How to tell gelcoat was damaged by paint remover

[newsailor72]

Got some Aqua Strip paint remover and used it on about 1/4 of the hull, I left it on for a several hours, not overnight. Worked fairly well.
I was just reading some reviews and someone said it damaged their gelcoat, just wondering how to tell gelcoat was damaged, soft spot? crack?

 

[shemandr]

Did you apply it to the bottom or topsides?

 

[dLj]

It's usually pretty evident. Gell coat is gone in places - or worse....

dh

 

[dlochner]

Gelcoat is basically polyester resin, it is pretty tough stuff. If it was permanently damaged I would expect it to become soft and maybe a bit gummy or gooey. That's what happens when you put denatured alcohol on cured gelcoat. Once the alcohol flashes off the gumminess goes away.

Aquastrip has been around a long time, if it posed a serious threat to gelcoat, I would have expected it to be off the shelves.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I've used aquastrip on the bottom of a boat before. It removed the topside paint (yes, PO put it on the bottom!) and bottom paint without hurting the gelcoat

 

[newsailor72]

There's some blue paint left after the black coat got removed. I tried a small test spot with Lysol toilet bowl gel and it came off real easy but Im little concerned. Will it affect the barrier coat later on, will power wash help?