How to Repair Holes & Seal a Kayak
Shallow bed and rough rocks can damage your kayak quickly. It is better you should inspect the boat regularly, and while you can treat the scratches yourself with a little effort, you can get more damage repaired professionally. However, you can also do the job on your own if you can. Be careful and plan your work in advance. Also, make sure to carry out the repair work carefully, there is always a risk of damaging the boat. Use right tools to execute the project.
Instructions
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1
Scratches
You can treat the superficial scratches easily. A small coat of even polish can do the repair of the superficial or small scratches. Another method is the blow hot air through a fan or hair dryer and this will remove the scratches safely. Heating up the area around scratches can also fill the scratches. -
2
Small Holes
You can fill small holes with a preheat rod. Heat up the rod from one end and put it in the hole. While keeping heating up the whole from the top end, twist it in the hole until it is filled. Use protection to your hands while filling out the hole area, and once it is filled, patch it up with your hands with gloves on. This will effectively plug the area and then you can polish or use polyester paint to cover the repaired part. -
3
Cracks
Heat up the welding rod and when it is limp, it is ready for use. Keep the rod about a couple of inches next to the crack, this will fill the crack with the plastic around it. Do not press the rod too hard, as it can damage the boat around the crack area, and then it might not be repairable. Use protection to your hand while carrying out the repair work and then use polyester paint or polish to cover the repaired area. -
4
Regular Inspection
Make sure you regularly inspect your boat and as soon as you see a scratch or crack repair it straightaway. Leaving the kayak without repair can further damage it and might make it unusable.
