How to get rid of a hole in rubber boots?

Rubber boots are a very good help in bad weather. They are not afraid of either puddles or mud. However, boot rubber has one drawback: a nail or even a piece of glass is enough to render such a necessary shoe completely unusable.

We suggest talking about how to repair rubber boots at home and get rid of a hole in them.

First of all, let's find a hole in the boot.

If the rubber boot leaks water, and you cannot find the defective place, flatten the boot, twist it (as shown in the picture) and lower the bottom of the boot into the water. Bubbles of air escaping from the boot will help find a hole, puncture or crack.

Ways to get rid of a hole in rubber boots:

Special glue

In order to use glue, you need to know exactly what material your boots are made of. And be sure to choose an adhesive with appropriate properties.

Boots can be made not only from rubber, but also from EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or polyurethane. And the glue for these materials will be different.

If it is difficult to independently determine the material of the boots, you can take them with you to the store, where a specialist can quickly determine what the shoes are made of.

Next, sand and degrease a part of the boot and stick a patch.

There are at least 3 methods for sealing holes in boots. It:

For this method, you will need glue from the fishing store, which we talked about a little earlier. During the procedure itself, you must follow the instructions that are described on the package. In most cases, it is the same: you first need to sand the problem area, then degrease the surface and glue the previously prepared rubber gasket. If you own EVA boots, then this procedure will take even less time, since in this case you do not need to use any patch. Simply peel back the edge of the punctured boot and add some glue to it. Then squeeze the edges tightly and hold them in this position for several minutes;

In this case, you will need a special repair kit that anyone involved in this sport has. From this kit you will need a patch on a special protective film, sandpaper and glue. The process of gluing is as follows: carefully sand the place of the gap with sandpaper. Attention! The size of the treated area should be slightly larger than the hole itself. Then degrease the area with acetone. Remove the protective film from the patch and apply a small amount of glue to the exposed surface. You need to spread glue on the puncture site. After a few minutes, when the glue becomes a little more viscous, press the patch firmly against the boot. The only drawback of this method is not a particularly aesthetic appearance, so only summer boots can be repaired in this way;

This method, unlike the previous one, is ideal for summer footwear and graceful women's boots. For such repairs, you will need a glue sealant. It must be applied in a thin but solid layer to the puncture site. Attention! In no case should you make such repairs with dirty shoes. Before you decide to undertake repair work, boots should be thoroughly washed and dried, since particles of dirt or water droplets will have a negative effect on the result, and you will have to redo everything again.

According to the processing methods, the repair of rubber boots can be either hot or cold.

• Hot repair requires a vulcanizer. Repairing a boot with a vulcanizer requires some experience with it. You need to soak raw rubber in gasoline (about 10 minutes), then put it on the hole and clamp it with a vulcanizing press. Turn on the vulcanizer for 25-35 minutes, then turn it off to allow it to cool to normal temperature, and then remove the press. As a result, you will receive a quality defect repair.
• The cold method is simpler. Wash and dry the boots thoroughly before repairing them. This method requires the item to be clean. The damaged area must be thoroughly cleaned with abrasive paper. If the bootleg is torn, you can tighten the edges of the tear by sewing with thread, then proceed to the next step.

And finally, Instructions for repairing rubber boots at home:

1. First of all, you need to prepare your rubber boots for the gluing process. Therefore, first wash them outside and inside with soap and a brush to remove dirt, then dry. Prepare a rubber patch. If you can't find an original one cut from an old boot, you can use a bicycle camera.
2. File the wrong side of your patch, as well as the allowances around the puncture, to roughen the surface for a more secure grip. Likewise, sand these areas with coarse sandpaper.
3. Soak a rag or cotton wool in the solvent and treat the patch and breakout area on the gumboot. If there are particles of rags or cotton wool on the surface, they should be removed.
4. Trim the edges of the patch so that it does not completely cover the finished rough surface. You can now start the main phase of repairing your rubber boots.
5. For gluing the patch, a special glue is suitable that can reliably bond rubber surfaces (for example, “Rubber” or “Super Moment” for rubber). You can contact a shoe repairman and ask him to pour special glue into your container for a small fee.
6. If you are using store-bought glue, read the instructions and follow all recommendations for using it for maximum results. Spread the glue with a thin layer on the patch and the treated area of ​​the boot, leave for 10-20 minutes (see the instructions for the time).
7. Place a patch of glue on the boot and press firmly. For greater reliability, the boots are put on a shoe and tapped with a hammer. In this case, you need to make sure that she did not move. The patching time is at least one day.

By following these simple instructions, you can always get your rubber boots repaired.