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Canvas covers and awnings need hardware to hold them in place. Fortunately, installing them can be a breeze – or a mess if you’re not careful. Follow closely!
Photo: Lenny Rudow
Whether they cover a helm console, a cockpit seat, or go over the entire boat, canvas covers can provide tremendous protection for parts of your boat that would otherwise suffer from UV damage and weathering. But if you add a new cover or replace an existing one, you may discover that it has snaps but nothing to secure them to.
Conversely, you may have snap studs on the boat but get a cover that doesn’t have any snaps preinstalled.
Fortunately, installing canvas snaps is about as easy a DIY task as you’ll find. If you don’t think things through, however, you may end up with extra holes in your boat or a cover that doesn’t fit properly. So even though an amateur should feel comfortable making this upgrade, you still need to pay close attention to the details. Here’s how to get a professional-looking finish.
1. Mark snap locations. If neither snaps nor studs are present, put the cover or awnings in place – a wind-free day would be best for this! – and use the seams and reinforcements (such as seams running down the middle or reinforcing patches around the corners of a windshield) to ensure it’s aligned properly. A tape measure may come in handy.
If either the boat or cover has a set of preexisting snaps or studs, after aligning the cover (and zipping up all the panels, if you’re working with an awning) add one initial snap or stud to use as an initial anchor point for the cover. In either case, once you have the cover alignment as desired, use a grease pencil to mark the spot where you need to add the first snap and/or stud. After it’s in place, mark each spot moving forward as you add additional snaps and/or studs.
Difficulty:
- Easy
Tools:
- Power drill and bit
- Screwdriver
- Snap crimper
- Tape measure
- Grease pencil
Materials:
- Marine-grade studs and snaps
- 3M 5200 adhesive/sealant
Time:
- About 2 hours per 10 snaps
Cost
- Approx. $30–$100 depending on number of snaps
1. After marking the location for each stud, use your power drill to drill the hole. 2. Add a dab of 3M 5200, then use a screwdriver to drive in the snap stud. 3 & 4. With the snap and stud in place, snap on your cover and rest easy knowing your boat now has some additional protection from the sun and rain. 4. Crimpers and snaps can be purchased separately or in a kit. Photos: Lenny Rudow
2. Add studs to the boat. Most snaps fit a #8 screw stud and require a 1/8-inch hole, however, there can be variations, so drill a test-hole in spare material to make sure the screw will fit properly before drilling into your boat. Look behind the surface where the screws are to be fitted to avoid drilling into wiring, tanks, hoses, or other critical items. Then drill the hole. Apply a small bead of 3M 5200 to the hole, then screw in the stud until it’s flush with the surface.
3. Add snaps to the cover. Place the “button” and “socket” sides of the snap into the crimper as shown in the manufacturer’s instructions. It’s important to make sure each is placed in the proper side of the crimper and has the correct side facing out. Then simply position the jaws of the crimper over the marked snap location, and squeeze firmly in one smooth motion to compress the jaws completely. If you’ve never done it before, get a piece of spare canvas and install a snap or two for practice before moving on to your cover.
Once you have your cover anchored with a snap and stud, work your way around the perimeter, pulling the canvas as you go to ensure a tight fit. Depending on how much your material expands and shrinks in hot and cold weather, and, depending on manufacturer instructions that come with the material, you may want to provide a little slack. Or keep some marine canvas snap extenders on hand.