem is only a small scratch, it can usually be fixed by buffing and polishing. However, for deeper problems, more work is needed. You can do this work yourself, and save a lot of money.

Before beginning the repairs, be sure to wash the area with soap and water. Rinse thoroughly. Mark the area off with something like masking tape. To protect yourself, wear long sleeves and pants. Also, wear protective eye gear, and put talc with no fragrance on the hands. Make sure to have adequate ventilation as well.

For the application to adhere properly, the scratch or crack must be cleaned out. After cleaning, the product should be applied. All spaces in the crack must be filled with no holes and/or bubbles. Once it dries, sand it lightly and clean.

Once filled, next comes matching the original color. This can be hard to do. The color will probably not match exactly. With natural wear the original color has probably changed a little. However, with care, you will find a close match. Fill the area with the paste and then cover completely with plastic film. If exposed to air, the paste will not hold. Once cured, it should be sanded smooth and waxed. The damage will be virtually invisible now.

Finding the best boat gelcoat repair can be an easy way to get that great sparkly, shiny look once again. It will look like it originally did. You can now go boating with pride.




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