"POROUS" gelcoat

[POINTER94]

I was told that the blue gelcoat on my boat has gone porous from the UV and that there is no way to sand or buff it out. The only option is painting.<br /><br />Is this true or am I being fed a line by my marina's service dept?

 

[ondarvr]

Re: "POROUS" gelcoat

The gel coat does not go porous from UV rays, it may lose it's gloss and fade, but if it has porosity it was that way when new. The surface may have been worn down from chalking and then being waxing and buffed and finally gotten down to where the porosity is, but it has been there from day one. Sometimes can you sand deeper and see if you get past it, but if the whole boat is that way, then it may be easier to repaint it. If only a small area is bad then try to sand it out. Heck if your going to paint it, then try to sand it out in a small area, see what you find.<br /><br />There is no easy fix.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: "POROUS" gelcoat

Gelcoat is slightly porous even when new, if its chalked off, you will likly need to sand it or use the scrub pad and comet trick. After polishing you will need to seal it with an automotive sealer and then wax it.

 

[Mark42]

Re: "POROUS" gelcoat

This is how I did it:<br /><br /> Restoring Old Gelcoat.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: "POROUS" gelcoat

If the the guy at the marina says porosity, but means faded and chalky, then Mark42's, or a similar method will work most of the time to get it looking good again. If it has actual porosity, which is something that happens when the gel coat is first sprayed onto the mold, then sanding past it (deeper), or painting is the only fix. If you buff an area and see hundreds or thousands of very small white dots or tiny pits, that's porosity. The spots are tiny bubbles in the gel coat.