by Joe Fitzpatrick
(Fawn Grove, Pa.)
Making my own covers for the seats on our pontoon boat.
In general Marine grade cushion vinyl is the way to go with pontoon seats. The darker the color the hotter it will be when you sit on it. Marine vinyls come in different weights, usually varying from around 29oz to 32oz. There are of course heavier and lighter marine vinyls. Mildew treatment is a must, so don't go to hancock fabrics to buy unless what you are buying specifically says marine vinyl. Also, you can buy marine vinyl with a protective coating that makes it easier to clean, prefix or beautyguard being a couple of examples. These coated vinyls are so nice for making the vinyl look good longer. If you are only replacing some seats you may be looking for grain matches as well as color and you may also be looking for matte finish vs gloss of varying degrees.
Another rating that is worth mentioning is cold crack for those in really cold climates. It just gives you a temperature rating before the vinyl will crack under pressure, such as -20 degrees.
Hope this helps, I like to see industrious boaters, best of luck.
Tammy
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