Add Layer of foam and glass to old boat's hull

dougworm

Recruit
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Messages
3
This may or may not be the dumbest question asked on the=is forum all year for all I know and bear in mind that I am asking purely out of curiosoity at this point (although it may well be something I'm interested in doing down the line if it is possible). The questions is "Can a person more or less simply adhere a layer of foam to the defective old (maybe even blisted cracked?)exterior of a boat's hull and then fiberglass over that just like is done to build some brand new boats! Seems to me that it would work and then if it does it ought to be a common fix for boats with hulls that have become maintenance nightmares??) I am not even sure why I think it would need new layer of foam except that I have goten the idea that one can't simply fix a blistered hull permanently by simply applying a new layer of fiberglass over blister repairs ... that's the impression I get after reading a few "how to" articles. I just stands to reason that if I put a new layer of foam and fiberglass that it really is a new hull and the old one just becomes thick interior layer? Thanks in advance for answering this perhaps assinine question<br /><br />Doug
 

cc lancer

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 23, 2004
Messages
371
Re: Add Layer of foam and glass to old boat's hull

Doug:<br />You are missing something, when water gets between the gel coat, and the first layer of fiberglass and resin a blister forms.<br /><br />Because of the weight of the hull pressing down, the water starts spreading out making more blisters. It then starts moving through the fiberglass, and that is the bad part.<br />I talked at length with a well known surveyor about this years ago.<br />Heres what I have done, sand the blister down, to open them up, make sure the boat is bow high, cover it up and let it set, in the summer evaporation will start immediately. The big problem is getting in a hurry and sealing the bottom with the water still trapped in side.<br />I then build the blisters up till they are level, put on a good layer or primer then spray the color.<br />The same results could be achieved with a brush. :)
 

Dunaruna

Admiral
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
6,027
Re: Add Layer of foam and glass to old boat's hull

What cc said, also google 'osmosis' to get a better understanding of the potential seriousness of waterlogged fibreglass.<br /><br />Aldo
 
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