what is the proper procedure for repairing soft spots in a deck? Does it have to dry out first or can it be repaired while wet?
Deck repairs
- Thread starter bffatcat
- Start date
- Status
The wood between the fiberglass skins is wet and hopefully its NOT plywood as the water travels a lot more than with Balsa
Using search on this site should reveal a lot of detailed information for dealing with soft spots and water intrusion in decks, and how to's.
Also in the store section of this site, you can find a number of fiberglass repair publications. Here's one that's written for the DIY'er:
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books/detail-books.htm?sku=66215&cat=1306
Also in the store section of this site, you can find a number of fiberglass repair publications. Here's one that's written for the DIY'er:
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books/detail-books.htm?sku=66215&cat=1306
For a small area, I drilled a series of small holes through the fiberglass into the damaged wood ... then injected a penetrating epoxy (captain tolly's, for example) into the core. Covered the holes with dabs of gel coat... but they're still visible. No more water weeping it's way through the wood though.
A large area is a whole nother kettle of fish.. involving actually replacing sections of wood.. meaning cutting into the deck.
A large area is a whole nother kettle of fish.. involving actually replacing sections of wood.. meaning cutting into the deck.
Pretty much any questions will be answered here. I have a section to repair myself, unfortunately.
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/rotrepair/rotrepair.htm
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/rotrepair/rotrepair.htm
If you have a large spot to repair and have to cut away the fiberglass, cut the glass from the inside rather than the topsides. This way the repair will be hidden by the ceiling instead of messing up your topside.
I would drill a 1/2" hole on the inside about in the centre of the damaged area, taking care to drill through only the fiberglass. You can then use a straightened coat hanger (is there anything they can't do?) to probe the extent of the rot.
Using a router, cut through the fiberglass and just into the rotted wood with a 1/4" bit. Take this out roughly with a chisel. You don't need to get to the topside layer of glass at this stage. Once that is done, the next part will test your mettle. Make a float for the router ( a float allows the router bit to span an open area without changing it's depth) and set the bit just shy of the topside glass. Clean out all the rotted wood. Do this one more time, only with the bit set to the depth of the topside glass.
OK, heart attack time is over. Cut a piece of Baltic birch plywood ( or whatever marine grade you can get. We're interested in lots of plys, the glue holding it together is irrelevant) for the patch and soak coat it in epoxy.
You can put the patch in now but it's messy. Let it dry, scuff it up for some tooth and epoxy it to the bottom of the topside glass.
Finish the patch with glass. Of course you will need to bevel out the repair and place ever larger patches of glass in until you're back to ceiling thickness.
It sounds worst than it is.
Oh, on the float, don't make it too big. Just enough that wherever you are on the rotted area, the float is on a stable surface. If it's too big, it will start following the curves of the topside that you might not want.
HTH,
Frank
I would drill a 1/2" hole on the inside about in the centre of the damaged area, taking care to drill through only the fiberglass. You can then use a straightened coat hanger (is there anything they can't do?) to probe the extent of the rot.
Using a router, cut through the fiberglass and just into the rotted wood with a 1/4" bit. Take this out roughly with a chisel. You don't need to get to the topside layer of glass at this stage. Once that is done, the next part will test your mettle. Make a float for the router ( a float allows the router bit to span an open area without changing it's depth) and set the bit just shy of the topside glass. Clean out all the rotted wood. Do this one more time, only with the bit set to the depth of the topside glass.
OK, heart attack time is over. Cut a piece of Baltic birch plywood ( or whatever marine grade you can get. We're interested in lots of plys, the glue holding it together is irrelevant) for the patch and soak coat it in epoxy.
You can put the patch in now but it's messy. Let it dry, scuff it up for some tooth and epoxy it to the bottom of the topside glass.
Finish the patch with glass. Of course you will need to bevel out the repair and place ever larger patches of glass in until you're back to ceiling thickness.
It sounds worst than it is.
Oh, on the float, don't make it too big. Just enough that wherever you are on the rotted area, the float is on a stable surface. If it's too big, it will start following the curves of the topside that you might not want.
HTH,
Frank
Yes. On a small area about 8x8 where the PO fastened down a three line stopper and didn't seal anything. Everything seems to have worked.
Is there a problem in what I did? If there is, I'd like to know because I'm planning on doing the same thing around the stanchion areas that were left with some of the bolts missing. They're weak as well. I sure don't need them ripping out.
Frank
Is there a problem in what I did? If there is, I'd like to know because I'm planning on doing the same thing around the stanchion areas that were left with some of the bolts missing. They're weak as well. I sure don't need them ripping out.
Frank
Last edited:
A router is restricted to cutting no closer than 3 inches to an inside corner. In an unrestricted open area I can see how well it would work but close to inside corners the method and tools may need to be different.
On my boat in the areas where I was mounting the stanchions on a foam cored deck I drilled the bolt holes for the stanchions and then from the inside with a hole saw removed a plug of inner skin and the core and replaced the core with a plug of locust wood and glassed over that. The plugs are about an inch and a half in diameter. They prevent the foam core from being crushed. The pilot hole in the plug served to locate the plug in the hole in the deck. As I recall I used a hole saw an 1/8h inch larger to cut the plugs than to cut the holes.
On my boat in the areas where I was mounting the stanchions on a foam cored deck I drilled the bolt holes for the stanchions and then from the inside with a hole saw removed a plug of inner skin and the core and replaced the core with a plug of locust wood and glassed over that. The plugs are about an inch and a half in diameter. They prevent the foam core from being crushed. The pilot hole in the plug served to locate the plug in the hole in the deck. As I recall I used a hole saw an 1/8h inch larger to cut the plugs than to cut the holes.
That's a great idea. I was thinking of using a dremel to do the curved area but your idea sounds like a lot less work and a LOT less mess.
How did you mark on the depth on the hole saw? Tape. magic marker? How did you determine your depth? Once we're on a curve, the teeth on one side of the saw are going to be higher than the teeth on the other side, correct?
Thanks,
Frank
How did you mark on the depth on the hole saw? Tape. magic marker? How did you determine your depth? Once we're on a curve, the teeth on one side of the saw are going to be higher than the teeth on the other side, correct?
Thanks,
Frank
Pearson used baltec for coring in their decks and the top FRG layer is VERY thin. You really have to remove ALL the rotted baltec - from either though the topside or from 'underneath' (preferred). If you dont remove ALL the affected rot, moisture will continue to 'permeate' through the thin upper surface FRG, and you will re-do the repair again in a few years.
If you dont 'really get inside and clean out' all the rot and give 'tooth' to the remaining fiberglass you will usually not affect a good bond with the repair.
The P26, P30, P31, P35, etc. usually rot from the (gasketed) stancheon bases and such repair is fairly easily done 'from underneath'. However there are (at least used to be) sources that can supply sheets of the Pearson 'basket weave' deck non-skid patterns so you 'can' do this repair from the 'top'.
Many times because of the coring used Pearsons will 'delaminate' the thin surface FRG layer from the baltec ... OR you will find small 'voids' from during the OEM layup .... if there is no rot, you can simply 'inject' CPS type epoxy. Test drillings (1/32") from 'underneath' cann easily assay IF there is rot or just a simple 'delamination'.
Suggest you check with www.pearsoninfo.net/26/26.htm or Dan Peiffer's www.dan.pfeiffer.net/p26/ to see the 'latest' thinking on deck repair for the P26.
My 1981 J 36 had many soft spots on deck and also water intrusion in the hull below the eater line. On deck I removed all the deck equipment that was through bolted and repaired the areas by first bending a nail 90 degrees and with a drill proceeded to loosen the damaged balsa core and then suction off as much as possible. Tape off the cabin ceiling and fill the wholes with epoxy. After all the work is done, you can redrill the location and install the deck gear. I also do this in any other area where I will drill any new holes.
The underside I drill and let drain as long as possible. In my case, since i live in the Virgin Islands, I let it sit all summer long and then do the same as topsides.
In a large area, you can draw a grid and proceed the same way. There will be very little left of the original balsa core.
If removing a section of the ceiling, replace the core with close cell foam. Not plywood. It is lighter and water will not travel. The old balsa core allowed for this. The newer balsa core products, made in sheets is actually small squares individually sealed.
The underside I drill and let drain as long as possible. In my case, since i live in the Virgin Islands, I let it sit all summer long and then do the same as topsides.
In a large area, you can draw a grid and proceed the same way. There will be very little left of the original balsa core.
If removing a section of the ceiling, replace the core with close cell foam. Not plywood. It is lighter and water will not travel. The old balsa core allowed for this. The newer balsa core products, made in sheets is actually small squares individually sealed.
Yep, and this photo of a Pearson 36-2 deck section should put that in perspective.
That is a box cutter razor blade on top of the deck section. The gelcoat is very thick but the top lamination, not so much. Any rot in this deck is not a good thing..
There must be as many ways to deal with a bad core as there are barbeque recipes. According to the promoter the best way/recipe is his. here is another one: http://www.ericgreeneassociates.com/images/Repair_of_Composite_Boat_Damage.pdf
- Status