Lululava88

Hi,

I am new to all this and dont know where to turn so i am hoping that someone can help. I live in nj and have a fiberglass deck. It was recently resurfaced but the guys did a terrible job under my sliding glass doors and they ran off. I thought my carpenter would be able to help but he bailed out on me as well. I am looking for someone who can help me fix the ugly and bumpy areas or for guidance on possible solutions to this. Would appreciate any advice. Many thanks.

nealtw

We will need you to post a picture.

Lululava88

Hi - here are the photos. I really dont want to remove the sliding glass doors. What alternatives do I have to get this fixed. Basically, the guys who did the siding and the fiberglass had bad tempers and ran off. I need to seal the gaps, smooth things out and try to match the color of fiberglass. When it snows it will be an issue as the snow will pile up and seep into the house. I need to get this done as soon as possible. Appreciate any advice. Thanks.

nealtw

If this was a new house, it would be done before the siding and door were installed. It would be on the floor under the door and 8 or 10 inches up behind the siding. If it was never under the door the door frame should be pulled and done right.
You should be able to find a retail supplier and matching the colour should not be a problem, the real rough can be cleaned up with a grinder or coarse sandpaper. Your retailer should be helpfull on what needs to be done before a new top coat is applied.

Lululava88

Hi, thank you for your response. Yes - I understand that the most ideal would have been to take out the doors but as of now i really don't have that alternative. What other alternatives do I have? Can I sand it down and seal the gaps with some kind of marine caulking, then use a piece of composite material to even out the area, reapply the gel coat (assuming that I can find the right color) and then recaulk the seams? Or, do I need to refiberglass the area? I really have no experience with fiberglass at all. Alternatively, could I use a piece of wood, cap it with aluminum and then gelcoat the aluminum to match the color? I just dont want water to seep through but I need it to also look aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Where can I get the gelcoat and the fiberglass if I need it? Can I try a marine store? Would appreciate advice. I live up North and people are predicting a bad winter so I will need to get this done soon. Thanks again.

nealtw

Gel coat is a top coat and I doubt that is what you have. I haven't done alot but the way I did it was. Put down a coat of resin and while it is still wet place the fibreglass mat into it add a little more resin and work out all the air bubbles before it drys. When it is dry cut out all the air bubbles and replace the missing cloth with the same method.
Do a top coat with the same resin that has been tinted by the same supplier. Gel coat is the shiny layer that you would see on a boat.
I would think when you find a supplier, matching colour will not be a problem. You could grind or sand away the real rough spots and replace cloth that gets removed. Run some tape along the bottom of the aluminium and run fibreglass right up to it. Cut along that line and remove the tape and then caulk between the fiberglass and aluminium. This stuff has a min temp to work with so you may have to build a tent and supply some heat.
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