Repairing a sail tear with Tedlar
Tedlar is a hi-tech adhesive film used in the aerospace industry to
protect surfaces from Ultraviolet radiation. It will not fade, crack or
yellow in the sun and it has an aggressive adhesive which allows
permanent and almost invisible repairs on kite sails.
Tedlar can be used on tears in both cloth and Mylar sail panels. It is
available in 2” wide strips from Prism by the foot or by the roll.
The best way to apply a Tedlar patch is to first align the tear using
some masking tape on the front side of the sail. Make sure you've
smoothed as many of the wrinkles and bubbles as you can, then apply
the Tedlar patch to the back side of the sail. Remove the masking
tape, and you're done. It helps to slightly round the corners of your
patch to keep them from peeling up over time. For a stronger repair
place the Tedlar patch on the front and back of the sail.