T-Top Canvas...needs replacement!

I

igblack87

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Reaching out to a couple of recommendations this week for canvas shops near me BUT...what can I expect to pay for a replacement Navy Blue Sunbrella Canvas for my 222 OEM T-Top? $750, $1000, $1200?!

Thanks!
 
Also, I am not looking to turn this into a DIY…to many other things going on in my life :)
 
3 yards 54" Sunbrella at $29.95/yard. It is not a complicated piece. I would think $500 but it all depends on the canvas guy.
 
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why sunbrella? i wouldnt use it for a t-top. as the water repellency wears off, it will hold moisture and be difficult to clean (it is a cloth after all). i would instead, use vinyl. it is actually water proof (not resistant), and will be much easier to clean. being a t-top, you dont need it to breathe (really the only reason to use sunbrella)

i just had mine done. in addition the the top, i also had a full height, 3 sided windshield made. i paid around 2k for all of it.
 
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Ekea said:
why sunbrella? i wouldnt use it for a t-top. as the water repellency wears off, it will hold moisture and be difficult to clean (it is a cloth after all). i would instead, use vinyl. it is actually water proof (not resistant), and will be much easier to clean. being a t-top, you dont need it to breathe (really the only reason to use sunbrella)

i just had mine done. in addition the the top, i also had a full height, 3 sided windshield made. i paid around 2k for all of it.
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Can you share a picture of your canvas? particularly the T-Top part? Thanks for the detail on vinyl!

**I'm looking to sell the boat in a year or two, so really only looking to make the replacements that are needed** hopefully moving up to a 257/271!
 
I did a top on a Pioneer I had. Removed the old top and sent it to a shop where they copied it. Iirc, the shop was in Vermont.
I chose an upgraded Sunbrella product that has a rubber backing, so completely waterproof.
Maybe took two hours to install the new cover. Put it up first with zip ties, then lace it.
 
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Coastboater said:
I did a top on a Pioneer I had. Removed the old top and sent it to a shop where they copied it. Iirc, the shop was in Vermont.
I chose an upgraded Sunbrella product that has a rubber backing, so completely waterproof.
Maybe took two hours to install the new cover. Put it up first with zip ties, then lace it
Click to expand...
Can you share some pictures? How was the fit? I think your talking about these guys....http://www.g2outfitters.com/ ?
 
I have had great success with Sunbrella particularly the Navy. tonneau cover, cockpit shade, enclosure frame all in great shape. Also a Royal blue boat cover on a Rinker I inherited that's been in the sun for 15 years. The white Stamoid vinyl is easy to work with but it discolors and is brittle after a few years.
 
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Hookup1 said:
I have had great success with Sunbrella particularly the Navy. tonneau cover, cockpit shade, enclosure frame all in great shape. Also a Royal blue boat cover on a Rinker I inherited that's been in the sun for 15 years. The white Stamoid vinyl is easy to work with but it discolors and is brittle after a few years.
Click to expand...
Maybe I'm reading way to much into this for my untechnical self...but I had always thought Sunbrella with some kind of waterproofing spray treatment on it?! I do like reading about the different kinds of materials though, adds to my knowledge base, I guess.
 
igblack87 said:
Can you share some pictures? How was the fit? I think your talking about these guys....http://www.g2outfitters.com/ ?
Click to expand...
I no longer have the boat, but here’s a pic of the new top. I did buy it from g2 and went with the Sunbrella Sea Mark. I had the new top back in about a week. They send you enough cord to do the job, too. Plenty of videos on YT on how to lace it. Pretty easy DIY.
IMG_2073.jpeg
 
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That looks great. When you installed it, was it a tight fit? I am worried that if I found the time to do it on my own, it would be somewhat sloppy and loose fitting....assuming its better with 2 people vs. 1 person doing it on their own?

Since they used your old canvas top as a template, assuming it was almost a perfect fit? I'll check out the youtube stuff.
 
Sunbrella is a synthetic product made of acrylic that is extremely durable. It can be cleaned and re-waterproofed....... but for a t-top setup, does waterproofness really matter? Even if it's not re-waterproofed, it will not drip through unless there's a low spot where water can puddle.

Who made the canvas for the Grady? A&J? RNR? Maybe you can just buy a direct replacement through them.
 
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DennisG01 said:
Sunbrella is a synthetic product made of acrylic that is extremely durable. It can be cleaned and re-waterproofed....... but for a t-top setup, does waterproofness really matter? Even if it's not re-waterproofed, it will not drip through unless there's a low spot where water can puddle.

Who made the canvas for the Grady? A&J? RNR? Maybe you can just buy a direct replacement through them.
Click to expand...
Not sure who made the canvas...I didn't even think to call them, should have been top of mind. I'll give Grady a call, I am the 3rd owner at this point :).
 
Sunbrella is available in a single "good side" with a coating OR double sided which is more popular. For your application the double sided is fine - it's what all my stuff is made from. It stays clean and colorfast for a long time. This would be my choice for the Bimini.

Stamoid is a vinyl material. It's used by a lot of boat builders including Costa Clear enclosurs for Viking and other custom boats. It works well for their manufacturing process. Small guys will use it too for it's easy to work with. Others will disagree but I don't think it looks as good, looks dirty after a few years and yellows.

Go to SailRite.com to look at materials.
 
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igblack87 said:
That looks great. When you installed it, was it a tight fit? I am worried that if I found the time to do it on my own, it would be somewhat sloppy and loose fitting....assuming its better with 2 people vs. 1 person doing it on their own?

Since they used your old canvas top as a template, assuming it was almost a perfect fit? I'll check out the youtube stuff.
Click to expand...
Starting with the zip ties is how you locate it correctly in the frame and put tension on it before you start lacing it. I kept a pair of nippers so as I was lacing and encountered a zip tie I could snip them. Lacing By myself, started in the center bow of the top, worked my way down one side to mid way in the stern, went back to the bow and did the other side from bow to stern. After initial lacing go back and tighten the cord up, but I paid close attention during initial lacing and didn’t need much tightening. It’s not difficult, but a bit tedious lacing 30 or 40 grommets.
As to fabric selection I went with the Sunbrella Sea Mark as water was getting in my electronics box. Not much but it was always moist in there. The rubber backing fixed that with the added benefit of being quieter while running. I didn’t notice that, but the wife did.
 
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igblack87 said:
Maybe I'm reading way to much into this for my untechnical self...but I had always thought Sunbrella with some kind of waterproofing spray treatment on it?! I do like reading about the different kinds of materials though, adds to my knowledge base, I guess.
Click to expand...
sunbrella is a non-waterproof cloth fabric that is sprayed with a durable water repellent (DWR) coating that increases the contact angle between the fabric and water (beading effect) allowing the water to sit on top of the fabric and/or roll off. the thing is, this coating is 1 not water proof, and 2 not permanent. even when new, you can "rub" the water in which will show a spot that has absorbed water. essentially it it is commonly used in boat covers/enclosures because the covers often need the ability to allow moisture to evaporate out of a boat but you dont want the rain coming through. obviously a true water proof product would be best (gortex or the likes), but that would be wildly cost preventative. this leaves a breathable, non waterproof fabric with a DWR coating (sunbrella) as the best option for boat covers (you still need it to breathe for a cover or enclosure). out of convenience, t-tops were/are put together with the same fabric as cover and camper canvas, even though the needs are different, because the material is already in the shop, so to speak, and it works relatively well. the problem is that over time the DWR coating loses effect (indicated by less beading of water), it will begin to hold water. as this occurs, mildew growth and staining become more of a problem. to clean it well, you typically use mild soap and a brush which will wear the DWR coating off more.

vinyl, on the other hand is inherently waterproof (think grundens bibs or generic "slicker suit") and doesnt rely on a coating that can wear off. it wont absorb/hold moisture. you can clean it without affecting its performance. the drawback is that it wont breathe (terrible for a full enclosure), but thats not something that you are looking for in a t-top
 
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i did kind of a sand color for the top and an off white for the windshield surround

Top 1.png
Top 2.png
Top 3.png
 
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