Looking for advise on cleaning and protecting my canvas top. Have a large water ring stain due to a roof leak during storage when water pooled and evaporated. Looked at various top cleaning products but wondering which may work best.
Gary, water stains on canvas tops are part of the beast. The problem you have is due to the differential drying. I would suggest a thorough wetting of the top, assisted by a little mild soap as a wetting agent, and a sponge down to work on the stain rim. Hose it off, let it dry all over and repeat all over again if necessary. The idea is to push the boundaries of your stain, and achieve an even drying out all over the top.
Or you could just leave it as is, and let it be taken care of by the seasons.
Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.
Thanks Allan. I will give it a try.
Gary
Circus tents used to be waterproofed with a solution of gasoline and paraffin painted onto the canvas with a brush. The ratio was 1 lb. of paraffin dissolved in a gallon of gasoline. I'm sure there are much safer formulas these days. Jim Patrick
Jim, I think any treatment after the stain would only help to fix the stain. Once the stain has been worked out, then a canvas waterproofing treatment could be applied. However, I have never resorted to using ant such product. Cotton canvas is a very durable product as it is, without any proofing additives. Todays product, usually containing a percentage of polyester in the thread, is even better because it does not shrink as much.
Much of the fabric available for tarpaulins today has a grid of ripstop threads throughout. To be authentic, these fabrics need to be avoided.
Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.
Jim, How in the hambone did you know something as anachronistic as that??!!