Gelcoat Maintains The Hull - Maximize The PotentialPolyester resin is what bonds fibers of glass. Gelcoat is a form of polyester resin - not paint. <<>> It does not act like paint and is very much thicker at the beginning of it's life on the hull. The dry film thickness of marine paint is 2 millimeters, polyester resin can be 2 centimeters thick. That's why it lasts a long time. From ten years and if maintained with wax on a seasonal basis up to twenty years.
Fiberglass hulls are molded. The interior of the mold is highly polished to a glassy shine. It is then waxed before the resin layers is sprayed on. Thinly layer by layer until the required thickness is reached. Humidity affects the manufacture of fiberglass hulls. So if not right at this point, then the hull will not endure as well. As the application finishes, so the fiberglass layers - laminates begin.
Looking For Something Specific? Type Your Search Below Custom Search The bond between the polyester resin on the outside and fiberglass laminates is chemical. This is much stronger than the equivalent paint comparison whose bond is mechanical. As time goes on, the shiny look is lost and the surface of the hull dulls. That is if you don't wax seasonally. Waxing protects the shine, which helps make it last.
A dull hull invites porosity, which leads to further problems, like osmosis. To prevent porosity you need to dewax and sand a test area of hull and then apply paint. Watch for bubbles in the paint if they are present then action needs to taken! The solution is epoxy primer.
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