Fixing gelcoat spider cracks

Spider cracks can indicate impact damage or serious structural problems that will need to be addressed to prevent spreading, but most often they result from relatively inflexible gelcoat that is too thick. It is starting to show its age with stress cracks from being dropped on portages, etc. Extensive spider cracking common on older boats is due to aging of the gelcoat. In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into the fiberglass and cause more serious damage.

You dont always have to have a 10 year old boat to be experiencing this problem. One manufacturer use to just sand and polish spider cracks especially on runabouts with metal flake gelcoat. It developed these probably 4 years ago and ive had no issues with water entry or gelcoat chipping, bubbling or peeling away. Heres an easy way to fix and color stress cracks in seconds and its so tough it comes with a 3 year durability guarantee magicezy hairline fix is a revolutionary precolored fiberglass and gelcoat repair product that fixes and colors fine stress cracks spider cracks, and hairline fractures fast in one application it penetrates deeply into the pores of even the finest. Grind out all the cracks in the gelcoat, re gelcoat and put a new nonskid in. It was a quick way to make it look better for a while anyway, but the cracks always reappeared later. Sometimes, however, spider cracks offer a path for water to get into contact with. Spider cracks in gelcoat moderated discussion areas. How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in boat. Feb 24, 2014 from what i know from reading posts here, i would need a dremel tool to create a gorge on the gelcoat crack before applying the gelcoat putty. In such cases, grinding off the gelcoat for wholesale refinishing is the best approach. We have this awesome boat that just cannot take enough of a beating, but the gelcoat in some spots seems to craze, or spider web. The next thing to so is to carefully sand the surface of the repair using a rag and some acetone solvent.

Ralph, since you got me interested in gelcoat repair one or two per year, i believe you would have some answers for me. Boatus magazines mark corke shows you how to easily repair those pesky spider cracks that show up in your boats fiberglass gelcoat. Gelcoat is a fiberglass resin that has had a pigment added to it. Step 3 now, once youve removed all hardware, toerails, and other paraphernalia. One quick and easy way to repair gelcoat stress cracks yourself is by using magicezy hairline fix a purpose built diy repair solution for stress cracks in gelcoat and fiberglass. You may be able to use a twopart epoxy to fix some cracks. With time, it is possible that gelcoat can become cracked, simply through wear and tear or a specific incidence of damage. They can occur in any form of fiberglass, including cars, boats and swimming pools. Heres a small example of what things looked like before i started, cracks highlighted with a sharpie pen so theyre easier to see.

In this case the cracks need to be examined closely. You can successfully complete basic fiberglass boat repair by following these steps. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Jun 06, 2018 learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the hull of your dinghy.

Repairing minor damage to the gelcoat surface of your boat west. In this case the cracks need to be examined closely, even chipped away at, to see if they extend through the gelcoats 0. Malibu had used two different colors of white in 2002. My westsail, still in kit form, has spider cracks all over the deck. Boat gelcoat stress cracks are a common problem within the marine world when it comes to fiberglass gelcoat boats, a. Using sandpaper, you should be able to sand thoroughly into the depths of the crack so that the edges are smooth. Using highbuild primer to repair fiberglass crazing. How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass free online repair. When gelcoat is dry, sand the surface flush with the surrounding surface. This resin can be used as a protective surface over the top of fiberglass, or simply as a finish, much like you might varnish a piece of outdoor furniture. Nov 29, 2018 i ground out the cracks using a dremmel tool, then filled the cracks with color matched gelcoat material from spectrum color. My hull just developed spider cracking on both sides,that go parallel about 5 inches in lenght,then web out 10 inches on both sides of the hull. Both delamination and cracks are very expensive and sometimes impossible to properly repair unless the complete sidewall of the unit is removed and replaced.

I got about 30 gelcoat cracks on it, just tiny line cracks on the top part of the hull only. I am doing lots of reserch and want to do this rjght so i need to be clear on which processes to. These cracks are generally cosmetic, and indicate flexing of the hull. Hairline cracks, stress cracks or spider cracks star cracks that occur in gelcoat surfaces on fiberglass boats or other water craft are often seen as a cosmetic issue. Dec 29, 2017 in this case the cracks need to be examined closely. Is there information and advice available on repairing these cracks. All gelcoat is, is nonreinforced tinted fiberglass.

Small cracks form in the outer surface of the fiberglass, spreading out from a central point like a spiderweb. Stress by thermal expansion or when bulkheads and liners were installed can cause minor flexing. Cracked resin solid surface sinks should be repaired right away to prevent leaks. What wont work is to paint over the crazing with new gelcoat. Ive had my 1971 sunfish for more than five years, and for the first three it never leaked a drop. Though smooth and relatively durable, gelcoat, like any finish, is prone to dings and scratches. If you want them gone, take the time to do the job right and do the boat justice. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or.

Fixing gel coat spider cracks 2002 malibu vlx share your completed boat projects. When looking at cracks you may find that there are generally two different types. You may want to apply colored gelcoat enamel over the repaired area, so the repair wont be so noticeable. Clean the area with acetone and a rag to remove any dirt or other impurities. Learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the. The gelcoat is pretty runny and you arent able to get much to stick with it being on the underside of the boat. I believe hes descibing crazing and spidering not actual flex caused depth cracks. This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks. Thoroughly wash and dry the area, and remove all obvious surface contaminants with a rag dipped in a strong solvent like acetone. Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and although it usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can grow, deepen, and eventually threaten your boats. Honda was going to redo the gelcoat then they changed their mind. If it is applied too thickly, expansion and contraction of the hull due to temp will cause gel coat cracking.

These might be in a parallel pattern or a nondirectional pattern. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. I dont really care, its just cosmetic and i havent seen any new ones since. If not managed, these small cosmetic annoyances can lead to bigger problems down the road. Cracks right through the gelcoat, especially if they originate at slide corners, are. Magic fix for hairline cracks in gelcoat practical sailor. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. Because there is no fiber in it, over time it will crack because the hull naturally flexes a bit. Step 1 figure out what caused the cracks to begin with. This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull.

How to repair spiderweb cracks in fiberglass with gelcoat. How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in boat gelcoat. Solid surface repair kits are also available, but some deep cracks require a. It can be difficult to diagnose spider cracks, especially when youre not aware of them. Jul 17, 2017 buff out the repaired area, using the orbiter sander, a buffing wheel and buffing compound. Sometimes, however, spider cracks offer a path for water to get into contact with the fiberglass structure under the gelcoat. Structural flexing may not the only cause of spider cracks. These types of cracks are no the same as impact or flex cracks and only go so deep into the gelcoating and would not require digging out to repair. Magicezy hairline fix is a onepart, pretinted available in 10 colors sealant that allows you to complete the repair in seconds without having to grind out the existing damage.

I didnt hit any thing but did some wave jumping 1 to 3 waves. Learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the hull of your dinghy. The cracks are called spider cracks, and they are normal for a gel coat finished boat. The crack ran from the corner of the kitchen window at an angle down toward an access panel. Fixing gel coat spider cracks 2002 malibu vlx fiberglass. I flew up to tokyo yesterday and back on the 15th, so will take some pics for ya then. The gelcoat is clear, and i really dont want to paint the. Sand the damaged area with 100grit sandpaper to roughen the surface. Gelcoat surface damage 1 dings 2 dents 3 gouges 4 small holes. Jun 06, 2016 when looking at cracks you may find that there are generally two different types. We have this awesome boat that just cannot take enough of a beating, but. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. Eventually they went to fixing the cracks the correct way of grinding out the gelcoat and lamination layers that were damaged. It has been sitting on the hard in the sun for the past 30 years.

Fixing them can involve more than just slapping on some gelcoat, however, and that is where we come in. Grind out all the cracks in the gelcoat, regelcoat and put a new nonskid in. The good news is that spider cracks can be far easier to handle once you know what to do. You should add a layer of scuffing to the cracks at a wider point than you would need. The cracks are purely cosemetic, and not structural to the boat. Inspite of this hairline cracks are not unusual on boats. Gelcoat doesnt flex at the same rate as the underlying fiberglass layer fiberglass is more flexible, so stress cracks appeared all over. The next time youre cleaning and waxing your boat, take the time to look for small cracks, scratches and chips in its gel coat. Measure a small amount of gelcoat, which is a thick form of fiberglass resin. Fill the crack with a fair amount of fiberglass epoxy resin, using a plastic applicator. How to repair cracks and chips in damaged gelcoat duration. Gelcoat thickness will be greater as will layers of cloth underneath.

This is usually evidenced by a concentric ring pattern as opposed to random crisscross spider webbing. Thermal fatigue cracks when gelcoat repeatedly expands or contracts. Heres an easy way to fix and color stress cracks in seconds and its so tough it comes with a 3 year durability guarantee magicezy hairline fix is a revolutionary precolored fiberglass and gelcoat repair product that fixes and colors fine stress cracks spider cracks, and hairline fractures fast in one application. The first step needs to be ensuring that your spider cracks are just that, and not a sign of a soggy core, or a broken support. Spider cracks are small, hairlike cracks that appear on the gelcoat of boats. Cracks from larger issuesa winch, for example, that was inadequately mountedwill need to be. When the area is dry, smooth the surface with sandpaper. Heres everything youll need to know to repair these cracks. Before you can start to fix crazing, clear the area of any obstructions and remove all hardware that covers or obscures any part of the cracks. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. For the most part, the cracks i had to fix were near the bottom of the drive hole, but i had a few damaged areas up in the red section of the deck where the boat had previously suffered some sort of hit likely smacked the dock and long cracks originating from where the pitot tubes had been installed by the dealer and the gelcoat had been terribly cracked in the process. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for. Apply gelcoat with a putty knife or plastic spreader.

Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. Cosmetic gelcoat surface damage 1 small scratches 2 hairlinespider cracks 3 gelcoat chips. Fixing leak and repairing gelcoat and gelcoat cracks. The epoxy fills and seals the cracks, and the polyurethane restores the color and gloss. Step 2 then toughen the laminate that contains the crack or cracks by solidifying it. The location of the cracking is the center of the hull,about 5 inches down from the bump molding. Spider cracks can indicate impact damage or serious structural. The kit will include a bonding agent, stir stick, small container, catalyst, spreader tool, color match paint and.

Dec 06, 2017 spider cracks can indicate impact damage or serious structural problems that will need to be addressed to prevent spreading, but most often they result from relatively inflexible gelcoat that is too thick. I found a bunch of spider cracks on the bottom of the boat. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or impacts. A couple of summers ago, however, after returning from a sail i discovered that the cat bag from the inspection port was wet.

How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass free online. An older class c minihome i once owned also had cracks at both lower corners of the window in the center of the back wall. These are the easiest cracks to fix as theyre not very deep. From what i know from reading posts here, i would need a dremel tool to create a gorge on the gelcoat crack before applying the gelcoat putty. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. I have a bell northstar blackgold canoe that is now about 19 years old. Cracks can also spread out and further damage the sink. May 27, 2009 the other cause of gelcoat cracking is impact. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Nov 15, 2018 spider cracks are a thorn in many boaters side.

Radial cracks spider cracks, star cracks caused by impact or by a fixture bolt that puts strain on a certain area of a boat and cracks occur around the hole. As far as how they did in detail, not 100% sure, just know they laid down a sheet on another area that can take the pattern, then pull off in a couple days, then spray the gel and then apply a sheet of fibre. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. If you dont want to use paint, you can grind away most of the crazed gelcoat and replace it with a fresh application of colormatching gelcoat paste. Fiberglass fenders, need advicehairline crack repair. I have a 2005 r12x with 7 hours on it, bought brand new leftover this year. The gel coat cracks are simply cracks in the cosmetic layer thats put over the top to keep the rv looking shiny. Otherwise clean them out, polish up the boat as best you can and live with them. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying awlgrip paint. Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and although it usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these. The lower 14 of the transom was rotted, allowing the outer skin to flex. 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 limited to the fiberglass exterior.