does goretex deteriorate

[wideparting]

coming home last saturday and got caught in heavy rain for an hour or so.got home and soaked,top and bottom.rallye 3 jacket and hein gericke goretex pants.i have had theses for quite a few years,probably because im too mean to buy newer stuff. does goretex deteriorate over the years.

 

[wessie]

I have Rallye 3 trousers. The zip in membrane isn't real goretex.

I have found seams can rupture eventually, especially trousers in the crotch area just from getting on and off the bike. Same with boots. My Daytonas stopped being waterproof after 20 years.

Nikwax claim their products rejuvenate the membrane, as does tumble drying it.

 

[MikeH101]

Don't know about deterioration but dirt will clog the micro pores and prevents moisture release. Hence the need for regular cleaning.
One problem I discovered is that the vapour barrier works on temperature differential. The hot (internal) side let's moisture out amd the cold side stops water ingress. The problem comes when the outside gets hotter than the inside, so in the case of some gortex trousers subject to hot exhaust air, it will let rain in and stop moisture exiting. A good recipe for a wet crotch.

 

[Davey B]

Mike nails it.....^

 

[siddo]

Taped seams failed on my HG trousers.

 

[wessie]

Don't know about deterioration but dirt will clog the micro pores and prevents moisture release. Hence the need for regular cleaning.
One problem I discovered is that the vapour barrier works on temperature differential. The hot (internal) side let's moisture out amd the cold side stops water ingress. The problem comes when the outside gets hotter than the inside, so in the case of some gortex trousers subject to hot exhaust air, it will let rain in and stop moisture exiting. A good recipe for a wet crotch.

same happens with heated grips and gloves with a membrane

hence why I favoured bar muffs when winter commuting

 

[zoltan]

coming home last saturday and got caught in heavy rain for an hour or so.got home and soaked,top and bottom.rallye 3 jacket and hein gericke goretex pants.i have had theses for quite a few years,probably because im too mean to buy newer stuff. does goretex deteriorate over the years.

Yes, no longer have the inserts to show.
The gore tape which runs over the joints lifted slightly, glue was old and perished. On stress area like the knee and elbow material has stress signs. Was thinner and a different color. Purchased Gore tape to fix it but I failed. Eventually purchased a new liner. Water does find it's way.
This was the liner for the Atlantis suit.

 

[wideparting]

thanks guys some really useful information there,perhaps i should push the boat out and buy some new gear. thanks again. j

 

[AustinW]

In my experience all ‘tex layers wear out with regular use. Think of it as a form of plastic so will crease, stretch, rub, crack, pick, or whatever and will fail before long. Seams come apart - probably the weakest point. Dirt is only really bad news for breathability - a plastic bag is still waterproof even if it’s filthy. Yeah I know ‘tex stuff is a bit different but the point is dirt doesn’t make tex stuff inherently leaky. 3-5 years is as long as anything made from any of the Tex brands has lasted me before it fails. Don’t Gore guarantee their products for 5 years? Why am I not surprised.

If you genuinely get soaked through though, rather than just damp patches in my experience it’s because the rain has been coming through a zip, a collar, the cuffs or between hips and trousers - a big overlap here is essential. Check everything is properly fastened, rain flaps secured, gloves a long way under cuffs, and a rain collar of some sort properly fitted.

Nikwax and similar cleans both the outer layer and the membrane. This improves breathability. Those products also impregnate the outer with stuff (silicone/wax? Dunno) so water beads up and runs off rather than soaks in. It’s like the opposite of soap (soap makes water wetter, as my chemistry teacher once told me). This the DWR we all read about in the marketing and is what convinces you your jacket is waterproof. It’s certainly helping but waterproofness comes mainly from the Tex layer, breathability from a non-wetted out outer layer.

IMHO, the best waterproofing for bike gear is a waterproofing over the top. BMW rainlock or Scott have been good for me, and even these wear out about 5 years old.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

I wore out a Goretex cycling jacket many moons ago. It went where my rucksack had been rubbing it so the shop sent it back to the manufacturer and I was eventually given a replacement, but this was within 12 months. It's replacement went in a similar manner so I stopped spending silly money on cycling jackets and took to using a Regatta over jacket to double up when the weather was very wet.

 

[Pukmeister]

Goretex clothing needs to be washed and reproofed regularly in the proper stuff, such as Tech Wash followed by TX Direct as sold by Nikwax.

Its waterpoofing properties also get reactivated by heat so it is best tumble dried on a low heat.

Seams need retaping using Seamgrip or similar specialist adhesives.

Holes and worn areas can be repaired with goretex patches from dedicated Goretex repair kits.

For really foul weather I wear a Scott Ergo Pro waterproof jacket over my BMW Enduroguard suit, as mentioned many times by many people on the forum. Mine has stood up to an all-day torrential downpour whilst riding at speed without a single drop getting through.

 

[jefformston]

coming home last saturday and got caught in heavy rain for an hour or so.got home and soaked,top and bottom.rallye 3 jacket and hein gericke goretex pants.i have had theses for quite a few years,probably because im too mean to buy newer stuff. does goretex deteriorate over the years.

Gore-tex guarantees for life. My HG gore-tex pants leaked after 10 years, sent them to Gore and they gave a full refund of the purchase price. Excellent customer service.

 

[AustinW]

Gore-tex guarantees for life. My HG gore-tex pants leaked after 10 years, sent them to Gore and they gave a full refund of the purchase price. Excellent customer service.

You were very fortunate then. The Gore waterproofing guarantee is for the reasonable life of the product and excludes wear and tear.

The decision to repair, replace, refund or reject is made at the reasonable discretion of Gore based upon an examination of the product’s useful life at the time of return. Leakage and performance issues caused by accident, misuse, normal wear and tear, or lack of proper care are excluded, but may be repaired at a reasonable price.​

Guarantee & Returns

Most GORE-TEX products carry a GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY promise, which ensures that our products are made with the highest quality waterproof materials.

www.gore-tex.com

I agree though Gore is a company with a great customer service ethic having like you benefitted from their guarantee.

 

[GS2022]

Once Gore stopped using PFAS, I wonder if that changed their policy from a lifetime guarantee to the policy mentioned above.

 

[steve hughes]

Once Gore stopped using PFAS, I wonder if that changed their policy from a lifetime guarantee to the policy mentioned above.

Could have done^^^^^^^^. I also noticed recently Gore Bike ( cycling) is closing down. They had an excellent product called “ shakedry” which in essense was like wearing just the membrane, but stopping PFAS meant that was shelved. The sweat produced cycling is a mahoosive challenge for any breathable fabric.

 

[dean0n0]

Heat helps https://www.gore-tex.com/en_uk/blog/restoring-water-repellency-as-good-as-new-again

 

[siddo]

It used to say " wash it lots and iron it hot on Berghaus" I seem to recall.

 

[Santa-2512]

Yes it does. I set an item back to the approved repair centre, they emailed me to say as the item is old ( although minimal use) the seam adhesive has seeped deeply into the fibres of the garment, and as such they are unable to reweld/ glue the seam, so the only alternative is to stitch the seam. Which means the item won't be waterproof by the stitching

 

[er-minio]

Its waterpoofing properties also get reactivated by heat so it is best tumble dried on a low heat.

^^^^^^^ this.

 

[J biker]

Lets be honest, how long since HG kit was available new?
Maybe can be reproofed, but surely time for an upgrade…