Waterproofing a cover (a cautionary tale)

[OscawanaSkier]

So if you use a spray waterproofing solution like 303 Fabric Guard you might see some instructions or videos about laying the cover out on your driveway. The instruction that's left out is to make sure you put some plastic or a tarp between your cover and the pavement.

 

Sprayed my cover two days ago, all looked great, came back two hours later to find hundreds of brown stains. Turns out, even though i'd blown the driveway clear and recently sprayed it down, there were still little bits of tar-like residue that - once exposed to the 303 - seeped up through the back of the cover, soaking right through.

 

So far I've tried dish soap, paint thinner, acetone, and WD40 to get it out. WD40 is the only one that does anything to it (but it's still there). I'm also going to try power washing today, but I don't have a lot of hope. I also don't trust that the tar won't transfer to my vinyl, so (at my wife's insistence) I ordered a new cover yesterday (a month out). In the meantime I'll use a cheap cover from Walmart.

 

So as you get ready for the season, be very careful with what you put your cover down on! And one added tip...any overspray WILL most likely stain the surface beyond (like pavement or stone). It does go away after a month or two, but another good reason to have an oversized piece of plastic underneath.

[BraceMaker]

That sucks. I always get out the plastic deck chairs about 6 of them is enough and lay the tarps on them to wash dry and treat. Works great and makes it easier to spray

[jjackkrash]

Ouch. That sucks. Thanks for the reminder.

 

If it soaked in and got sealed by the 303 maybe too late, but Car Pro Tar-X is my go to for that type of stain.

 

https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-tar-x-600ml.html