Gelcoat Restoration

Tips From Experience

Gelcoat and Fiberglass Oxidation

Most people are able to recognize the signs of fiberglass oxidation; dull, chalky type look and feel. The weathering process of your boat is ongoing, and therefore oxidation will gradually accumulate until one day you suddenly realize you need to do something about it. The picture to the right shows the dramatic difference with this before and after shot. I used painters tape to separate the two areas to highlight the dramatic difference of the gelcoat restoration process.

The picture below is the same boat looking from a different view. As you study this picture, you will see the dramatic differences once again. As your eye goes from the amazing shine of the front corner, back towards the dullness of the fiberglass or gelcoat oxidation.

See that shot above...let me start by teaching you some basics about Gelcoat restoration, with the biggest and most important factor being this: working on fiberglass and gelcoat requires dramatically more of everything:

• Polishes.
• Polishing pads.
• Pressure from your hand whether you are trying to polish by hand, or using a polisher.
• Time and effort.

Like I said earlier, gelcoat and fiberglass is much more durable of a material and therefore requires much more effort than working on car paint. But before you go away discouraged, this also represents the good news to many do-it-yourselfers. Because this gelcoat material is so durable, working on it becomes very forgivable for beginners; beginners who are looking to learn how to use a high speed buffer. While it is possible to produce effective results by hand on mild forms of oxidation, anything past the mildest cases of oxidation, to have any lasting or significant results, requires the heat and friction that only a high speed buffer can produce.

Additional Gelcoat Restoration Points:

• Gelcoat is not paint.
• Fiberglass is actually the underlying fiberglass reinforced cloth.
• Gelcoat is the top, colored surface.(An all white "fiberglass" boat, is still a gelcoat top layer simply colored white.
• In most ways, gelcoat can be treated like paint with regards to cleaning, polishing, protecting, etc.
• Gelcoat is much more durable than paint.
• Gelcoat is basically colored resin that is molded atop of the fiberglass cloth.
• Because gelcoat is thicker and more durable than paint, it also becomes much more difficult to restore.
• Traditional methods of paint oxidation removal or restoration, will not be aggressive enough for gelcoat.

Gelcoat Maintenance

First things first, so let me lay out some basics with regards to the care and maintenance of gelcoats. As the adage goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", or words to that effect. And when it comes to maintaining your boat, you really want to prevent yourself from having to go through the gelcoat restoration process if at all possible!

These are the 3 greatest enemies to your boats gelcoat:

1. Dirt
2. Sun
3. Water

I realize I am not telling most of you what you already don't know, but the fact is that the longer your boat is exposed to these variables, the more you have to apply care and protection. Just like RV's, boats take up considerable real estate space and therefore storage is typically an issue, just as the amount of work and effort required to wash, wax, or polish these big ticket items. Knowing all this, we can see why so many of us are faced with oxidation on the gelcoat, or worse, gelcoat restoration!

The Best Fiberglass Wax

Editors Note: A more comprehensive list of products for fiberglass and gelcoats is located over in the right hand column, including detailing clay and washing products. Use any of the secure links to get your products now.

Whether you want to call it fiberglass or gelcoat matters not, the best boat wax is not really a wax at all; that is if we are going with the notion that when we say best, we are really referring to a wax or sealant that is the longest lasting, or most durable. If this is what you are looking for, then look no further than a 100% liquid synthetic polymer sealant. This chemically engineered science known as polymer technology, is the ultimate in protection and durability whether you are applying on car paint, fiberglass, or gelcoats. These synthetic polymers will not work for serious levels of gelcoat restoration, but they are the place to start when looking to apply protection to boats in excellent to good condition.

Meguiars #21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0

Gel Coat Labs All Marine Surface Sealant 16 oz.

Fiberglass Cleaner Wax

Due to the size and living conditions of most boats and RV's, oxidation is a typical problem for most. By combining both a cleaner and wax into a single product, now you can accomplish two steps with one. Remove mild forms of oxidation while applying a layer of protection.

Meguiars Mirror Glaze #50 Marine/RV Cleaner Wax

Gel Coat Labs One-Step Micro-Polish and Sealant 16 oz.

Heavy Duty Gelcoat Restoration

When dealing with heavy layers of gel coat oxidation, the right tools for the job will dramatically effect your results. Use the following kits below to arm yourself with professional grade tools and materials.

Gel Coat Labs and DeWalt

Gel Coat Labs specializes in products tailored specifically for gelcoat restoration, as well as general care including washing and protecting your boat and RV's. Save yourself money with the convenience of getting the best from Gel Coat Labs combined with a professional grade polisher from DeWalt

Gel Coat Labs DeWalt DWP849 Total Polishing Kit

Makita and Meguiar's

My second in professional grade tools and products is from Makita and Meguiar's. By combining he 2 following kits, not only do you have all the necessary tools and products to do heavy duty gelcoat restoration, but with the additional foam pads contained in the Meguiar's polish kit below, you are additionally armed to do every level of car paint polishing as well! As an added note, these polishes from Meguiar's are the exact polishes I still use today professionally whether I am performing fiberglass boat restoration, to polishing car paint at every level.

Makita 9227C Rotary Polisher

Meguiars Swirl-Free Kit for Machine Application

I hope along the way you have become a much more educated consumer when it comes to the gelcoat restoration process. Let me add that there is a great sense of accomplishment when you undertake a project like this, and the satisfaction that comes with learning a new skill is very rewarding. Arming yourself with the right tools is the first step to achieving success.

Home | About Darren | About This Site | Contact Me