Sunbrella hood - or not ??

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Deefor

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When we bought our brand new boat back in May 2012, we specified to the builder that we wanted a Sunbrella hood and they duly employed a third party to make and fit it.

Since May, I've only washed it three times and strictly in accordance with how Sunbrella say you should clean it:

General or light cleaningTo clean Sunbrella while still on a boat, follow these simple steps:
Brush off loose dirt.
Hose down.
Prepare a cleaning solution of water and mild detergent such as Woolite or Dawn dishwashing liquid.
Use a soft bristle brush to clean.
Allow cleaning solution to soak into the fabric.
Rinse thoroughly until all detergent residue is removed.
Air dry.
May not require re-treatment depending on the age of the fabric.

I've noticed recently that if I flick or ping the inside of the cover in the cockpit, water and moisture comes through from the outside :confused:. Sunbrella say that this shouldn't happen after such a short time scale and shouldn't need re-proofing. They even said it may not be Sunbrella material.

So guys, do you think I've got a Sunbrella hood or have I been fobbed off with an inferior acrylic canvas? Seems there's no way to tell if it's Sunbrella - or is there?
 
Our boat came with Sunbrella covers 8 years ago and despite a few washes we have not seen the leaking you describe.

Based on what I've seen, Sunbrella has a "rougher" texture than many other types of canvas and you may be able to recognise it easily, once you have seen it.
 
I suspect this is the clue

"May not require re-treatment depending on the age of the fabric."

Cleaning it that many times since May seem allot though - i just hose mine off and have never really had the need to actually "clean" it
 
take some close up pics and post so we can acess colour and texture.sunbrella is the same both sides and sounds as if you may have been taken 4 a ride but hard to tell without seeing in real life as some do try to mimic the best.
 
dingdongs said:
take some close up pics and post so we can acess colour and texture.sunbrella is the same both sides and sounds as if you may have been taken 4 a ride but hard to tell without seeing in real life as some do try to mimic the best.
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Will get some pics up when hood has dried out, god knows whan that'll be.

I'm guessing I really need to re-proof the hood as a matter of urgency but the weather's against me to do it outside, so is time. Could take it indoors at work but would mean throwing a tarp over the cockpit - more hassle :mad:.
 
Acrylic canvas comes in proofed and un-proofed types, the latter being much cheaper. Sounds like you've got some of that. 'Sunbrella' has become a bit generic as a name for acrylic canvas like 'Hoover' for vacuum cleaners. Reproofing is pretty easy using an aerosol but if you've paid for 'Sunbrella' and not got it then you've paid well over the top.
 
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PCUK said:
Acrylic canvas comes in proofed and un-proofed types, the latter being much cheaper. Sounds like you've got some of that. 'Sunbrella' has become a bit generic like as a name for acrylic canvas like 'Hoover' for vacuum cleaners. Reproofing is pretty easy using an aerosol but if you've paid for 'Sunbrella' and not got it then you've paid well over the top.
Click to expand...

Before I first washed it, the rainwater would bead up on the flat, horizontal surfaces, just like you'd expect it to. Now, 7 months on and just a few washes with a mild soapy solution (as per Sunbrella atricle), there's no beading up at all.

So, it would appear that there could be two issues, i) It's standard Sunbrella, not Sunbrella Plus (?), ii) trying to work out and prove what we've got is actually Sunbrella, and then pursuing this with the builder.

Happy times eh :(.
 
Deefor said:
When we bought our brand new boat back in May 2012, we specified to the builder that we wanted a Sunbrella hood and they duly employed a third party to make and fit it.

Since May, I've only washed it three times and strictly in accordance with how Sunbrella say you should clean it:

General or light cleaningTo clean Sunbrella while still on a boat, follow these simple steps:
Brush off loose dirt.
Hose down.
Prepare a cleaning solution of water and mild detergent such as Woolite or Dawn dishwashing liquid.
Use a soft bristle brush to clean.
Allow cleaning solution to soak into the fabric.
Rinse thoroughly until all detergent residue is removed.
Air dry.
May not require re-treatment depending on the age of the fabric.

I've noticed recently that if I flick or ping the inside of the cover in the cockpit, water and moisture comes through from the outside :confused:. Sunbrella say that this shouldn't happen after such a short time scale and shouldn't need re-proofing. They even said it may not be Sunbrella material.

So guys, do you think I've got a Sunbrella hood or have I been fobbed off with an inferior acrylic canvas? Seems there's no way to tell if it's Sunbrella - or is there?
Click to expand...


Have you written confirmation from the supplier that they have used Sunbrella fabric - If it is subsequently proved that they have not then they are in breach off contract - I would check the fabric before you clean it again as this may invalidate the warranty etc etc - Ask Sunbrella to send you some samples before they close for the festive recess then you can easily check these against what has been supplied -trust this assists - merry xmas ;)
 
LionsDen said:
Have you written confirmation from the supplier that they have used Sunbrella fabric - If it is subsequently proved that they have not then they are in breach off contract - I would check the fabric before you clean it again as this may invalidate the warranty etc etc - Ask Sunbrella to send you some samples before they close for the festive recess then you can easily check these against what has been supplied -trust this assists - merry xmas ;)
Click to expand...

Liking the idea of getting some genuine Suinbrella samples to compare ;).
 
My spray hood has a Sunbrella tag sewn into it. Look for a recent Beneteau Oceanis with Beneteau logo sewn onto the hood. You should be able to see the texture for comparison. Mine is 3 years old and after a good wash this year I reproofed it more to prevent mildew than to stop it leaking which it wasn't.
 
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