FAQ Friday #49 – Why is this useful to know what welded seams look like on a boat tube?

Both PU (polyurethane) and PVC tubes can be welded or glued, where as Hypalon tubes can only be glued.  So, if you can identify that your tubes have welded seams, then you can confirm that you don’t have Hypalon tubes and need to use a 2 part PVC adhesive for repairs. RIBstore’s PVC adhesive can also be used on PU.

So what do welded seams look like?

During the HF (high frequency) welding process, two or more layers of fabric are squeezed together which can cause the outed coatings of the fabric to melt / weep, as shown in the photo below: