How to repair stress cracks in fiberglass boat

Simply wipe the area with a wet cloth so the cracks or fractured fiberglass will appear as white lines in the laminate. Go at it with an electric grinder or very coarse sandpaper.

Boat gelcoat stress cracks are a common problem within the marine world when it comes to fiberglass gelcoat boats aka.

How to repair stress cracks in fiberglass boat. To repair this type of cracking remove the gelcoat from the area and inspect the fiberglass for deeper cracks. Simply wipe the area with a wet cloth so the cracks or fractured fiberglass will appear as white lines in the laminate. Continue until the fractured laminate is removed then do a traditional fiberglass repair following these steps.

Sometimes a stress crack can reappear though even if all the repair work was done properly. Sometimes if large surface areas are compromised underneath in the fiberglass stress cracks can reoccur. Or perhaps there is an entire weak area of fiberglass near the area of the original stress crack.

Repairing structural cracks involves several steps. First remove all wax and grease from the work area by wiping down the area with acetone and a clean rag. Next use a sander and coarse grit sandpaper to expose grind away the crack.

To diagnose spider cracks inspect your boat and look for the following. Small cracks forming especially at the surface of the fiberglass. Cracks spreading out from the center much as you would see in a spider web.

Once youre sure youre dealing with these types of cracks in the outer gel coat of the fiberglass your fix can be. Fiberglass is a strong and versatile material that can be used to make a variety of things including bumpers showers and boats. While it is a useful and lightweight material it can be damaged relatively easily.

Home Boat Design Forums Construction Boatbuilding Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building Best method to repair stress cracks. Discussion in Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building started by grady Jul 24 2007. Fixing small stress cracks in fiberflass Thanks guys.

Just to let you know I was given a 22ft. Forester Cutty Cabin and Im currently restoring it from stem to stern. So Im sure youll be seeing alot of me.

Ive owned a 30 ft wood boata Pembroke huge pain in the butt and an 18 ft cc Starcraft. So this is mt first fiberglass boat project. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best.

Stress cracks spider cracks and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are of course not rare. Sometimes theyre merely cosmetic meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. Being that this boat was a Christmas gift from my wife of 30 plus years a I would like it to be repaired right and that is the cause of my hesitation trying to do it myself or let someone who says that they are a fiberglass repair professional do the job you just dont know who to trust and you could get it back in worst shape then when.

Discovering fiberglass cracks on a boat is every boat owners nightmare. Although fiberglass can be considered as a sturdy type of material cracks cannot be avoided due to the constant stress a boat can encounter on sea. Boat gelcoat stress cracks are a common problem within the marine world when it comes to fiberglass gelcoat boats aka.

You dont always have to have a 10 year old boat. They can occur in any form of fiberglass including cars boats and swimming pools. Small cracks form in the outer surface of the fiberglass spreading out from a central point like a spiderweb.

These cracks do not affect the structural integrity of the fiberglass but are an aesthetic issue. Fortunately spider cracks are not difficult to repair. Crazing in gelcoat also known as spider cracks or stress cracks plagues countless boaters and is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats.

Although this usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics in severe cases these surface cracks can grow deepen and eventually threaten your boats structural integrity. Heres how to fix the problem. Cracks in fiberglass of bilge area.

That ugly gooey water is a bad sign. Before having the motor re-installed drill some holes into the stringers and inspect the wood that comes out. Use a 14 or 12 in bit.

My guess is that water has gotten into the stringers and is rotting them away. Fiberglassing Stress Cracks With TotalBoat Polyester Resin. Boat maintenance and repair expert and master YouTuber Andy Miller is busy in his Wisconsin shop this winter.

Hes taken an old Bertram Moppie powerboat epic yacht if you ask me and many others and is re-doing someone elses restoration. Andy knows too much to settle for. Since the cracks are all the way through the first step is to grind the broken fiberglass back into solid unbroken material.

Go at it with an electric grinder or very coarse sandpaper. Aim for a 12-to-1 taper on the fiberglass so for the thickness of your hull this is 2 to 3 inches past the repair. This method redistributes the stress onto the structural fiberglass and not the fragile gelcoat.

When holes are drilled correctly you can preserve the gelcoat longer without cracking or chipping. How to Repair Gelcoat Cracks. If you choose to do a DIY gelcoat repair you can seal hairline cracks using a DIY repair solution kit.

Also older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking. Stress cracks first appear as very fine hairline cracks. Over time the cracks get larger and the structure may begin to delaminate andor blistering starts to occur.