Pontoon Boat Detailing.
Aluminum tube restoration, vinyl furniture revival, and bimini canvas reproof for family pontoons and luxury tritoons.
Bennington, Harris, Sun Tracker, Premier, Avalon, Crest, Manitou. Slip-kept, trailered, or driveway — we come to you at Canyon Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Travis, and Medina.
Service specs
Why pontoons is different.
Pontoons live the slow life. They sit in slips Monday through Friday, get loaded with families and coolers on Saturday, and bake quietly in the sun all summer. The problems are different from a sportboat: the aluminum tubes corrode along the waterline, the vinyl furniture absorbs sunscreen and spilled margaritas, the bimini canvas turns black with mildew, and the fence-rail panels lose their wrap. A real pontoon detail is half boat work and half outdoor-furniture restoration — and the family that owns it just wants the kids to stop sticking to the seat cushions.
Aluminum tubes are not gelcoat. They oxidize from waterline scum, mineral deposits, and algae — and the cleaning chemistry is completely different. The wrong product (anything alkaline or improperly diluted acid) will pit the tube surface permanently. Vinyl furniture on a pontoon collects more sunscreen residue than any other boat type because of the seating arrangement and family use. Bimini tops, especially Sunbrella canvas, mildew along the seams where water pools. Fence panels and helm wraps fade. We treat every one of these as its own service.
Texas reality check. Hill Country pontoon owners deal with Saharan dust season (the yellow film in June-July), hard-water spots from mineral-rich lake water, and algae waterline rings where the boat sits in the slip. Canyon Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Travis, and Medina are loaded with pontoons of every size — from rented Sun Trackers to $200k Bennington luxury tritoons. The boats that sit unmoved in a slip for weeks pick up the worst algae lines.
The pontoons protocol.
Tube inspection — we walk the boat and rate the oxidation level on the tubes before quoting; severe pitting requires a separate restoration pass.
Pressure-rinse the hull, deck, fence panels, and underside to flush loose dirt before any chemistry hits the aluminum.
Tube wash with a properly diluted aluminum brightener — never undiluted, never alkaline. Light foaming, short dwell, immediate rinse.
Aluminum tube polish with a tube-specific compound and a dual-action polisher to restore the satin shine.
Fence-panel and helm-wrap clean — gentle wash with vinyl wrap cleaner, no harsh degreasers that lift the wrap edges.
Vinyl furniture: marine cleaner, sunscreen-stain pass, UV conditioner. Heavy-stained seats get a second cycle.
Bimini canvas brush-clean with mildew-specific cleaner, rinse, dry; reproofing spray applied if requested.
Carpet/non-skid sun-deck scrub with appropriate brush stiffness; algae rings on the rear deck spot-treated.
Helm electronics, stereo screens, gauges wiped with screen-safe microfiber. Trailer (if present) gets a wash and tire dressing.
What's included.
Every item on this list runs on every pontoons job. No upsells at the door.
Common add-ons for pontoons
- Bimini canvas reproofing (waterproof spray)
- Tube ceramic coating (slows future oxidation)
- Vinyl repair / re-stitch coordination
- Sun-deck mat replacement
- Helm vinyl-wrap reapplication
Models we see most.
Luxury tritoons (three tubes, high horsepower)
Bennington Q Series, Bennington QX, Avalon Catalina / Excalibur, Harris Solstice / Crowne, Crest Caribbean, Manitou X25 SHP, Premier Escalante, Lowe SS series.
Standard family pontoons
Sun Tracker Party Barge, Sun Tracker Fishin' Barge, Premier 230 / 270, Manitou Aurora / Oasis, Harris Cruiser, Avalon LSZ, Lowe Ultra, Tahoe LTZ.
Older tubes we restore
1990s and early-2000s Sun Trackers, Lowe, Crest, Bennington 2050 series. Heavy oxidation responds to a proper aluminum brightener-and-polish sequence — we routinely restore tubes that look hopeless.
What owners always ask.
Algae waterline rings come off with a properly diluted aluminum brightener, short dwell, and immediate rinse. We never let the chemistry sit on the tube. Heavy rings may need two passes plus a polish to restore the satin finish.
Yes — after we clean off the mildew, we can apply 303 Fabric Guard or Star Brite Waterproofing depending on the fabric (Sunbrella vs vinyl). It restores water beading and slows future mildew. Add-on service, typically $80-150 depending on canopy size.
Only if it's misused. Aluminum brighteners are acid-based and have to be diluted correctly, kept off the tube for short dwell, and rinsed immediately. Done right, they restore the satin without harming the metal. We've trained on this for years.
Yes. Canyon Lake (Cranes Mill, Cypress Bend, Mountain Springs), Lake LBJ (Horseshoe Bay, Highland Lakes), Lake Travis, Medina Lake, and Boerne Lake. Slip or driveway, we'll come.
Most of it. We use a vinyl brightener that pulls the oil-based pigment out of the topcoat. Heavy set-in stains may need multiple passes — but we've never met a pontoon seat we couldn't make a real improvement on.
A standard tube wash, polish, vinyl, and bimini on a 22-24 ft Bennington starts at $450. A heavy-oxidation restore on a 26-foot QX with neglected tubes runs $550-650. We quote after the tube inspection.
Park it. We'll handle it.
We come to your driveway, dock, RV park, or hangar. Same care, every job.