This premium marine grade gel coat may be as gecloat for boats, gelcoat for pools or many other applications. Jun 10, 2017 hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Brush the gelcoat onto the fiberglass using short vertical strokes. If you are looking to do some diy gelcoat repairs, this brief primer will help achieve adequate repair. We had a customer come to our rv repair shop in dallas texas this week with an older rv that had some fiberglass work done by a previous owner. Dropping a heavy fishing weight in the cockpit or hitting a small piece of flotsam might cause them. The good news about these cracks is that theyre largely cosmetic problems. Nows the time to apply good liquid or paste wax that will bring up that final highlevel shine and protect your gelcoat from dirt, salt, and sun. It penetrates deeply into the pores of even the finest of cracks for ultra tough adhesion and durability. Star crazing this effect can occur where the gelcoat is brittle.
How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats. Ive looked through your site and am wondering if it is spider cracks in the gel coat from the drop or. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat.
This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. Sometimes, theyre merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. Gelcoat is referred to as a onestop solution for almost all kinds of damages on surfaces such as boats, swimming pools and hot tubs. Thin hairline cracks star cracks present a bigger problem. If the surface of your boat looks like a cracked eggshell, the gelcoat is suffering from crazing sometimes called alligatoring. Fill the crack with a fair amount of fiberglass epoxy resin, using a plastic applicator. Restoring your gelcoat can help restore the shine of your boat and protect its surface. In most cases, star cracks wont grow and shouldnt raise concern about larger structural problems. Keeping it real laser match racing olympic games records star the ocean race tp52 us sailing world cup series world. There is a bit of flex in the canoe hull where these showed up. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. 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. Gel coat repairs and star cracks skuk sea kayaking uk. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare.
Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. 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. If the gelcoat has broken through, the damaged area needs to be sanded down and a new gelcoat layer applied. Possible causes of fiberglass pool cracks home guides sf gate. Most stress cracking is purely cosmetic, moisture is unlikely to penetrate to the laminate in the topsides and deck, and can easily be detected with a moisture meter. Before you add the gelcoat to the cracks, you will need to protect the area around them using painters tape. To apply the gelcoat with a brush, dip the brush in the gelcoat so theres a liberal amount of gelcoat on it.
Gelcoat paste will shrink more than liquid gelcoat because the filler to make paste and will eventually crack around the repair due to excess shrinking and may have pin holes that will show up after polishing, also getting your repair 100% flat without a wave or ripple is nearly impossible and in most cases your paste will not match even with. Learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the hull of your dinghy. The gel coat cracks are simply cracks in the cosmetic layer thats put over the top to keep the rv looking shiny. How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in boat gelcoat boatus duration. Aug 18, 2011 spider cracks and star cracks are telling you something can you guess what.
It looks like someone took a paint brush with white paint and painted the bottom. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. Hit from the outside and you have a star crack the crack up forward are where its been hit into a pile or a wharf or something simular. These are the easiest cracks to fix as theyre not very deep. Gelcoat used to patch existing gelcoat, fiberglass repairs, and for new construction and projects. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Once youre sure youre dealing with these types of cracks in the outer gel coat of the fiberglass, your fix can be limited to the fiberglass exterior. Dec 02, 2014 why do i get stress cracks or crazing in my gelcoat. Ive looked through your site and am wondering if it is spider cracks in the gel coat from the drop or the leveling or possible from a faulty pool shell. It is one of the most revolutionary materials to be discovered for repairing cracks because it is easy to apply. 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. My prob is as i started to sand one of the holes i repaired with the orbital sander, there has appeared several other star shaped cracks in the gelcoat.
Magicezy hairline fix is a revolutionary precolored fiberglass and gelcoat repair product that fixes and colors fine stress cracks spider cracks, and hairline fractures fast in one application. This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks. Gelcoat is a fiberglass resin that has had a pigment added to it. Spider cracks in gelcoat moderated discussion areas. Jan 21, 2020 apply the gelcoat using a brush if youre covering a small area. A thin layer of gel coat isnt structurally strong enough to prevent itself cracking off. 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. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or. Spider cracks can indicate impact damage or serious structural problems that will need to be addressed to prevent spreading, but most often they. These might be in a parallel pattern or a nondirectional pattern. Avoid spreading the gelcoat too thin or youll get stroke marks.
May 27, 2009 in this case the cracks need to be examined closely, even chipped away at, to see if they extend through the gelcoats 0. To repair it you would need to grind down to the fiberglass, feathering outward. Possible causes of fiberglass pool cracks home guides. Why do i get stress cracks or crazing in my gelcoat. I like star brites premium marine polish with ptef or 3ms ultra performance paste wax, but use your favorite, if you have one. If not managed, these small cosmetic annoyances can. A fiberglass layup that is too wet, or has too much resin will crack also. Over time and with use, the gelcoat on your boat can become dull, making your boat look old. White gel coat, precolored gel coat, clear gel coat, neutral tintable gelcoats. Jun 06, 2016 when looking at cracks you may find that there are generally two different types. Then you can apply new gelcoat and be done with it. Hairline cracks, stress cracks or spider cracks star cracks that occur in gelcoat surfaces on fiberglass boats or other water craft are often seen as a cosmetic issue.
There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable associates happy to assist. Tips with fiberglass and gelcoat repair methods by john gabriel. Thermal fatigue cracks when gelcoat repeatedly expands or contracts. Small cracks form in the outer surface of the fiberglass, spreading out from a central point like a spiderweb. Measure a small amount of gelcoat, which is a thick form of fiberglass resin. Pinholes tiny bubbles present in the gelcoat reduce its effectiveness and promote rapid water absorption. Sometimes, they go deeper and threaten an underlying laminate. This tape will peel away without sticking, so you can remove it without worrying that you may be damaging fiberglass resin beneath it. When the area is dry, smooth the surface with sandpaper. Its ok to leave them until the end of the season but much longer than that and water will penetrate the glass fibre matting and cause it to delaminate.
You may want to apply colored gelcoat enamel over the repaired area, so the repair wont be so noticeable. The topic of gelcoat is often a mystifying subject for boat owners. Cracks spreading out from the center, much as you would see in a spider web. These need to be widened using a small blade or grinder and then repaired with gel coat. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or impacts. Fine cracks usually form due to severe flexing or impact damage, allowing water to seep into the laminate. Sep 05, 2012 how to repair a gelcoat scratch, cracks or hole when looking at a scratch in the gelcoat, you need to determine whether it is a surface scratch or a deep scratch. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters.
Keeping it real laser match racing olympic games records star the ocean race tp52 us sailing world cup series world match racing. Are they gelcoat or stress cracks most likely it is crazing or gelcoat cracks. Thermal fatigue cracks when gelcoat repeatedly expands or. Jun 27, 2015 can i fix the fiberglass on my rv myself. 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. Aside from the durable shiny luster gelcoat adds to any fiberglass boat, most owners know little more than wash and wax it frequently.
The easiest repair method is to sand the surface heavily and roll on two coats of epoxy primer followed by two coats of twopart linear. The next time you are cleaning and waxing your boat, take the time to look for small cracks, scratches and chips in its gelcoat. The very basic reason for stress cracks in a gelcoat finish is the hull or surface that the gelcoat is bonded to flexed or moved an amount beyond the point that the gelcoat can flex, so it just cracks, because the gelcoat has no structural bearing attributes. With time, it is possible that gelcoat can become cracked, simply through wear and tear or a specific incidence of damage. If your boat is more than a few years old, youll probably be surprised at the number you find. Fiberglass last a long time and require little maintenance, but they arent always as durable as pools made with plaster or concrete. They can occur in any form of fiberglass, including cars, boats and swimming pools. I have repaired two holes with west systems epoxy and plan to paint with interlux brightsides linear polyurethane.
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