DIY waterproofing of fabric

[jimmcgee]

Don't know if this has been posted before , but its the first time I have seen it , and we all have a tube of silicone lying on the boat :encouragement:.

https://classicmotorsports.com/forum/tech-tips/diy-waterproofing-of-fabric-type-things/145274/page1/

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=DIY+waterproofing+of+fabric

 

[simonfraser]

that is cool, any one done this to boat fabric enclosures ?
how well does it last ?

fabsil gold looks promising

 

[pagoda]

that is cool, any one done this to boat fabric enclosures ?
how well does it last ?

Interesting, I am guessing there is some non-smelly version of "White spirit"/ turps substitute available? Never seen it mind you. There are some variants of silicone with fungicide, so they might add further protection from moulds?

I have had limited success with commercial re-proofing sprays. They work well for a short while, then start leaking through again. And they don't really discourage mould/algae...

 

[greeny]

Just a thought that this home made mix may be very similar in content to the waterproofing products that are available for brickwork and stone and are relatively cheaply available from building suppliers and hardware stores. Some of these are also water based I think so the smell may be better.

 

[lw395]

Just a thought that this home made mix may be very similar in content to the waterproofing products that are available for brickwork and stone and are relatively cheaply available from building suppliers and hardware stores. Some of these are also water based I think so the smell may be better.

Thompson's 'Water Seal' does work fairly well. The modern stuff is waterbased.
But not like a plastic membrane when it comes to water pooling on top of the fabric.
I used it on a dinghy cover or two.

Personally I would be a bit more cautious with fabric that's going to be close to my skin for any length of time.

 

[Spyro]

I used Thomson waterseal on my old sprayhood. Work well and easy to apply with a paintbrush

 

[Laysula]

I reproofed a sailcover with Thompsons waterseal on a pontoon at Conwy years ago. The outline was still there when I left years ago. It's probably still there now.

 

[HunterWanderer]

I've waterproofed quite a lot of things from sail covers to jackets and overtrousers with 20% clear sealant Toolstation 95706 and low odour white spirit Toolstation 22164.
Make sure its well mixed then just apply with brush or roller.
Works really well and never washes out.
The material also stays breathable.

 

[Ardenfour]

Does using silicon in this way not contaminate all that it rubs against? Bad thing, surely, on grp if you ever want to do repairs for example

 

[simonfraser]

Used Fabsil last week on the aft canopy, raining nicely today, excellent result.
Recon it dried in less than an hour in the blazing sun.
There was dew on the inside of some of the canopy in the past, bone dry now.
Blue color is slightly darker, nice matt finish.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Silicone sealant is universally despised by forum readers so it's unlikely that any of us will have a tube "lying around".
Commercial proofer is not expensive if bought from a camping store.

 

[Yngmar]

Silicone + white spirit (or probably a different, less smelly solvent) is apparently what commercial seam sealers for tents are made of. I've used this method on some leaky seams of our cockpit tent last winter, and while it did take three applications, it did eventually work. Didn't look too pretty though, as it darkened the canvas a bit. Breathability is obviously out of the window if you do the entire canvas in it.

 

[vyv_cox]

To find the old-fashioned method I can recommend the book 'two years before the mast'. I cannot imagine what they all smelled like! The book is available on free download, well worth reading.