Deck Canvas

[joed]

I am looking for a roll of heavy duty canvas to cover the deck of a restored wooded sail boat. The canvas deck would be installed in the traditional fashion - laid in wet paint and then painted. I need a minimum width of 84" . The real problem is that cotton canvas seems to have dropped in quality these days. Today's fabrics do not seem to resist mildew and rot like the original fabrics. I would consider using a synthetic, but I cannot find anything 84" wide and I do not want any seams.

Do you have any information about the current quality issues for cotton canvas today? Do you have any experience with poor quality canvas today? Can you recommend a canvas product for me? Do you know of any synthetic products that could be used that come that wide?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[Nicholas Carey]

#10 (14.75oz) cotton duck should be available in widths of up to 120 inches. If you can't source it from a canvas supplier in your area, you can purchase it from Seattle Fabrics (http://www.seattlefabrics.com/).

The only caveat with modern cotton canvas is that these days, it hasn't been fulled (pre-shrunk), so you can expect some fairly major shrinkage (e.g., in the neighborhood of 10-15%).

Needless to say, this can impose some serious tension on something like a canvas deck if not properly installed, which may result in tension tears in the fabric, leading to water incursion, and…rot.

The Astrup Company (http://www.astrup.com/) manufactures a cotton canvas called Sunforger (~ 13 oz or so) that is pre-shrunk and treated with a mildewicide). I don't know what widths are available, but give the a ring.

FWIW, if (bit IF) you install the canvas deck properly and care for it properly, mildew shouldn't be a real issue. Installed properly, the canvas should be saturated with paint, which kinda makes it hard for the mildew to get a foothold. I think a lot of the problem people have with a canvas deck are (1) not properly installed, (2) poor maintenance.

You need to treat a canvas deck properly in use, too. Deck shoes like Sperry Top-Siders came to be because wearing street shoes on a canvas deck means the canvas will get damaged. The grit, sand and pebbles that are inevitably embedded in the soles of shoes worn anywhere but the boat guarantee it. So, the good rule is: wear bare feet or boat-only, soft-soled shoes on your canvas deck.

[Nicholas Carey]

All that being said, there's a lot to be said for a plywood deck covered with Dynel set in epoxy. Done, right, with the weave unfilled, it can look a lot like a canvas deck. Or, you can fill the weave and go for a more contemporary look.

Fewer seams/penetrations, of course, means fewer places to leak.

It also adds a good deal of ridgidity to the hull structure, which can oft be a good thing for an older boat.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

In 1985 I re-canvassed Mirelle's cabin top, using canvas in paint. In 2002 the job was done again with plywood, glass cloth and epoxy. The appearance is identical, but the difference in quality is astounding - the ply was laid over the cedar planking, glued and Gripfast nailed to it, edges well rounded, etc. The whole coachroof is noticeably stiffer and of course 100% waterproof and sharp-object-proof - it was the latter that did for the canvas.

[Thomas Garber]

I did my boat's deck with #10 cotton duck, bedded in white lead paste, and painted with Kirby's. Looks and wears great, no leaks. I bought the canvas at Pearl Paint (http://www.pearlpaint.com/pearl/10cottonduck.html) Pics are Here (http://www.thirdwavefilms.com/DOW.htm)