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Permanon Silicon Coating??

billie williams

Member II
A sailing friend on Instagram posted that she had been very pleased with a new product called Permanon, which is a silicone spray coating that would be used instead of wax. Have any of you tried this yet on your gelcoat? I guess it’s much easier than wipe on/off wax. You just spray and then hose off.

I know there are no free lunches...but what if there are?

 
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Tin Kicker

Sustaining Member
Moderator
I've used something similar on a camper, truck, and motorcycles. You still need to polish first to get to a clean surface, but after that point it takes less work. Fiberglass comes out really slippery! Auto dealers use something similar in their showrooms. The silicone does stay clean longer and sheds filth much better. You are not actually putting on a thickness of anything like wax does, so the upside is that grime doesn't work into the surface. The downside is it needs to be refreshed now & then.
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
I've used something similar on a camper, truck, and motorcycles. You still need to polish first to get to a clean surface, but after that point it takes less work. Fiberglass comes out really slippery! Auto dealers use something similar in their showrooms. The silicone does stay clean longer and sheds filth much better. You are not actually putting on a thickness of anything like wax does, so the upside is that grime doesn't work into the surface. The downside is it needs to be refreshed now & then.
How about if you get to a point where you decide to remove it entirely and go back to straight wax? How easily can you get it off?
 

billie williams

Member II
I've used something similar on a camper, truck, and motorcycles. You still need to polish first to get to a clean surface, but after that point it takes less work. Fiberglass comes out really slippery! Auto dealers use something similar in their showrooms. The silicone does stay clean longer and sheds filth much better. You are not actually putting on a thickness of anything like wax does, so the upside is that grime doesn't work into the surface. The downside is it needs to be refreshed now & then.
Thanks for the input! I was worried that it might be too slippery. Better to stick with having the boat buffed and waxed, I’m sure.
 

jamescio

Member II
Has anyone ever tried using a clay bar with spray wax? I have used on my car with great results.
 

garryh

Member III
I have no experience with this product, but as a general rule, you should never ever... as in ever... use anything containing silicone on fiberglass surfaces. The silicone contaminates the fiberglass and nothing will ever again adhere to the fiberglass. The only cure is removal of the surface. So it would be a total pita if any future gelcoat repairs were ever needed.
 

Gaviate

Member III
Ahem, Amen, Just Say NO to Silicone!!! I Agree with garryh, surface removal is the only real answer, the silicone goop a PO used to "seal" leaky ports just made extra work for doing the job right... as in strip (grind) the mess off to get any semblance of a proper, lasting seal with gasket..
 

garryh

Member III
and even when you are grinding, you can be forcing the silicone oil into the lower substrates. Almost gotta somehow abrade the surface with a blade of some sort... paint scraper, planer, maybe a gelcoat stripper. Not a job I ever want to do.
 

Permanon

Junior Member
A sailing friend on Instagram posted that she had been very pleased with a new product called Permanon, which is a silicone spray coating that would be used instead of wax. Have any of you tried this yet on your gelcoat? I guess it’s much easier than wipe on/off wax. You just spray and then hose off.

I know there are no free lunches...but what if there are?

Permanon's protective ingredient is made up of microscopic (nano-level) particles of SILICON (Si14 on the periodic table of elements), NOT Silicone. Silicone is a man-made product. Silicon is a natural Earth element. There is a full description of this and how Permanon seals and protects surfaces quickly, easily, and effectively on our FAQ's page at: www.permanonfinishes.com/faqs
 

Permanon

Junior Member
I've used something similar on a camper, truck, and motorcycles. You still need to polish first to get to a clean surface, but after that point it takes less work. Fiberglass comes out really slippery! Auto dealers use something similar in their showrooms. The silicone does stay clean longer and sheds filth much better. You are not actually putting on a thickness of anything like wax does, so the upside is that grime doesn't work into the surface. The downside is it needs to be refreshed now & then.
I would only add that Permanon's protective ingredient is made up of microscopic (nano-level) particles of SILICON (Si14 on the periodic table of elements), NOT Silicone. Silicone is a man-made product. Silicon is a natural Earth element. There is a full description of this and how Permanon seals and protects surfaces quickly, easily, and effectively on our FAQ's page at: www.permanonfinishes.com/faqs

As for "refreshing now & then", all surface protection products require refreshing at some point. Some last longer than others, and the ones that do last a very long time are typically dangerous to apply, must be applied by a professional, and are expensive. The key to Permanon is that because it is a hard element, not a cream or compound, it does not dissipate naturally like waxes and silicone products. It can only be removed by abrasion or a high pH cleaner. In other words, if you apply Permanon on a show car/vessel that is never exposed to abrasion, the protection will remain on the surface indefinitely. Wax dissipates naturally in only about 3 months. Of course most vehicles/vessels are meant to be driven and will over time be exposed to abrasion from road/water debris, but a refresh of Permanon is as simple as a standard wash & rinse, spray apply Permanon, then wipe away the remaining water.
 

Permanon

Junior Member
How about if you get to a point where you decide to remove it entirely and go back to straight wax? How easily can you get it off?
Permanon can be removed by abrasion. An example of this is use of a buffing compound with a buffing wheel. However, once you apply Permanon and see how easy it is to apply, how effective it is, and how long it lasts, you'll see there is no reason to go back to an inferior product like wax that does not last or protect and is labor intensive to apply and re-apply.
 

Permanon

Junior Member
Thanks for the input! I was worried that it might be too slippery. Better to stick with having the boat buffed and waxed, I’m sure.
Permanon is a popular product in the detailing world for cars, trucks, and boats/yachts but we sell more Permanon to the boating industry, by far. It's one of those products that is often considered too good to be true, but it's also one of those products that when you try it, then you believe it, and then you'll tell all of your friends. In fact, that's how we've developed most of our customer base. Word-of-mouth advertising is incredibly powerful when you have a product that actually works, solves a problem, and makes life easier. Consider learning more about it on our FAQ's page: www.permanonfinishes.com/faqs
 

Permanon

Junior Member
I have no experience with this product, but as a general rule, you should never ever... as in ever... use anything containing silicone on fiberglass surfaces. The silicone contaminates the fiberglass and nothing will ever again adhere to the fiberglass. The only cure is removal of the surface. So it would be a total pita if any future gelcoat repairs were ever needed.
To clear up any confusion, Permanon's protective ingredient is made up of microscopic (nano-level) particles of SILICON (Si14 on the periodic table of elements), NOT Silicone. Silicone is a man-made product. Silicon is a natural Earth element. There is a full description of this and how Permanon seals and protects surfaces quickly, easily, and effectively on our FAQ's page at: www.permanonfinishes.com/faqs

Permanon is an extremely effective and safe surface sealant on fiberglass and gelcoat surfaces. Your comments about silicone products are correct, but do not apply to Permanon.
 

Permanon

Junior Member
once you apply silicone to a fiberglass surface, even silicone won't stick to it ; )
Permanon's protective ingredient is made up of microscopic (nano-level) particles of SILICON (Si14 on the periodic table of elements), NOT Silicone. Silicone is a man-made product. Silicon is a natural Earth element. There is a full description of this and how Permanon seals and protects surfaces quickly, easily, and effectively on our FAQ's page at: www.permanonfinishes.com/faqs
 

Permanon

Junior Member
Ahem, Amen, Just Say NO to Silicone!!! I Agree with garryh, surface removal is the only real answer, the silicone goop a PO used to "seal" leaky ports just made extra work for doing the job right... as in strip (grind) the mess off to get any semblance of a proper, lasting seal with gasket..
Agreed, but Permanon's protective ingredient is made up of microscopic (nano-level) particles of SILICON (Si14 on the periodic table of elements), NOT Silicone. Silicone is a man-made product. Silicon is a natural Earth element. There is a full description of this and how Permanon seals and protects surfaces quickly, easily, and effectively on our FAQ's page at: www.permanonfinishes.com/faqs
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Interesting product. I hope that it sands cleanly off when one's 50 year old boat needs a repaint. That's one facet of refinishing that comes up when I have discussed the process with a painter/boatwright that I know.
(When our boat was repainted, the effort to do a good preparation of the old surface took a LOT of time. And not unlike other boats, we were beyond just waxing it out, even with a superior product because the surface contained a lot of dings and larger mismatched color areas over the decades.)
 

Permanon

Junior Member
Interesting product. I hope that it sands cleanly off when one's 50 year old boat needs a repaint. That's one facet of refinishing that comes up when I have discussed the process with a painter/boatwright that I know.
(When our boat was repainted, the effort to do a good preparation of the old surface took a LOT of time. And not unlike other boats, we were beyond just waxing it out, even with a superior product because the surface contained a lot of dings and larger mismatched color areas over the decades.)
The only things that remove Permanon are abrasion and a high pH cleaner. Sanding certainly counts as abrasion and would remove Permanon easily. You'll find by using Permanon and keeping up with maintenace applications that your paint will be protected from sun fade and will require a repaint much less often.
 
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