Sometimes a repair is what’s needed instead of replacing a whole cover or cushion.

Wind, sun, salt water, pollution, birds, mice, racoons, tree branches, and rough edges like rub rails and garage door openings can be hard on fabric. Some of our most common repairs are:

• Restitching seams and zippers
• Patching rips and holes
• Replacing zippers or zipper pulls
• Replacing snaps, grommets, and other fasteners
• Adding extra fabric to accommodate for fabric shrinkage over the years
• Replacing panels in cushions

Something to keep in mind when having repairs done is this:

Is the item worth the cost of doing the repair?

Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.

If the boat seat vinyl is old, stiff and cracked, it often isn’t feasible to replace a panel in the cushion cover. Taking the seams apart and the old thread out, then trying to make sure the old needle holes don’t show when sewing it back together, potentially cracking the old material even more, is difficult to do.

If the boat has been sitting covered for many years, the cover may be dry-rotted. The cushions inside the boat may be just fine with a little soap and water, but the cover fabric, one little pull on it may rip it. If you take a hole and gently pull on the edges of it and it rips, it may be time for a new cover.

Sometimes restitching a cover or replacing a zipper is all that’s needed to ensure your cover lasts several more years. Keeping the cover clean and a fresh coat of water-proofing helps, too.

Thread is usually the first thing that goes bad, especially if the thread wasn’t great to begin with. We use a polyester thread made for use in a marine environment.

With zippers, it’s usually the zipper pull that goes first. They can be replaced, however if a tooth in the zipper is missing the whole zipper will need to be replaced. If you’re having trouble with the zipper pull sticking try using a ZippyCool™ Kit to clean and lubricate the zipper so the pull will work. Or first, check to see if the fabric has frayed and got caught up in the teeth.

Then there are the times a repair goes beyond what a sewing machine can do. An engine box for a Chris Craft Ski Boat was being uncovered to be recovered…

We’ll look at what you need done and let you know if it’s feasible to do the repair.

Sometimes, though, we just don’t know until we get down to the wood.