subject: How To Repair Fiberglass Boat Floors? [print this page] If you find a hole in the deck of your boat very little can be more irritating. If you own a wooden boat, fixes can quickly become expensive. If you are fortunate enough to own a fiberglass boat, you will be thankful to know that it will be moderately easy to repair that hole in the flooring yourself at a minimal price. To conduct the fixes on your own, you will need the following things that are obtainable from any local boating supply store:
Required tools and Materials:
Sandpaper or disk sander
Marker
Knife
Brush
Wax paper
Fiberglass repair kit
Formica or Plexiglas
Gel-coat
Acetone
Instructions:
Step one: determine the extent of the damage.
Holes in your floor will commonly extend past what is visible. Closely study the hole and the immediate region to settle on the extent of the damage and remove loose material using sandpaper.
Step two:
using the acetone, remove any wax that may be present on the flooring.
Step three:
with a marker, draw an oval around the damaged area and remove it with a knife or small hand saw then draw another oval that is at least a half inch away from all edges of the cut out hole.
Step four:
Sand the area using the sandpaper or power sander up the point of this new oval until it appears completely dull and clean once more with acetone to remove the extra dust. If dust, dirt, or other impurities stay, they could prevent the patch from working.
Step five:
Give a heavy coat of paste wax ensuring that you dont get any on the edges of the hole. This will prevent runs from the gel coat from clinging
Step six:
Mix gel-coat matching the product's directions, and apply to the hole/crack with a putty knife. If the damaged area not too deep, you will be able to apply the gel-coat with a brush.
Step seven:
Cover the gel-coat with wax paper.
Step eight:
Allow the gel coat time to harden. After the gel-coat has hardened, get rid of the wax paper and lightly sand it until it is smooth. Setting time for the gel-coat will depend upon the heaviness of the application. This can take a total of two hours but there is nothing wrong with letting it harden overnight if you have the time. Check the manufacturer's instructions for this info.
Step nine:
Put On a coat of paste wax which will help the gel-coat to set completely. Applying too much might however,
make the application to cook resulting in in a weak repair.
Step ten:
Use acetone to clean the tools you used to make the repair.
Tips & Warnings
Work carefully and stick to the directions that come with your repair kit step by step.
Work in a well-ventilated area to protect yourself from the fumes of the acetone and the gel-coat.
When sanding, use a dust mask and protective goggles to stop inhalation of dust and to protect your eyes.
Never try to keep broken fiberglass; always cut it out and replace it.
by: sadie.backhurst
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