General Information about Marine Fabrics, also known as Canvas

• All fabrics are strong and nice looking when they are new.
Fabrics that cost more have longer warranties and are higher quality.
Marine fabrics not abused when towing or for winter storage will last well past the warranty.
Life of fabric has to do with the amount of ultra-violet light it will take before it degrades.
   Some other factors include wind-whip, abrasion, salt-air, pollution, ice and heavy snow.
All Marine fabrics can be periodically washed and treated to make them last longer.
All Marine fabrics that are not rotten or worn out can be waterproofed easily. see cover care

• The weight of the fabric is quoted in ounces for one Square Yard of Material.
   11.0oz fabric would weigh (220 ounces) aprox. 14 lbs. for a cover using 20 square yards.
   9.25oz fabric would weigh (185 ounces) aprox. 12 lbs. for a cover using 20 square yards.
   6.25oz fabric would weigh (125 ounces) aprox. 8 lbs. for a cover using 20 square yards.
Heavier fabrics are not necessarily better. That depends on fabric quality and intended use.

• Coated Canvas has a base material of cotton, cotton/poly, polyester or acrylic. A top side coating is added or it is dipped in coating(double coated). A few have a bottom side coating like Sunbrella Plus. Coated fabrics are waterproof, stiffer, harder to fold and require care not to damage the coating. They work great for towing and winter storage because they generally will not stretch.
When the coating wears off or wears out, the cover has to be replaced.