• I) Does Sunbrella® Fabric Provide UV Protection?
• II) Why Does My Sunbrella® Top Look Loose When It Rains?
• III) Will Sunbrella® Fabric Mildew?
• IV) Can Sunbrella® Be Dry-Cleaned?
• V) What Is The Best Way To Store My Top For The Winter?
• VI) Is Sunbrella® Waterproof?
• VII) Is There A Sunbrella® Canvas That's Waterproof?
• VIII) Does Sunbrella® Warranty Their Fabric?
• IX) Are there different grades or weights of outdoor Sunbrella fabric? If so, does it affect its UV protection?
• X) How Do I Wash My Stamoid® Top?
• XI) Why Are My Windows Turning Cloudy?
• XII) Keeping your YKK® Zipper working.

• I) Does Sunbrella® Fabric Provide UV Protection?

  Yes - tests have proven that Sunbrella® fabric provides up to 98% UV protection from the harmful effects of the sun depending on depth of colour. Whites and lighter coloured fabrics provide less protection than darker fabrics, which have more depth in colour. This protective factor is inherent to the product and will not be reduced by usage and/or fabric exposure to the sun.

  
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• II) Why Does My Sunbrella® Top Look Loose When It Rains?

  Sunbrella® is thermoplastic, or heat sensitive. On hot sunny days the top tightens up and vise versa on cold rainy days, this is normal.

  
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• III) Will Sunbrella® Fabric Mildew?

  Sunbrella® Fabric, if kept clean, will not mildew. An inherent characteristic of acrylic fiber is that it will not support the growth of mildew, as a natural fiber will. Mildew will and can grow on any surface that is dirty, so to keep your Sunbrella® fabric from mildewing you must keep it clean.

  
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• IV) Can Sunbrella® Be Dry-Cleaned?

  Not recommended. The chemicals used in the dry cleaning process will not harm Sunbrella® fabric but due to the high temperatures used during the drying cycle may cause the fabric to shrink.

  
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• V) What Is The Best Way To Store My Top For The Winter?

  Clean the canvas and let air-dry. Store the canvas in a dry well ventilated area with or with out the frame (basement or garage works great). Window panels should be hosed down to remove any dust particles, apply a coat of Plexus® and lay flat for the winter under a bed or roll loosely (Strataglass™ windows should never be rolled and always laid flat). When space is an issue you may stack the windows on top of each other but put bed sheets between the panels, this prevents zipper teeth or fasteners from leaving an indentation in the plastic. If you are to store your windows in your boat follow the same suggestions as above, but also lay down moth- balls and never handle the windows in extreme cold, they're very brittle in the cold and will crack in handled improperly. Canvas and vinyl pieces should be rolled loosely when stored not folded.  Please note that mice and other rodents with eat canvas and window plastic.

   

  
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• VI) Is Sunbrella® Waterproof?

  No-Sunbrella® is a shower proof fabric. Whenever there is a severe down pour you can feel a fine mist on the inside of your enclosure, the mist is very fine and nothing in the boat gets wet. Sunbrella® is a woven fabric making it breathable and allowing air to circulate eliminating condensation problems and making the top fast drying. If you find during a rainstorm, water is coming trough the Sunbrella® canvas, it is time to re-apply 303-Fabric Guard to the canvas (this is normal maintenance every 5-6 years depending how often the canvas is cleaned)

  
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• VII) Is There A Sunbrella® Canvas That's Waterproof?

  Yes-it's called Seamark™ and comes in a limited number of Sunbrella® colours. Sunbrella® is shipped to another facility where they put a marine vinyl coating on one side of the fabric making it 100% waterproof and 100% non-breathable, the later taking away one of the key characteristics to Sunbrella®.

  
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• VIII) Does Sunbrella® Warranty Their Fabric?

  Yes, Sunbrella® has a limited 5-year warranty with their product, which covers the fabric from becoming unserviceable because of loss of colour or strength from normal exposure conditions, including sunlight, mildew, rot and atmospheric chemicals. It does not cover labor and installation supplied by a fabricator.

  
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• IX) Are there different grades or weights of outdoor Sunbrella fabric? If so, does it affect its UV protection?

  Yes, there are many different materials manufactured by Glen Raven Inc., the makers of Sunbrella® brand fabric. There are two common weights. The normal outdoor Sunbrella® is called "Marine" or "Awning" (about 9.25 oz / running yard). The lighter stuff is the "Indoor/Outdoor Furniture Fabric" (about 6oz / running yard). Yes, UV protection is better with the heavier grade which has a five year warranty. The Furniture Fabric has a three year warranty. We only stock Marine grade Sunbrella®.

  
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• X) How Do I Wash My Stamoid® Top?

  Apply a mild, lukewarm soap solution, such as liquid Baby Ivory Snow with a soft brush or sponge. Let the soap stand for a short period of time but do not allow the soap to dry. The fabric must then be carefully rinsed with clean water in order to remove all remaining soap residue. Allow the vinyl to air dry thoroughly, and then re-erect the top or fold and store in a well ventilated area for the winter. The use of abrasive detergents or substances containing solvents or gasoline will damage the vinyl coating of the fabric. If using high pressure or steam cleaning devices, use extreme caution as improper use could again damage the vinyl coating of the fabric. Please visit the Stamoid® Marine web site for accurate cleaning instructions directly from the manufacturer here:

  http://www.stamoidmarine.com/gb/conseil.php

  
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• XI) Why Are My Windows Turning Cloudy?

  To make PVC flexible for use in such things as boat curtains as opposed to PVC pipe a chemical called plasticizer is mixed in during manufacturing of the window vinyl. The more plasticizer used, the more flexible the vinyl is. Over time the plasticizer migrates to the surface and from there gets washed or wiped away. The sun accelerates this process. Over time the flexible PVC becomes rigid PVC. The side effects of this change include yellowing of the window as well as becoming brittle. Once the plasticizer has migrated out, your only remedy to cloudy windows is via re-placement. To slow down this process wipe Plexus® on the windows every month in the summer. This puts a protective film between the window vinyl and the harmful UV rays of the sun. Canvas window blinds work best at keeping window vinyl from aging. Leave the blinds on at all times except of course when motoring and your window vinyl will last the life of the top (great lakes region).

  
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• XII) Keeping your YKK® Zipper working.

  YKK® strongly recommends keeping your zippers free from dirt, oils, waxes and liquids. Dirt is a zippers worst enemy and oils and waxes increase dirt attraction. Do not use Lip balm as a lubricant. Metal zippers breakdown faster than plastic zippers.  
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