Why does Gore-Tex Fail?

[HeadnWest]

It is a common statement that gore-tex fails after a year or two of use, but why? Does anyone know the technical reason why this statement can hold true? Just wondering if there is something you can do to try to limit the regression of the waterproofness.

 

[Laelkhunter]

It might be the seams where the pieces are sewn together. Through flexing and normal wear, the seam wears out?? If you apply some type of treatment to it that clogs the pores, it can't breathe to let the moisture out, so maybe the sweat causes more moisture inside. Just guessing here, don't really know.

 

[5MilesBack]

I imagine it fails in boots because of the constant beating that it takes with every step. Goretex in general doesn't just stop working on its own. I still have a pair of Gates Goretex ski gloves from the 80's that I can still dunk into water and my hands stay dry. And those gloves have been through several ski seasons, and many winter hunting seasons.

 

[Scoony]

Back in the my Army days when Goretex boots first starting coming out, guys would polish them with Kiwi (uniform standards) they would notice the boots would start to leak after using Kiwi on them for awhile. Not sure if something in the polish broke down the goretex membrane/seams, or if it was actually the cause, but heard it from many soldiers.

Boots do take a beating so my guess is that the seams will fail first.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Fails from either delamination or wear hole.
Due to the nature of how it’s used in boots(as a bootie inside) it’s probe to wear holes.
Only way to make it more durable is to make it seamless, and bond it to the inside outer fabric, then put in your foam, liner etc

Goretex seldom fails from delamination, so majority of the time it’s just wear from it being a floating bootie. Less stiff uppers are more prone to holes.

 

[ndbuck09]

I just had my La Sportiva Trango Cube's Warrantied by Gore Tex and asked about what to look for in a true waterproof boot and what made some better than others. This is the response i got from the customer service lady who had worked with me through my warranty process. Real, real generic corporate speak lol. I wish they cared more.

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