Help with Canvas choices

I am redoing all my canvas, rear and flybridge enclosures.
The Canvas shop is offering choices of
1. sunbrella everywhere
2. A sunbrella like product with a plastic like waterproof coating inside for the Biminis and sunbrella elsewhere.
3 A product I have never seen before called Stamoid which appears to be very light and waterproof which he says is used a lot down south but it would be a first installation for him.

Any help or opinions, good or bad are appreciated.

Stamoid is very popular in the Seattle/Vancouver area with install groups like Barrett or Philbrooks. That is what we have. However, since your installer has not used it before I'd be leery or check with another installer. It is all about the install, the best products in the wrong hands can lead to a shoddy job.

Sunbrella is tried and true, hard to find a quality product of equal value.
Recommend the Sunbrella throughout.
Use quality products elsewhere also, Zipper and sliders, snaps and grommets. If possible Tenaya thread, although I personally haven’t had success with Tenaya, was hard to sew with. Otherwise a good thread with UV protection.
And last but not least, check out the shops work and ask for some references, a shop that does quality work shouldn’t have a problem with that.
Good luck

He may be referring to the coated sunbrella called SeaMark
I have not used the coated Sunbrella but have friends who have...
If a large % of the side curtains will be vinyl and not breathable I would be concerned w/ condensation and mold/mildew. The coating prevents breathing and can be a problem if there isn't enough ventilation to prevent dampness from dissipating.

You will need to retreat the std Sunbrella periodically for water repelency but that generally is not a major inconvenience.

You can’t go wrong with Sunbrella. An absolute must would be Tenara thread. It costs more but will last forever. Poly thread will last in the area of 3 to 5 years depending on your location and you will be restitching. I would use what the fabricator is used to, you don’t want to be the learning experience for him. They even have Unbrella zippers now, I would specify them. A bit more cost for the upgraded thread and zippers but in the end it will be cheaper.

Gary, my last two boats had Sunbrella and I liked it. It holds up well, doesn't fade and is fairly easy to clean though it does need an occasional scrubbing with a soft bristle brush. My current boat has Stamoid which, as I understand it is a fabric that comes from France. As has been mentioned, you cannot go wrong with Sunbrella, but if you want a longer lasting fabric that is easier to clean (it's non-porous) and holds up better, go with the Stamoid. I'd look around your area for a boat that has Stamoid on it and talk to the owner. Find out how he likes it, where he got it done, and most importantly, would he put Stamoid on his next boat.

Our original OEM enclosure was white Stamoid; the fabric worked fine.

But we changed to black Sunbrella at replacement time, mostly 'cause to me it looks better for our boat. Adds some contrast, and we continued that theme with the cockpit bolsters, black mesh front window cover, etc. This was a 2009 install, and when I bother to wash it, it looks new. (We have a hard top, so our enclosure is only front, side, aft panels. I've never treated the panels.)

Yes to the suggestion for Tenara thread. Our original wasn't, and we were already repairing seams at the 4-year-old mark. Our current enclosure, with Tenara thread (as I said, from 2009) shows no sign of thread problems anywhere.

Suggest COIL ZIPPERS for any roll-up/roll-down smilies. The big straight YKK zippers are fine for panel seams, but they don't go around corners for squat.

-Chris

Sunbrella because I think it's the cats @$$, it's made not to far from me, I have had the pleasure of working with it and using it. Keep it clean, free of mold/mildew, and use a good UV protectant. It will last a long time. If you're in salty water, keep it washed down with fresh, nonsalt, water.

Big Stamoid fan here. Had a double bimini on my Hatteras, plus cover for the forward bench seat and sun pad, even the davit. Highest recommendation for the bimini. I'd post a photo but that seems to be disabled at the moment.



Do you have no other choices for a shop?

All the recs for Tenara thread are spot on.

And consider color. Stamoid is the only way to go for WHITE - even Sunbrella fans will tell you that. And then there’s the thread - generally black or white and black thread lasts much longer and doesn’t look crummy with mildew. A bit factor is the skill over the cover maker - pooling of water won’t work well with Sunbrella.

My canvas guy

The Other Gary said:

I am redoing all my canvas, rear and flybridge enclosures.
The Canvas shop is offering choices of
1. sunbrella everywhere
2. A sunbrella like product with a plastic like waterproof coating inside for the Biminis and sunbrella elsewhere.
3 A product I have never seen before called Stamoid which appears to be very light and waterproof which he says is used a lot down south but it would be a first installation for him.

Any help or opinions, good or bad are appreciated.

Click to expand...

Does both stamoid and sunbrella. He is also my neighbor and I trust what he says. For my son deck project he recommended stamoid. He said I will be at a lot more life from Stamoid then Sunbrella. So far so good.

Gordon

Following

Practically any canvas material will last longer than cheap thread! IMO, the most important part of your project is to use good quality thread, like Tenara, as mentioned above. Good luck!