Fabric
Which fabric you choose also determines the care and maintenance needed to keep your new canvas or upholstery looking great for as long as possible. Check out our pages on the following fabrics for more details:
- Sunbrella Marine Canvas – fabric used for enclosures, covers, etc.
- Sunbrella Horizon – vinyl used for upholstery
- Sunbrella Upholstery Fabrics – non-vinyl used for upholstery
- Strataglass – window material
- Top Gun – fabric used for covers in marine and outdoor settings
Care and Maintenance
It shouldn’t surprise you that to care for and maintain your boat’s canvas, upholstery, and flooring, you want to keep it clean. Rinsing off dirt and debris every time you use your boat will go a long way. The sooner you take care of a spill, the easier it will be to clean off any material. Know which cleaning products are safe to use. Bleach on Sunbrella is no big deal, but many other materials will have a negative reaction. Never use Windex or similar harsh glass window cleaners on plastic windows like Strataglass or double polished isinglass.
Repairing broken snaps and zippers can help keep your whole canvas intact. And being proactive by taking down your canvas before a windy storm can prevent loss of panels. Don’t let yours end up on the bottom of Lake Michigan!
It’s a great idea to check in on how everything is holding up before you put your boat in storage. Cleaning and providing proper coverage in the fall makes your job easier in the spring when preparing for launch. For example, it’s best to store windows like Strataglass on a flat surface, with a clean sheet between panels. This will protect the glass and resist shrinking and pulling on the canvas in the cold. Over the winter is the perfect time to update or have repairs done. Contact us in the fall to stay ahead of the spring rush.