How do you fix soft spots on a boat?

Fiberglass delamination can be fixed by drilling small holes into the fiberglass surface of your boat. You can inject the materials you want, such as resin or other fillers, and a west system that dries and becomes solid rock protecting the fiberglass surface of your boat.

Correspondingly, what causes soft spots on boats?

Hi Jeff, Normally, a soft spot is caused when the foam beneath the fiberglass deck gets compressed. The fiberglass usually pops back into place but the foam remains compressed. Soft spots can be caused several ways. The most common is body weight being bounced up & down in the same spot.

One may also ask, how do you repair gelcoat blisters? Find And Grind

Break open each blister.
Grind away the broken dome of the blister.
Scrub until squeaky clean with a stiff brush.
Paint the inside of each cavity with epoxy resin.
Trowel the filler into the cavity, smooth it, and then fair it.

Also Know, how much does it cost to replace a boat floor?

Having said that, The floor itself can be replaced by yourself. The structural members also but be aware that the materials required are pretty expensive. Just the wood alone for the floor will cost you $200 plus and then you need fibreglass. Figure $500 just to replace the floor.

What do stringers do on a boat?

Boat stringers are wooden lengths typically found in older boats or pre-fabricated fiberglass molds in newer vessels. They are designed in a lattice or grid system to create a supporting structure underneath a boat deck. Stringers are similar to how joists would hold up the floorboards in a house.

39 Related Question Answers Found

Do fiberglass boats rot?

Fiberglass won't rot but it will get brittle from UV exposure. That's why it's usually protected with a coat of paint or gelcoat.

How do you strengthen a fiberglass boat?

Cut fiberglass sheets to fit over the weak areas in the fiberglass and any other area that you want to reinforce. Apply resin to the surface with a paint brush. Press the fiberglass sheets into the resin. Apply a second layer of resin over the fiberglass sheets.

How do I know if my boat floor is rotten?

Try to look at transom and other areas with thru hull fittings from inside boat with flash light where there is no gelcoat and rot will show up as darker or black wood behind glass if it was not painted. You may also see black or dark brown water stains oozing out of the thru hull fittings.

When did Wellcraft stop using wood?

Wellcraft phased out wood in stages in the CC's. No wood in the stringers in about 97, no wood in the transoms in about 98 or 99. No wood at all in the boats around 04.

What is Git Rot?

Product description. GIT-ROT is the perfect cure for dry rot. Restores strength of wood. Pours into finest openings, penetrates deep and completely saturates wood, arresting progress of dry rot by encapsulating fibers.Cures into tough, resilient adhesive that bonds wood members together with mass stronger than original

How do you repair rotted wood in a fiberglass boat?

Repairing local core damage

Drill a pattern of 3/16″ diameter holes over the rotted area.
Dry the area thoroughly.
Inject or pour resin/hardener mixture into the holes while the core is warm.
Continue to add epoxy to the holes until the wood can no longer absorb more.

What are boat floors made of?

Boat makers usually give you a boat bottom of either wood, fiberglass or metal (mostly steel) on top of which your actual flooring material is placed. This flooring material in boats is made up of more loosely-laid materials which may include laminates, tiling or vinyl.

How do you fix rotted wood on a boat?

Treat any wood left inside with CPES™. Cut new wood and treat with CPES™ and insert into transom, clamp/epoxy-glue it to the back of the transom, fill in all gaps with either the Fill-It™ epoxy filler or a putty-mix of the L&L Resin™, and then re-glass the inside. It's real work.

How much does it cost to redo interior of a boat?

If you do all the removal and just get your upholstery guy to make the new covers from the (saved) old ones and then you put it all back it can be done for around 600-700. Otherwise it will be closer to $2000 - 3000. A full interior will run about $3500 +/- a little bit. That will vary based on location.

How long will marine plywood last?

Marine Plywood offers high resistance to water, fungus and damp. It is composed of durable face and core veneers and should be free of voids. Essentially you are paying for the time it will last when exposed to harsh environments. Some ply is guaranteed for 15 and 25 years depending on where and what you purchase.

How much does it cost to re fiberglass a boat?

Most hired-out repairs of any type are roughly 50 percent labor and 50 percent materials. Not so with this fix—hull repairs are all about labor. The repairs on this boat would cost roughly $3,000 at a shop. But the materials only cost about $250 and the buffer about $150!

How do you redo a fiberglass boat floor?

Step 1 - Remove the Damaged Flooring

The most common material used for boat flooring is BC plywood, and it is also used for fiberglass boats in particular. Start removing the old damaged material using an electric saw to cut it; if the stringers and bulkheads are rotten, get them replaced with fiberglass ones.

How much is it to restore a boat?

So as you can see a complete restoration even for a user boat could cost over $3000/foot.

Can you use pressure treated plywood on a boat?

marine plywood is made for striength not rot resistant. pressure treated is made to resist rot. you would use pressure treated plywood perhaps for a seat base to be upholstered over.

How thick should Plywood be on a boat floor?

Use a good grade 1/2 to 5/8 plywood (I used 3/4) you should cover the bottom side with fiberglass cloth, make sure you use a 24 to 36 grid pad to rough up the wood prior to laying your cloth down.

How many layers of fiberglass do I need for my boat floor?

An expert can lay three layers right on top of each other, most of us amateurs can't pull this off! So rely on a good mechanical bond to hold the layers together. The nice thing about fiberglass/resin work is that after it dries you can fix your mistakes.

What causes gelcoat blisters?

Blisters occur when water that has penetrated the laminate dissolves water soluble materials within the laminate and accumulates in voids or cavities below the gelcoat layer.