If your boat represents a significant investment, you can protect it from harsh weather elements with a professional shrink wrap. This alternative to tarping your boat requires more frequent monitoring and may need more protection in strong winds. A high-quality wrap will include polyester straps, foam cushions, and towels to cover sharp objects and add ventilation to prevent mildew. A zipper door can also be added, but it will cost extra.
Experience
A great way to keep boats safe during winter storage is with shrink wrap. It helps you keep your boat in top condition by shielding it from the elements, wildlife, and storage conditions. Additionally, it adds another degree of security and deters pests. While tarps provide an adequate cover for boats, they trap moisture that promotes mold and mildew growth. These spores can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and skin.
For people who are more sensitive to them, breathing in these spores can result in asthma and other respiratory conditions. Boat shrink wrap services done by a professional will be more effective at protecting your boat from the elements than a standard tarp. It’s the best way to safeguard your investment from the wear and tear of winter weather. The only downside to shrink wrapping is removing it before getting your boat back into the water.
Reputation
A good reputation is essential for a boatyard that provides shrink-wrap services. Having a solid reputation helps customers trust them with their boats and gives them peace of mind, knowing the job will be done correctly. It also helps attract new business to the facility. Shrink wrap protects a boat from the elements and makes clean-up easier in the spring. It is more durable than tarps and offers superior protection from sun, rain, snow, and other harsh marine environments.
A boat wrap is secured with a perimeter band and belly bands to create a tight seal. Using a heat gun to seal the shrink wrap is similar to spray painting. The wrap must be hung with adequate pitch in all directions to keep out wind, rain, and snow. The wrap must be insulated and should not touch metal to prevent condensation that can lead to mildew and corrosion. Fortunately, the LDPE plastic-made shrink wrap can be recycled in composite lumber and other items.
Pricing
When the season is over, and it’s time to put your boat away, encasing it in shrink wrap can help protect your boat from harsh elements and prevent corrosion. However, it’s important to remember that a few things can affect the pricing of a professional shrink-wrapping service. These include the size of the boat and whether or not additional services like winterization are included in the price.
Additionally, the propane heat guns used for shrink wrapping can be expensive in their own right. Therefore, shopping around and getting quotes from multiple companies is essential to find the best deal. It is also worth mentioning that it is not recommended to shrink-wrap boats with Awlgrip or other painted finishes on them. This is because the polyethylene will chafe and damage
these types of surfaces. This isn’t to say they cannot be wrapped, but it will require extra
care and attention.
Customer Service
Many boat owners are comfortable with a bit of DIY, especially when it comes to winterizing their boats. However, shrink-wrapping a sailboat requires special tools and specialized skills to do it correctly. Additionally, it is always recommended to hire a professional. They have the insurance (you are working with a blow torch near your boat, after all), experience, and help to ensure it’s a seamless project.
A good contractor will prepare a support structure to hold the wrap, and it should be contoured to allow rain and snow to slide off. They’ll also ensure all electronics are turned off and the engine is drained to avoid damage from a spark plug. In addition, a good boat shrink-wrap service will discard the plastic after the winter season. This helps to keep the environment clean and saves customers money in the long run.
