Application of Renovo

[davedavies]

I am about to use Renovo on my roof for the first time. I know there are many views regarding the use and suitability of this product, but I have decided to give it a try anyway.

The instructions say to use a paintbrush to apply the dye and the waterproofer. I have read elsewhere that the use of a sponge is easier and gives better results.

Has anyone tried to spray the dye or waterproofer onto the material - if so, how did it turn out ??

Dave.

[blitzracing]

Just search this forum, theres plenty !

[V8 Devil]

I used a paintbrush and it went streaky. If I were to use it again, which I won't I would use a sponge. Good luck!

[Bomber Denton]

I usually just paint it on then even with a small sponge. Followed by three coats of Thompsons. Don't forget to mask off.

Edited by Bomber Denton on Saturday 6th October 20:34

[E2DJH]

IMHO the most important thing is to use the Renovo "cleaner" first. If you don't, you can expect a streaky result.

[Hut49]

I used Renovo for 5 years applied every 4 or 5 months with a 2" paint brush without ever once having a streaky finish. 2 months after applying the Renovo I used two coats of Thompsons Water Seal and the roof was always waterproof. Before applying Renovo I cleaned the fabric with one of the proprietary soft top cleaners (occasionally I used Fairy Liquid (1 ml in a litre) and a nail brush using a circular motion to ensure a reasonable chance of dislodging any dirt caught up in the weave. Flood the fabric with water after this until there's no bubbles, then let it fully dry after that. Vacuum with a brush on the nozzle, mask up the window and paintwork and cover all the interior. Apply the Renovo exactly as it says on the label leaving it to touch dry after the first coat before applying the second. Don't apply Renovo in direct hot sunlight as it could dry too quickly which will accentuate any uneveness in application. I think the answer to the criticisms of Renovo may be due to the appearance of the roof before you apply it. My roof was never streaky or patchy before I started using it. I think that if you have a distinctly patchy fabric to start with then this will always tend to reappear and could look worse once some areas are darkened by the stain.

[davedavies]

Thanks for all the advice.
I have started to clean and colour the roof today - progress so far:

I cleaned the complete roof with the Renovo cleaner twice and allowed to dry.
I applied one coat of the dark blue colour with a brush as per the instrucations - a vivid and scarey colour.
After about 1 hour, I applied a second coat with brush strokes 90 degrees to the first application. Immediatley, I used a moisened sponge (dipped in the dye and squeezed out) to go over the complete roof with little pressure.
This looked to remove all the previous brush strokes and now it has dried - it looks fantastic.

One thing to note for anyone who hasn't used this before is that the dark blue dye looks very light and vivid blue when applied. When it has dried and after a couple of coats, it is a great match for the original dark blue TVR mohair.

Next step to waterproof it.

Once again thanks for all the good advice, I have received far more feedback from PH than the TVR owners club.

[fluffychim]

The folk in the TVR owners club don't spend sunny weekends trawling internet sites looking to give out advice. They're out driving their P&Js. IMHO