Monday, January 11, 2016

How To Restore Faded Fiberglass: Step By Step

By Jennifer Cook


Unlike decades ago when the boats were made of wood and metals, almost all pleasure boats are made of fiberglass today. They give better final products, are easier to make, and weighs less in comparison to wood and metal. They are also known to last for a very long time, and it is no surprise that all boat owners prefer them over any other material. In order to maintain the beauty and elegance of your pleasure boat, you need the tips on how to restore faded fiberglass using waxes, polishes, and the sealers.

The process starts with cleaning. This should be done thoroughly to make sure that the surface is ready for the next step. In order to clean, just add one cup of a cleaning detergent to a gallon of warm water for better results. Stir to form a solution. A sponge is then used to wash the surface. Should the surface have mildew, the household bleach added to the solution is used to remove tough stains.

The second step it to clear gelcoat or the glass surface of any oil or grease. Given that the gelcoat may be porous, the detergent often fails to clear all grease and oil. The ideal solutions to use include acetone or MEK. Just soak a rag in the chosen solution and use it to clear any grease. When doing this, it is advisable to always protect yourself using skin rubber gloves.

In order to completely remove grease and oil, the solutions like acetone and MEK offers good result. All that is required is to wipe the greasy surface using a rag soaked with the chosen solution.

This is followed with polishing and waxing comes as the last step. The two steps are likely to restore the shine, but this may not last for two or more months, in fact, it may be difficult to get the same finish as the new one in the showroom. The gelcoat surface normally has several microscopic pits, and these trap air, therefore, enabling oxidation to continue underneath even after polishing and waxing.

After waxing, the next step is polishing. A polish is simply an abrasive, but not a coating. Rather than coating, it removes the pitted surface. The procedure involves using a soft cloth to apply the polish to small areas at a time. This is done by circular motion rubbing to get a glassy appearance. This is then followed by a wax application to protect the new coat.

Waxing should be the last step. It is used to offer the barrier between the elements and the gelcoat surface. If applied regularly, it can keep the boat in good condition for a long time. However, for older and faded boats, it is the last procedure after cleaning, polishing, and the application of sealers. It traps air in the microscopic surface crevices and holes allowing oxidation to continue after a while. This is the reason behind fading just after a month or two after cleaning and waxing. This put emphasis on the polishing and the sealers application.

First, apply it on the surface, after which a power buffer is then used. It results to a uniform color. In case it does not give a shiny finish, the surface is normally polished. The polish gives the final shine that you are looking for. The wax should always follow polishing, a good paste wax is enough to give the surface a new finish, similar to that in the showroom.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment