Snowboard Base Maintenance: Cleaning, Repairing, Base Grinding & Restructuring

Most riders understand that snowboard base maintenance is a necessary part of upkeep that will keep their boards fast and crispy. But how often should you perform base maintenance? What types of services should you consider? When should you hit up the professionals and what snowboard base maintenance can you tackle on your own? Well, we sat down with the experts at Craig’s Prototype Facility to get all the answers you might ever need.

Check out Burton’s comprehensive guide to learn which snowboard base maintenance services you should consider, when you should perform these services, and why each service is important for a good (and speedy) season.

• How to Tune Your Snowboard: Video Tutorial
• Understanding the Base of Your Snowboard
• What is snowboard base maintenance?
• Cleaning Your Snowboard Base
• Waxing Your Snowboard Base
• Repairing Your Snowboard Base
• Base Grinding & Base Restructuring
• Snowboard Edge Sharpening
• Storing Your Snowboard Properly

How to Tune Your Snowboard: Video Tutorial

Eager to jump right into snowboard base maintenance and learn how to wax, sharpen, and tune like a pro? Join Burton Team rider Mark Sollors for a video tutorial covering many of the concepts in this guide.

Understanding the Base of Your Snowboard

Understanding some details about snowboard base materials is an important place to begin because this knowledge will help you better understand when maintenance is needed. In general, most snowboard bases are made from ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, otherwise known by the trade name, P-Tex, and there are three main types of P-Tex.

Extruded Snowboard Bases

Extruded snowboard bases are the simplest in terms of construction. They are made by extruding melted P-Tex pellets through a die. Extruded bases are less expensive and relatively easy to repair but also less durable. They generally don’t absorb wax as readily as other base types.

Sintered Snowboard Bases

Sintered snowboard bases are also made from P-Tex, but instead of being extruded, sintered bases are made by compressing melted P-Tex pellets under high temperature and pressure. Because the process is more complex, sintered bases typically cost more, but they are usually more durable, glide faster, and absorb wax better than extruded bases.

Hybrid Snowboard Bases

Hybrid snowboard bases are constructed from a combination of extruded and sintered base material in an effort to strike a balance between performance and cost.

What is snowboard base maintenance?

Snowboard base maintenance includes a variety of basic and advanced services that will keep your snowboard’s base functioning optimally when you ride. These services include but are not limited to:

• Cleaning
• Waxing
• Base Repairs
• Base Grinding & Restructuring
• Edge Sharpening

By performing regular snowboard base maintenance, you’ll keep your board looking fresh, gliding fast and smooth, and you’ll also maximize its life so you can ride it for many winters to come.

Cleaning Your Snowboard Base

Let's begin with one of the simplest yet most overlooked types of maintenance that anyone can easily perform at home: cleaning your base. It’s important to clean your base for a variety of reasons.

• Better glide performance: Dirt, debris, and old wax buildup on your base can slow you down. Regular cleaning keeps your base fast.
• Protection from delamination: Exposure to chemicals in the snow or the environment can lead to base and edge delamination. Cleaning will ensure that if your base was exposed to chemicals, they don’t linger and cause damage.
• Maximum wax absorption: A proper cleaning right before hot waxing will result in maximum wax absorption.

Step-by-step Instructions for Cleaning Your Snowboard Base

For post-ride cleaning of your snowboard base, you’ll need a couple of clean rags, mild dish soap, and water in a spray bottle. If you are prepping your base for hot waxing, a Citrus-based snowboard base cleaner or isopropyl alcohol can be used.

Light Snowboard Base Cleaning

1. Prepare your workspace: Place your snowboard on a workbench or other solid surface with the base facing upwards. There may be overspray, so choose a location like a garage or basement where making a mess is ok.
2. Spray and wait: Using the spray bottle, spray a dilution of gentle dish soap and water on the entire base. Let it sit for a few minutes.
3. Remove the soap: Take a damp rag, using gentle pressure, and wipe down the entire base of the snowboard. Rinse your rag out and wipe one more time, ensuring that you remove all soapy residue.
4. Dry: Finish by using a clean dry rag to completely dry the base of your snowboard.

Heavy Snowboard Base Cleaning

1. Prepare your workspace: Place your snowboard on a workbench or other solid surface with the base facing upwards. There may be overspray, so choose a location like a garage or basement where making a mess is ok.
2. Apply base cleaner: Apply base cleaner following the manufacturer’s directions.
3. Dry it: Finish by using a clean dry rag to completely dry the base of your snowboard.

Waxing Your Snowboard Base

Waxing is another important part of snowboard base maintenance that should be performed regularly throughout the riding season. Waxing increases the glide performance of your board and protects your base, helping extend the usable life of your snowboard.

We generally recommend waxing your snowboard after every three riding days, but this ultimately depends on how hard you ride. If this sounds like too often, perform a hot wax when you notice your glide slowing down, or if your base begins to develop a cloudy appearance, especially near the edges and nose/tail contact points.

Pro tip: If this is your first time waxing your snowboard at home, we recommend reading How to Wax a Snowboard (and other basic maintenance) for a thorough explanation of the process.

Step-by-step Instructions for Waxing Your Snowboard

To wax your snowboard, you’ll need a few specialized tools including snowboard vises, a waxing iron, hot wax, scrapers, and brushes.

1. Prepare your workspace: Set up your snowboard vises on a workbench in an area where you don’t mind making a mess, secure your snowboard, and clean your base using a citrus-based base cleaner.
2. Apply hot wax: Hold the hot wax bar against your waxing iron and dribble wax evenly across the base of the snowboard, from the nose contact point to the tail contact point (the running length of the board).
3. Iron out the wax: Place the waxing iron directly on the base of the board, keeping it continuously moving, to fully melt the wax. Aim to distribute the wax into a consistent layer covering the snowboard's entire base (note that you don't need to wax beyond the contact points, i.e., tip and tail). Always keep the iron moving so that you do not damage your base.
4. Scrape the wax: Once the wax has solidified, but while it’s still warm, grab your scraper and scrape away the wax. Do this by holding the scraper at a consistent angle and working from the nose of the snowboard towards the tail. Make repeated passes until no visible wax remains.
5. Buff your base: Using your waxing brush, buff the base. Make consistent strokes, working from the nose toward the tail of the snowboard. If you don't have a set of buffing brushes, a soap-free Scotch Brite pad from your local hardware store works great for buffing too.

Repairing Your Snowboard Base

Inevitably, everyone damages the base of their snowboard at some point. Most base damage, like small scrapes or gouges, can be easily repaired at home using a P-Tex candle. However, more serious base damage, like large gouges, core-shots, delamination of the base from the core, or blown out edges require more substantial repairs.

In this section, we’ll provide instructions for simple P-Tex candle repair of small base scrapes. For any other damage, we recommend taking your snowboard to a reputable local snowboard shop.

To perform P-Tex candle repairs, begin by assembling the necessary equipment. You’ll need:

• Snowboard Vises
• Citrus-based Snowboard Base Cleaner
• Clean Rags
• Old Toothbrush
• P-Tex Candle (matched to the color of your base; clear or black)
• Metal Scraper
• Lighter
• Respirator
• Fabric or Leather Gloves

Pro tip: P-Tex fumes are toxic and burning P-Tex is molten plastic which can cause severe burns if it gets on exposed skin. We recommend performing P-Tex repairs in a well-ventilated area and suggest that you wear a respirator and gloves for the highest level of safety.

Step-by-step Instructions for P-Tex Base Repairs

While the following instructions are described for a snowboard, they will work for ski bases as well.

1. Prepare your work space: Set up your snowboard vises on a workbench in an area where you don’t mind making a mess and secure your snowboard.
2. Clean the damaged area: First, clean the damaged area thoroughly. Use a ski/snowboard base cleaner or rubbing alcohol to remove any dirt, debris, or wax from the damaged area. You can use the edge of your metal scraper or a toothbrush to scrub/scrape out the area. The damaged area should be completely dry before proceeding.
3. Prepare the P-Tex candle: Place your metal scraper flat on your snowboard base next to the damaged area and hold the P-Tex candle horizontally over it. Use your lighter to light the P-Tex candle; it may take a minute or more for it to begin burning on its own. Once the burning P-Tex begins to drip, bring it very close to the scraper so that the flame is small and blue. You want to avoid a yellow flame, which will cause carbon to build up in the molten P-Tex and prevent good adhesion to your base.
4. Fill the damaged area: Hold the P-Tex candle very close to the snowboard base so that the flame stays small and blue. Move the P-Tex candle very slowly, allowing the molten P-Tex to flow into the damaged area. Be sure to apply enough P-Tex to create a slightly raised area.
5. Let the P-Tex cool: Allow the P-Tex to cool and harden completely. This may take several minutes, depending on the size of the repair.
6. Scrape the excess P-Tex: Once the P-Tex has hardened, hold your metal scraper at a 45-degree angle to the repair and scrape away excess P-Tex until the repair is flush with the snowboard base. Make multiple passes if necessary.
7. (Optional) Sand the repair area: Use a fine-grit sandpaper (approximately 320) to smooth out the repair area. Be careful not to sand away too much material, which can create a depression in the base.
8. Finish with a hot wax: Once the repair is complete, finish up with a hot wax to protect and seal the entire base.

Base Grinding and Base Restructuring

Base grinding and base restructuring are two advanced snowboard base maintenance procedures that require specialized skills and machinery. These types of base maintenance should be performed sparingly and only in specific situations.

Base Grinding

A snowboard base grind uses a specialized machine to remove a very thin layer of P-Tex from the entire base of the snowboard. This can help restore a base that has significant, widespread damage, as well as help make the base flatter. If you have a base grind performed, you will likely need to immediately follow up with a tune and wax.

Base Restructuring

Base structure refers to the microscopic grooves in the base of a snowboard, and different structures can result in different riding characteristics, depending on the type of snow surface and temperatures you are riding. Base restructuring intentionally changes these microscopic grooves. Restructuring is not something that should be performed regularly, and the majority of riders likely won’t need this service except in extreme repair situations.

Base Grinding vs. Base Restructuring

At this point you are probably wondering how you'll know when a grind or restructuring is needed. Unfortunately, there’s no right or wrong answer here, and ultimately, you should make the decision based on how frequently you ride and the condition of your snowboard base. For instance, if your snowboard has a significant amount of moderate P-Tex damage, it could be a good time for a base grind. Or if your snowboard feels slow, even with a fresh hot wax, it might be time to get it restructured. The easiest way to determine if you need either of these services is to consult with a tech at a reputable snowboard shop.

Pro tip: Check out How Many Grinds Does It Take To Get To A Snowboard’s Core? from the Angry Snowboarder for more information on base grinding.

Snowboard Edge Sharpening

Snowboard edge sharpening is maintenance that should be performed throughout the riding season. Edge sharpening removes small amounts of metal to get rid of burrs and imperfections. This results in an edge that more effectively digs into the snow, allowing you to hold turns at speed.

You’ll want to start and end your snowboarding season with sharp edges, but your decision to sharpen mid-season will depend on your preference for snowboard performance and how you ride. For individuals who like carving fast turns on groomers, sharp edges are crucial, so they may want to sharpen more frequently. For riders who spend most of their time in the park jibbing features, detuned edges that won’t catch on rails or boxes are helpful, and these riders might want to sharpen less frequently.

Edge sharpening is relatively easy to do at home with just a few inexpensive tools.

• File
• File Guide
• Gummy Stone
• Snowboard Tuning Vises
• Safety Goggles and Gloves

To sharpen your edges, begin by securing your snowboard in the tuning vises on your workbench. Starting at the nose contact points and working towards the tail of your snowboard, use the file guide to run the file along the base edges, applying gentle, even pressure. Follow up your file work with the gummy stone, moving from nose to tail.

Reposition the snowboard and sharpen the sidewall edges, moving from the nose toward the tail. Follow this up with the gummy stone.

For a detailed step-by-step guide with images, check out How to Sharpen Snowboard Edges: A Step-by-step Guide.

Storing Your Snowboard Properly

Storing your snowboard properly between trips and in the off-season will extend its usable life and ultimately reduce the amount of snowboard base maintenance you need to perform. The first rule of storage is to always make sure your board is dry when you put it away. Do this by brushing off snow and ice immediately after riding and using a clean rag or towel to thoroughly dry your snowboard before putting it away. Never let a wet snowboard sit in a snowboard bag or damp environment for an extended period of time or your edges will develop rust.

Second, apply a hot wax at the end of the season before you put your snowboard into storage for the summer months. Skip the scraping step of this final hot wax so that there is plenty of wax to protect the base and prevent it from drying out.

Finally, store your snowboard in a cool, dry location, out of direct sunlight. For a thorough explanation of proper gear storage in the summer months, read How to Store Snowboards and Other Gear During the Summer.

Final Thoughts on Snowboard Base Maintenance

Whether you’re a casual rider or someone who logs 100+ days a season, regular snowboard base maintenance will go a long way in ensuring that your ride performs consistently and reliably. As we’ve detailed in this guide, the majority of snowboard base maintenance can be performed at home. Tasks like edge sharpening, hot waxing, and cleaning your snowboard are easy to learn and can be performed with a few inexpensive tools.

Performing your own base maintenance is empowering and can help you develop a deeper connection with snowboarding. However, if tuning your board feels intimidating, or you are worried that you don’t have the time or know-how to get it done by yourself, there are tons of reputable snowboard tuning shops out there. And there’s no shame in letting the professionals handle base maintenance for you.

By maintaining your snowboard base, you’ll ensure that you and your snowboard can make tons of great memories together, lapping your local hill or exploring the backcountry for years to come.