The fall is always a great time of year with football, the holidays, and crisp cool weather rolling in. With all this fun going on, it can be easy to forget about all the winter prep that needs to get done. Along with home winterization, boat winterization is very important. Protecting your boat properly now will save you headaches and money resulting from costly damage later.
To kick off boat wrapping season, we’re arming you with everything you need to know about how to shrink wrap your boat. We’ve even started a boat wrapping video series on our Facebook and YouTube pages. Today, we’ll focus on how to figure out what size shrink wrap you’ll need to wrap your boat.
There are two different methods you can use to figure out the measurement of what size film you’ll need. The first method is to simply measure the boat. You can either measure side to side or back to front. We like to use a long tape measure to help with this process. For side to side, measure from the perimeter strap on one side up over the highest point of the boat to the perimeter strap on the other side. Then, add about a foot on each side to the total to account for tucking and fusing on each side. You can also measure from the back to the front of the boat, starting at the motor and measuring to the front of the boat, and adding a foot to account for tucking and fusing. Be sure to measure at the longest part of the boat as well. This method works well for smaller boats but may not be possible for all projects.
Alternatively, you can also figure out what size of shrink wrap you’ll need by using our Shrink Wrap Formula. To use the Shrink Wrap Formula, first, figure out the above the rub rail measurement.
Most traditional boats have a rub rail around the outer edge of the boat. The above the rub rail measurement is the distance between the rub rail and the highest point on the boat where the shrinkwrap is expected to cover. So, from the same spot as where you’ll be taking your below the rub rail measurement, measure from the rub rail to the center of the highest point on the boat.
Next, figure out the below the rub rail measurement. This measurement is based on your preference of how far down below the rub rail that you would like your shrink wrap to fully cover.
Our preference is to cover the exposed area of the boat, which means everything above the waterline up to the rub rail. Be sure to take this measurement in the same place along the both with which you took the above the rub rail measurement.
Last, figure out your tucking and fusing measurement. This accounts for the extra material that will be used to tuck the shrink wrap edges under the strap and heat weld the shrink back to itself. We recommend adding 6”-1’ per side.
You can now add the above the rub rail measurement, the below the rub rail measurement, and the tucking and fusing measurement and multiply this amount by 2 to get your desired length of shrink wrap.
For material, we recommend using our 6 and 7 mil thick shrink wrap for boat wraps. Our 6 mil shrink wrap is the thinnest universal-application shrink wrap we offer, and it's best for short-term storage. Surprisingly strong, it's great for smaller boats under twenty feet in length. Our 7 mil shrink wrap is the most commonly used shrink wrap for recreational and personal boat protection. It’s perfect for wrapping small to mid-size boats. Both are ideal for wrapping objects that stay in one place.
About Mr. Shrinkwrap
Mr. Shrinkwrap (www.mrshrinkwrap.com) is a global provider of on-site shrink wrap services and distributor of shrink film, heat guns, shrink wrap tape, preservation tape, stretch wrap, self-adhering films, and shrink wrap supplies. Mr. Shrinkwrap provides a variety of commercial, industrial and residential shrink wrap applications.
Since 1991, Mr. Shrinkwrap has evolved from a local boat covering service to a thriving business with national scope. Mr. Shrinkwrap has been asked to provide shrink wrap services for objects ranging from outdoor furniture to nuclear power turbines.