Canvas Treatment

[Inkwell]

Any suggestions for a treatment to help repel water on a several year old canvas awning? Every time it rains, it floods thur to the cockpit...it only helps with sun shade.

[Pblais]

The old 3M waterproof spray used to be the best but now it's no better than anything else. You can try any canvas shop to see what they have. Sounds like the fabric is about shot. Awnings take the hardest duty. The spry stuff ony fills the tiny gaps not the big ones that UV deals out after a period of time. In GA I would expect about 8 years is the best you could hope for.

[donradcliffe]

Starbrite canvas waterproofing with teflon works pretty well--doesn't discolor the material too much or attract dirt, and the last application has lasted over a year...on sale in a lot of chandleries in the US

[Sandero]

I second Don's reply. We have used a few products and they all seem to contain some silicone which beads the water and it will roll off rather than turn the fabric to a sponge and then allow water to drop through.

jef
sv shiva

[jaydh]

Thompson's Water Seal for sealing (deck) wood works well. If you can hang the canvas somewhere and paint it on both sides, let dry, repeat it lasts longer. Our last treatment lasted three years. Find it at any Home Dept/Lowes/hardware store. A gallon goes a long way....you'll probably have left-overs to save or give away.

The 3M can stuff didn't last as long, for us.

I wouldn't catch drinking water off the Thompson's treated canvas...you can see an oily sheen on puddled water.

best - J