Gelcoat care

On Thursday, October 31, 2013 7:14:33 AM UTC-7, mike wrote:
On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 7:32:14 AM UTC-6, dogger wrote:

What is the best way to prolong gelcoat life?







I have a friend that says that waxing, polishing is only good for the



pilot, does almost nothing for the gelcoat.







I really don't know much about this issue.



Would it make sense to cut a bit off like .002 every once in a while to



stop/prevent any crazing? Then wax it?







Does Gelcoat off gas over time and then start going bad?







Seeing how very little time most ships are out in the sun, a lot of them



look rough. Sailboats sit outside 24/7 and can look good for many years..



Whats up? Should I be parking my LS3a in a Marina?







Do nothing or try and work on the gelcoat to attempt to get the longest



life out of it; or something in between?







If Gelcoat does off gas, and kind of dries out and cracks,would it make



sense during the winter lay up to cover the gelcoat with a coat of wax, to



seal it, and then buff it off come spring?







I painted a sailplane several years ago and did a fair amount or research before actually applying the paint. My paint guys told me that sanding the finish actually allows for a more rapid (UV) degradation of the surface as the resin the encapsulates the pigment has been compromised. Waxing does slow the process down. I think that this would also apply to Gelcoat. The more completely a wax would seal the sanded surfaces would be more beneficial, and wax using nano technology such as WX Seal and Block would be closer to the ideal. Other waxes also are now advertising Nano technology. Whether or not they are as effective as the WX products may be open to discussion.

No one mentioned trailer solar vent so far? How effective are they? They only cost something like $200 so I must wonder if they are effective why they are not provided with every trailer. I added one to mine but it keeps breaking down every 1-2 years and I wonder if I should even bother replacing it again.

Ramy