How to Repair Sunbrella® Canvas
Details
Details
Sunbrella® Marine Grade fabric is known for its durability and longevity, among other fantastic qualities. Sunbrella canvas is a great fabric for boat covers, biminis and dodgers, weather cloths, awnings, enclosures and more. If your Sunbrella canvas has a hole or tear, you don't have to make a completely new project. We'll show you two methods of patching your Sunbrella fabric so you can salvage your project and save yourself both time and money by not having to replace your project.
Our first method involves sewing a replacement patch on top of the rip or hole. This is definitely our preferred method for patching Sunbrella because a sewn reinforcement patch is long-lasting and permanent. First, you want to measure the rip or hole and cut a piece of matching Sunbrella fabric that is 1-1/2 to 2 inches larger than the rip on all sides. This much extra fabric all around ensures that you will have enough room to sew the patch onto the fabric without getting too close to the ripped area.
If you cut your patch out with a hotknife, you don't need to hem the patch. If you don't have a hotknife, you'll need to sew a 1/2-inch hem on all four sides of the patch to prevent raveling. If hemming, you'll want to account for the hem and add 1 inch to the length and width of the patch.
Use basting tape to adhere the patch over the ripped area. Then, you can take your fabric assembly to the sewing machine and sew around the perimeter of the patch. Watch the video below for the full tutorial to see how this is done.
If you don't know how to sew or you'd just prefer not to, you can use Tear-Aid Fabric Repair Kit. This is a clear, adhesive-backed patch that you adhere right over the rip or hole in the fabric. Tear-Aid's airtight and watertight elastic composition is strong. The repair patch is durable, flexible and puncture-resistant. It won't pull off when the fabric is stretched and it doesn't discolor in the sun.
In the video we'll show you how to do this correctly. Tear-Aid is a handy item to always have on hand for quick patches and repairs. Another great thing about Tear-Aid is it can be added to the edge of a fabric assembly if the edge is frayed or damaged in any way. The flexibility of Tear-Aid makes it adaptable to a number of repair uses.