What is the lifespan of Gore-Tex? How many years can it be worn?

As an essential part of outdoor wear, Gore-Tex material is indispensable for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy mountain climbing, fishing camping, and other activities.

Thanks to its moisture permeability, GORE-TEX material was a breakthrough in keeping the inside of clothing dry and comfortable even when being drenched by rain.

Gore-Tex clothing is more expensive than ordinary rainwear. This is because GORE-TEX clothing has undergone such extensive testing and quality assurance.

It is not so easy to replace expensive clothing. So the question arises: What is the lifespan of GORE-TEX clothing? When is the life of a Gore-Tex garment?

When does it become necessary to replace it?
In this article, we will describe the life span of GORE-TEX.

Does Gore-Tex permanently deteriorate?

If you are an old-time Gore-Tex user, you may have heard it said that Gore-Tex does not deteriorate permanently. Is this true?
Actually, this is true, although there are some assumptions.

However, that does not mean that Gore-Tex clothing does not have a limited lifespan. It does not mean that Gore-Tex clothing will not deteriorate indefinitely; in fact, it is saying that the Gore-Tex material does not deteriorate.

Gore-Tex is actually invisible to the eye and is sandwiched between fabrics. This sandwiched material is the main body of GORE-TEX and is called the membrane.

In the past, Gore-Tex membranes were made of a substance called ePTFE, which is a highly stable material. It can maintain the same properties for hundreds of years with no degradation, and very little deterioration is seen.

However, its overly tough nature has caused it to remain stable for long periods of time even when mixed in with the natural environment, which has been problematic from the standpoint of environmental issues.

As a result, in recent years, changes have been made to the Gore-Tex material itself. This is a substance called ePE. As a result of this change, GORE-TEX can no longer be said to be a material that will not deteriorate indefinitely.

However, it is still a material that can be said to deteriorate little in about 10 years, so it can be said to be sufficient as a material used for rainwear.

What determines the lifespan of GORE-TEX clothing?

As mentioned earlier, just because GORE-TEX membranes do not degrade indefinitely does not mean that GORE-TEX clothing can be used indefinitely.
The life of GORE-TEX is determined by damage to the fabric and its components. Here are some typical patterns.

Tears and Damage

The surface of GORE-TEX clothing is made of very strong threads, but it can still tear if it is hit by sharp objects such as knives or cutters.

It is also susceptible to fire sparks, which can cause a hole to fly out near a campfire.
In such a situation, water will enter through the torn or punctured area. This would be fatal to rainwear.

Countermeasures and remedies

However, it is not so difficult to repair tears and holes. It is probably possible to repair them by consulting the manufacturer.

Depending on when the garment was sold, the same fabric may not be available for repair, and the garment may be a different color.

If the seam tape has come off

Even if Gore-Tex has not deteriorated, other components may deteriorate, causing the garment to lose its functionality as rainwear.

A typical example of this is peeling seam tape. The Gore-Tex membrane is sandwiched between the Gore-Tex fabric, which keeps it waterproof, but the seams have holes in them.

Rainwear has seam tapes attached to its seams to ensure the waterproofness of those seams.

However, since these are attached by adhesion, deterioration occurs depending on storage conditions.

If the seam tape is peeled off, water can easily enter if water pressure is applied, which can be fatal to rainwear.

Countermeasures and remedies

Peeling seam tapes are not difficult to repair. The manufacturer will be able to repair it for you. You can also purchase seam tape and apply it yourself.

However, there is a difference between this and asking the manufacturer or contractor to apply the seam tape, in that leakage management when applying the tape and the strength of the seam tape cannot be checked.

Also, if some of the seam tape is peeling, it is possible that other seam tapes are also weakened, so you will need to inspect those as well.

When hiring a contractor, be sure to hire a specialist who can perform a leak test after the seam tape is applied.

In the event of fabric separation

GORE-TEX may look like a single piece of fabric, but it is made up of multiple layers of membrane and fabric.

Therefore, depending on storage conditions, fabric peeling may occur. If fabric peeling occurs, the waterproof property is maintained, but the appearance of the garment becomes problematic.

Countermeasures and remedies

There is probably no manufacturer that will repair Gore-Tex fabric peeling when it occurs.

This repair requires a very high level of skill. Even specialized stores will often refuse to do this repair. We can do this repair depending on the situation.

We hope you will consult with us as soon as possible, especially if the peeling has only been in place for a short period of time, as it may be possible to reattach it.

Loss of water repellency

The Gore-Tex membrane will remain waterproof for as long as there are no tears or holes.

On the other hand, its water repellency, which repels water, decreases with stress from use.

Although the water repellency will remain waterproof, it will lose its breathability, and the garment will become heavier and cooler as it absorbs water, significantly reducing its functionality as rainwear.

We believe that the loss of water repellency is also damage that is not actually visible to the eye.

Countermeasures and remedies

Re-establishing water repellency can be handled by yourself.

You can go to an outdoor goods store and purchase a water repellent agent, which can be used to restore water repellency.

On the other hand, while such water-repellent restoration agents can be handled at home, they do not restore water repellency to a new level, so you will need to treat them many times.

If you feel this is too much work, we recommend hiring a professional to do the work. If you are experiencing any of these problems, please contact DROPROOF.