The Beginners Guide To Removing Decals and Stickers From Boats
Applying decals and stickers on boats is a good way of dressing up your boat. Unfortunately, with time the decals fade or become scratched and lose their appeal. If you want to replace the stickers with new ones, you will have to remove the existing ones carefully without damaging the boat. Some proven ways of removing stickers from boats:
The Eraser Wheel
An eraser wheel is an abrasive wheel that you fix to a drill. The spinning wheel removes the sticker from the surface of the boat by abrading it. When carefully done, the eraser wheel is effective in removing the decals, but it leaves behind a lot of small particles and the sticky residue of the adhesive that you need to remove separately. The best way is to apply a solvent like acetone, commonly found in nail polish, or rubbing alcohol to the surface with a clean and lint-free cloth. According to Family Handyman, rubbing alcohol acts as a solvent.
The cloth should be damp with the solvent but not soaking wet. The solvent softens the glue, making it easier to remove the residual adhesive; however, you may need to wipe the spot several times before the glue is all gone. Now, make a soapy solution by adding a few drops of detergent to a bucket of lukewarm water and wipe down the boat’s surface with a clean cloth to remove the last vestiges of the adhesive. Complete the exercise by washing with clean water and dry the surface.
Heat Gun
Another effective method of removing stubborn boat stickers from the surface of your boat is to use a heat gun. If you don’t have a heat gun, you can use a hairdryer as effectively. Focus the heat onto the sticker, and you will see the adhesive softening, following which you can peel off the sticker and remove the remnants with a plastic scraper. You must use the heat gun at the lowest heat setting that loosens the glue. Also, you should scrape the adhesive with care, to prevent damage to the boat’s surface, which is usually made of fiberglass or aluminum. If the sticker is relatively new, it will come off in large patches, but if it is old and brittle, you are likely to break it up into many small pieces while peeling it off. The small pieces are best removed with the help of the scraper.
Once you have removed the sticker, you should apply a commercial adhesive removing product to dissolve and remove the residual glue. To be sure that the glue remover will not damage the paint, you must spot test it in an inconspicuous place. Complete the exercise by cleaning the surface with a soapy solution and then with clean water. A variant of this method involves the use of a hot water pressure washer.
Conclusion
The method you adopt for removing old stickers and decals from your boat depends on what you prefer. If the stickers are relatively small, using an eraser wheel may be better. However, using a heat gun or a hot water pressure washer may be quicker for removing larger stickers.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
