I recently bought a used boat that has a Sunbrella cover. It is about 15 years old. The cover seems to be in pretty good shape but it had a few small tears here and there so I had a local canvas repair company repair it. The boat was stored inside a garage most of the time but after 15 years the canvas guy recommended that I spray on some silicone based waterproofer which they sold at 38.00 a gallon. (He said it would take the whole gallon on my 16' 5" boat - 6' beam) I opted to look around before buying anything.
I contacted Sunbrella and the only thing they recommend on their material is 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. I've found it in 16 oz, 32 oz and gallon containers. This product covers 75-100 sq feet per 16 oz. I am roughly estimating that I would need around 32 oz. or a little more because I generally tend to over-do things a bit. A 32 oz. bottle is around 26.00 at a local marine store. Holy cow?what are they making this out of?? Liquid Gold?
Here are the email comments from Sunbrella about waterproofing Sunbrella products:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting Sunbrella.com. The knock against Silicone products is that it will make the fabric stiffer, mildew will grow on Silicone, it will only provide protection for a few months (usually one season)and it can discolor the fabric. There are no other companies that provide a product such as 303 that we are aware of. Silicone is less expensive, but the cost you will incur when re-applying the finish will be much more expensive than one treatment with 303.
The best advice we can provide is to shop around at local marine shops/marinas and see what else is out there and what has worked well for others in the same situation. Hope this information helps, please do not hesitate to contact us with any further questions regarding Sunbrella brand fabrics.
Regards,
Sunbrella Customer Service
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm thinking I probably should go with the 303 even though it seems very over priced. Have any of you ever used the 303? Is there a less expensive alternative? Even the gallon size is in the 70.00 - 90.00 range from what I found on the web. I'd like to hear your experiences with your Sunbrella covers.
Thanks
I contacted Sunbrella and the only thing they recommend on their material is 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. I've found it in 16 oz, 32 oz and gallon containers. This product covers 75-100 sq feet per 16 oz. I am roughly estimating that I would need around 32 oz. or a little more because I generally tend to over-do things a bit. A 32 oz. bottle is around 26.00 at a local marine store. Holy cow?what are they making this out of?? Liquid Gold?
Here are the email comments from Sunbrella about waterproofing Sunbrella products:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting Sunbrella.com. The knock against Silicone products is that it will make the fabric stiffer, mildew will grow on Silicone, it will only provide protection for a few months (usually one season)and it can discolor the fabric. There are no other companies that provide a product such as 303 that we are aware of. Silicone is less expensive, but the cost you will incur when re-applying the finish will be much more expensive than one treatment with 303.
The best advice we can provide is to shop around at local marine shops/marinas and see what else is out there and what has worked well for others in the same situation. Hope this information helps, please do not hesitate to contact us with any further questions regarding Sunbrella brand fabrics.
Regards,
Sunbrella Customer Service
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm thinking I probably should go with the 303 even though it seems very over priced. Have any of you ever used the 303? Is there a less expensive alternative? Even the gallon size is in the 70.00 - 90.00 range from what I found on the web. I'd like to hear your experiences with your Sunbrella covers.
Thanks