How to Repair Fiberglass Cracks on Boats
When you notice fiberglass cracks on your boat, you need to repair them at once before they become worse. The first step in repairing fiberglass cracks is to assess the damage. Only then will you be able to determine the appropriate steps to take.
One common type of fiberglass crack is caused by simple stress. This type of damage can be fixed by grounding out the stress crack. To ground out the crack, you have to pinpoint its exact location in your boat. Using a buffer or sander, remove the layers of good fiberglass until the cracked layer of fiberglass becomes visible.
You need a 36-grit sand paper for this process. Attach the sand paper to a sander and start sanding the layer.
Another type of fiberglass crack is caused by voids. Voids are low spots within the fiberglass. Normally, in this case, the gel coating within the layer does not come into contact with the fiberglass. Grounding out can also solve this problem. Using 36-grit sandpaper attached to a sander, ground out the area of the void. Do this until you reach the end of the fiberglass void.
Whichever type of fiberglass crack you encounter, you need to apply new layers of fiberglass on the area you are repairing. A fiberglass kit is what you need in this procedure. Correctly shape the replacement layers of fiberglass. Place the layers on the area, letting each layer set and take the form of the spot before placing the next one. Finally, apply the gel coating, and make sure it touches the fiberglass.
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