thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

Bought a 1996 21' open Bow marada i/o last year. Has a snap on cover for the bow and then a cover that goes along the windshield all the way back to the engine covers. Every time it rains it gets soaking wet inside because the water proofing had long worn out. Went and bought 2 cans of scotch guard type spray at Walmart in the camping section. They had 2 kinds, one with an orange cap and another that said it works better than other brands (I'll have to follow up with the specific brand when I get off work), I used the one that said works better...but I used both cans on my canvas covers and built some pvc structures to pop up the sagging middle areas. Rained pretty good last night and you could just watch the water bead up and roll off. Was fun to watch it actually work as advertised. Might get a third just to tidy it up but I'm pretty happy I finally got around to doing it. even pooled up in one spot where I didn't brace the pvc properly and it didn't just soak into the canvas, stayed pooled for a bit. so good things to say. Just thought I'd share.

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

The Scotchgard does work pretty good. And at a lesser cost than 303. Glad it worked well for you.

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

While my biminis are TopGun fabric, and they work really well, we had leakage from the stitches through the fabric. We used tent seam-sealer, and it's worked great. BTW, 303 is not for waterproofing. It keeps your vinyl from cracking. We DO treat our vinyl with 303, AFTER seam-sealing.

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

BobGinCO said:

BTW, 303 is not for waterproofing. It keeps your vinyl from cracking. We DO treat our vinyl with 303, AFTER seam-sealing.

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Errr, Uhh... 303 IS for waterproofing. you are thinking of the wrong 303 product. I have used 303 for 15 years on all my canvas. It is also the only protectant recommended by Sunbrella.

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

I disagree with above
read for yourself

What You Need to Know About Outdoor Fabrics
What Are Outdoor Fabrics?
"Outdoor Fabrics refer to woven textiles manufactured from a variety of synthetic fibers (acrylic for example) specially for outdoor use. These breathable fabrics are made “water repellent” by a chemical treatment process during manufactur*ing. The treated fabric repels (beads) water, resists soiling, protects against both water and oil based stains, and impedes mildew formation.

With time and use the original repellency treatment is dimin*ished, making periodic cleaning and re-treatment necessary. The key to keeping your fabric looking great and extending its life is periodic cleaning followed by repellency re-treatment.

Common Outdoor Fabric Uses:

Patio Furniture: Cushions, umbrellas, canopies,awnings.
Boating: Enclosures, biminis, T-tops, dodgers, boat andsail covers.
Automotive/Recreation: Fabric convertible topping, RV fabric awnings, pop-up & tent trailers, camp tents, car & RV covers.
Add Years To The Life Of Your Outdoor Fabric

Quick and easy maintenance goes a long way. All outdoor fabrics require periodic cleaning and re-treatment.

The best time to clean and re-treat is BEFORE the outdoor fabric becomes heavily soiled and stained. Heavily soiled and stained fabric requires harsher cleaning chemicals and methods which can diminish service life.

Simple Cleaning - It's Easy!



While dry, brush, shake or vacuum off loose dirt.
Hose down to remove remaining loose dirt.
For best results: Use manufacturer-recommended 303? Fabric/Vinyl Cleaner™ or 303? Fabric Cleaner™ in lukewarm water (100? F max). To loosen soiling & stains, use soft bristle brush, sponge or cloth to apply and work in the cleaning solution. Rinse DOUBLE-THOROUGHLY to remove both loosened
soils and all cleaning agent residue. Repeat if necessary.
Allow to air dry.
It’s now time to re-treat using 303? High Tech Fabric Guard™, recommended by and for Sunbrella?



Re-treating
303? High Tech Fabric Guard restores lost water repellency and stain repellency to factory new levels. It stops leaks, resists soiling, protects against both water-based and oil-based stains and impedes mildew formation.

Click Here - for manufacturers who recommend 303? Products

With 303? High Tech Fabric Guard re-treating is easy, quick, inexpensive and lasts a long time.

It's Easy With 303? High Tech Fabric Guard

Use only on new or newly cleaned, dry fabric.
Spray on 303? High Tech Fabric Guard until wetly damp, overlapping sprayed areas.Do Not Saturate.
Allow fabric to dry thoroughly before using or storing.

Be sure to re-treat in warm weather. At least 70? F (the hotter the better), always with the fabric heated up from the sun.

Coverage: For Sunbrella?, “canvas” convertible topping and similar weight fabrics, apply at a rate of 50-75 sq. ft. per 16oz. trigger sprayer, 500-800 sq. ft. per gallon. Expect greater coverage on lighter weight fabric, less on heavier fabric & carpeting.

Maintenance Tip: About once a month, use a water hose to gently spray off any dirt that has settled. Do this regularly and you will have to clean and re-treat less often.

Stubborn Stains and Mildew: With Sunbrella? and other acrylic fabrics it is advised to add bleach to the cleaning solution for stubborn stains and when mildew is present. Soak the stained fabric up to 10 minutes in a solution of ? cup bleach and ? cup 303? Fabric Cleaner per gallon of warm water (100? F). Rinse thoroughly before fabric dries. Repeat if necessary. Non-chlorine bleach is recommended for Sunbrella “Plus” because of the urethane coating. Caution: Excessive soaking in bleach can deteriorate seam threads. For special cleaning problems and mildew on other (non-acrylic) fabrics, contact the fabric manufacturer.

Tip For New Fabrics: During the fabrication process the factory finish can be worn causing the new fabric to “wet”, most commonly at the seams. To prevent or correct seam leaks, treat the seam with 303? High Tech Fabric Guard.

Warnings: Silicone “water repellent” products are not recommended. These products are not compatible with the outdoor fabric’s factory finish and actually promote staining. Water “sealants” for wood and masonry also are not recommended.

Before using 303? High Tech Fabric Guard, read the label directions and warnings.

Sunbrella?, made from 100% solution dyed acrylic fiber, is the world's largest selling outdoor fabric.

303? High Tech Fabric Guard™ is powerful enough to protect fabrics in the harshest environment...outdoors. Yet 303? High Tech Fabric Guard is safe for the finest fabrics, wool, silk and fine leathers including suede.

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

Slip Away said:

Errr, Uhh... 303 IS for waterproofing. you are thinking of the wrong 303 product. I have used 303 for 15 years on all my canvas. It is also the only protectant recommended by Sunbrella.

Click to expand...

No, I know exactly what I am thinking of. I use the 303 Aerospace protectant. Here's what they say about their product:

303 is THE LEADER in UV Screening Technology. 303 Aerospace Protectant really is like "SPF 40 Sunscreen ... For Your Stuff." Regular use gives 100% Prevention of UV caused slow-fade with regular use. No other "protectant" beautifies as intensely, protects as powerfully or lasts as long.

Description

Originally engineered for aerospace and aviation applications, 303? Aerospace Protectant™ is a premium surface treatment that provides superior protection against harmful UV rays that cause discoloration, fading, embrittlement, cracking, chalking and/or loss of mechanical properties.

Key Benefits

Keeps treated surfaces looking new
Prevents fading and cracking
Restores lost color and luster
Powerful UV blockers
Anti-Static, repels smudges, dust, soiling and staining
Matte finish with no oily and greasy residue
Easy to use, simply spray on and wipe dry
Recommended Applications

Safe and effective on vinyl, clear vinyl, gel-coat, fiberglass, carbon fiber, synthetic/natural rubber, plastics and finished leather. Good for use on: dashboards, automotive leathers, black plastic fenders, plexiglass, vinyl decals, door & trunk seals, vinyl convertible tops, boats & RV seats, Tonneau covers, Dacron sails, inflatable boats, spa covers, and much, much more!

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Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

Errr, Uhhh I think that is what I said (with picture) in a much more brief post however.
The aerospace protectant is for vinyl.
The fabric guard is not.

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

So fabric guard is made for canvas?......Becouse i need to do my Canvas cover...no its not vinyl.

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

81 Checkmate said:

So fabric guard is made for canvas?......Becouse i need to do my Canvas cover...no its not vinyl.

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YES !!:joyous:

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

well my British .303 will put holes in both fabric and vinyl...

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

That Brittish 303 was probably used in the (Enfield) back in 1917.

Re: thought I'd share my boat canvas cover water proofing story

Thanks Big, I'll be sure to pass this tip on to my "reader"

Biggredd said:

Bought a 1996 21' open Bow marada i/o last year. Has a snap on cover for the bow and then a cover that goes along the windshield all the way back to the engine covers. Every time it rains it gets soaking wet inside because the water proofing had long worn out. Went and bought 2 cans of scotch guard type spray at Walmart in the camping section. They had 2 kinds, one with an orange cap and another that said it works better than other brands (I'll have to follow up with the specific brand when I get off work), I used the one that said works better...but I used both cans on my canvas covers and built some pvc structures to pop up the sagging middle areas. Rained pretty good last night and you could just watch the water bead up and roll off. Was fun to watch it actually work as advertised. Might get a third just to tidy it up but I'm pretty happy I finally got around to doing it. even pooled up in one spot where I didn't brace the pvc properly and it didn't just soak into the canvas, stayed pooled for a bit. so good things to say. Just thought I'd share.

Click to expand...