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Gelcoat Correction

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What is Gelcoat Correction

What Is Gelcoat Correction?

Understand how we protect your marine vehicle.

Gelcoat is the coating sprayed up against a highly polished mold at the beginning of the fiberglass layup process. This process results in the smooth, mirror-like finish typical of new boats. With the passage of time, unprotected gelcoat will oxidize and eventually take on a chalky appearance. As part of this process, it becomes porous. The more porous it becomes, the more readily it will stain. The process continues until the boat becomes one of the dilapidated wallflowers that we have all seen at the dock. The good news is that nearly all gelcoat can be restored, provided it is not completely worn through.

 

Gelcoat Correction Process 

Step 1 – Remove all surface dirt. To remove the surface dirt, wash your hull and topsides with marine boat soap diluted in water. 

Step 2 – Remove the stains. Nearly all boats have some degree of gelcoat staining. Unfortunately, mere soap and water frequently won’t remove all the stains, which exist at a deeper level within the porous gelcoat surface

Step 3 – Remove the oxidation and restore the shine. Unless your boat is very new, it most likely will have some oxidation. Light oxidation manifests itself as a slight dulling of the gelcoat. Moderate to heavy oxidation can be seen in gelcoat that has a chalk-like powder at the surface.

Step 4 –Protect the shine with a wax. Once you have polished the surface and removed the stains, it is time to seal and protect the surface with a wax. In addition to sealing out oxygen, which prevents oxidation, many waxes contain inhibitors that protect gelcoat against damaging UV light. There are several types of wax, each of which has its adherents.