New Dodger, Ruffled Sunbrella

[Rob2435]

I had a new dodger made and it looks a little loose. I was told that the Sunbrella will shrink a bit in the sun and heat and tighten up. Is this true?

The old one was as tight as a drum until it started to fail after 15yrs...

 

[Ron20324]

I don't think it will shrink that much, and not all that soon. My guess would be the zippers are too far forward. In sewing those, the curvature made the canvas pucker? I'd have put those zippers maybe 6 inches in front of the bimini bow? Some times you can tighten things up by putting foam padding (used to insulate pipes) over the bows. But yours... hmmm.

 

[Patrick17430]

Educate yourself before you confront whoever f-ed that bimini up. I'd ask another canvas company to take a look at it for you so you'll know exactly what went wrong. There's no way that canvas is going to shrink enough to get those swells to flatten out. That's not right.

 

[Stu Jackson]

"I've been told..." is a deadly phrase. Who said that? Who made it? Same person? Not true, I agree with Ron. Have it fixed by the person who made it.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Let me guess - the same person who made it told you it's supposed to be loose...

Did you pay him yet?

 

[seadaddler]

Add

If you can add a stainless bar to push it out tighter or add small piece of stainless tubing to push out front or rear bar all should be done by the canvas
guy who made it and tell him we don't agree with his saying will tighten.
I can't really see for sure what it really looks like.
Nick

 

[Steve Dion]

Maybe these guys are just a canvas shop and were testing their dodger making skills on you.

I have a dodger that is now about 7 years old. I took the top off it a couple of years ago to have it re-stiched. Then we re-installed it we had to loosen the frame support to get it back in place and tight. Ours was always tight as a drum.

Was yours a re-cover or an all new install? Regardless I would have the company that made it either fix it or redo it.

 

[Joe]

That's BS! Tell the shop to fix it... or you'll take them to small claims court. Whatever claim they make regarding shrinkage it's up to them to prove it. You can get opinions from other canvas shops to back up your claim.

 

[alexco38]

That's BS! Tell the shop to fix it... or you'll take them to small claims court. Whatever claim them make regarding shrinkage is up to them to prove it. You can get opinions from other canvas shops to back up your claim.

No, they got the curvature wrong. There is a technique to take a template with plastic sheet stretched over the frame. Do it by measurement won't work. The fabric should be smooth like a drum from the get go.

 

[Patrick17430]

Naw Uh ! "Sunbrella will shrink a bit in the sun and heat and tighten up".

 

[Captn TJ]

I agree with all above. The Bimini should be tight from day 1. After 7 years the only part of my canvas install that has loosened up and not by much is the connector between the Bimini and the dodger - but only because it's unstructured and does billow a very slight bit in high winds.

 

[Rob2435]

I will be checking if it shrunk later in the week. And, no I haven't paid in full yet, which is why I asked the question, I am not going to pay in full until its as tight as a drum with no ruffles.

 

[Ron20324]

It may be tough to prove those puckers are actually a "problem" they be required to fix. Maybe it is the norm for the way they build? Have you seen any other work they have done and/or gotten references when looking fo a canvas shop? While it may not look like what you'd expect, is not to say it's wrong. I do canvas for myself and friends, and would not make mine if it looked like yours. That is avoidable, but, still, to say it is wrong ...??? (My thought is the way they made the underside piece has led to the top ridges.)

 

[Rob2435]

So I had him come out again and fix the problems. Most of the ruffles came out but the dodger was holding a bit of water on top, about a 2 inch by 3 inch section, which I was not happy about. It was due to fabric slipping about 1/8 inch during manufacture, I put a "shim" behind the spot and everything looks fine now. At first he said it was fine and would shrink by Sept/Oct - I told him that I would hold the remaining 50% of his money until it shrank, he then decided it was a problem as well. All looks good for now even after several water tests with the hose.