Improvements, repairs, restoration, ROT - Recommendations
ROGUE was launched many years ago still needing improvements to the roughed in interior. In use, other improvements became desirable. Life responsibilities intruded and ROGUE sat on a trailer under a high tented tarp. I should have been more worried about water infiltration than I was, even though there was plenty of air circulation. Responsibilities out of the way I finally have time to finish ROGUE, as if boats were ever finished. For the third time I have encountered rot.
In all three cases the rotted wood was encapsulated in epoxy or in epoxy fiberglass. The encapsulation was done very conscientiously according to Gugeon Brother's recommendations.
In the first instance I thought it was improperly sealed end grain where I had cut a hole and installed an inspection port in a built in water tank. However, when I cut this hole I was very conscious of that potential problem and paid a lot of attention to thoroughly and repeatedly coating the end grain with epoxy. After working on repairing the damage I decided that no, the problem was not the result of end grain penetration but rather was the result of a void in the plywood, moisture condensing out, and the freeze/thaw cycle.
The next situation was plywood well coated in epoxy. A small amount of water accumulated and sat for long periods of time. Somehow this water penetrated the epoxy and then it and the rot progressed at the interface between the plywood and the epoxy and also penetrated deeper into the plywood, but the primary direction was along the epoxy wood interface. I almost didn't even notice the rot because it was encapsulated in epoxy, but in one place the epoxy didn't look right. As soon as I touched the sander to the bad spot I realized my problem was far more extensive.
Good thing I am good at scarfing together hunks of plywood even in place and only the possibility of rough scarf joints carved with a disk sander.
The third bit of rot was an entire two foot length of 1.5" square northern white cedar. Again very well encapsulated in epoxy (no fiberglass but as thick with epoxy as if epoxy/fiberglass). Again, somehow water penetrated this thoroughly coated piece of wood, and the rot traveled extensively under intact epoxy.
Based upon my experience with epoxy, my recommendation are:
Do not join solid lumber more than 3/8" maximum with epoxy unless it is entirely encapsulated in epoxy fiberglass.
Do not encapsulate wood or plywood unless it is encapsulated in epoxy/fiberglass. Apparently, epoxy can crack, or whatever, and allow water penetration unless it is structurally reinforced with fiberglass. Do not penetrate this encapsulation with fasteners unless isolating them, or encapsulating the fasteners.
It is possible that voids in encapsulated plywood can still fill with condensed moisture and wreak havoc because water swells when it freezes. I cannot be absolutely positive that this was the case, but it appears to have been the problem.
Eric
Eric
In all three cases the rotted wood was encapsulated in epoxy or in epoxy fiberglass. The encapsulation was done very conscientiously according to Gugeon Brother's recommendations.
In the first instance I thought it was improperly sealed end grain where I had cut a hole and installed an inspection port in a built in water tank. However, when I cut this hole I was very conscious of that potential problem and paid a lot of attention to thoroughly and repeatedly coating the end grain with epoxy. After working on repairing the damage I decided that no, the problem was not the result of end grain penetration but rather was the result of a void in the plywood, moisture condensing out, and the freeze/thaw cycle.
The next situation was plywood well coated in epoxy. A small amount of water accumulated and sat for long periods of time. Somehow this water penetrated the epoxy and then it and the rot progressed at the interface between the plywood and the epoxy and also penetrated deeper into the plywood, but the primary direction was along the epoxy wood interface. I almost didn't even notice the rot because it was encapsulated in epoxy, but in one place the epoxy didn't look right. As soon as I touched the sander to the bad spot I realized my problem was far more extensive.
Good thing I am good at scarfing together hunks of plywood even in place and only the possibility of rough scarf joints carved with a disk sander.
The third bit of rot was an entire two foot length of 1.5" square northern white cedar. Again very well encapsulated in epoxy (no fiberglass but as thick with epoxy as if epoxy/fiberglass). Again, somehow water penetrated this thoroughly coated piece of wood, and the rot traveled extensively under intact epoxy.
Based upon my experience with epoxy, my recommendation are:
Do not join solid lumber more than 3/8" maximum with epoxy unless it is entirely encapsulated in epoxy fiberglass.
Do not encapsulate wood or plywood unless it is encapsulated in epoxy/fiberglass. Apparently, epoxy can crack, or whatever, and allow water penetration unless it is structurally reinforced with fiberglass. Do not penetrate this encapsulation with fasteners unless isolating them, or encapsulating the fasteners.
It is possible that voids in encapsulated plywood can still fill with condensed moisture and wreak havoc because water swells when it freezes. I cannot be absolutely positive that this was the case, but it appears to have been the problem.
Eric
Eric