Due to a slow fuel line leak and a wet bilge, my teak/holly sole smells like diesel. Using fans, Simple Green, Dawn and baking soda, I was able to get the smell out of 5 of the floor sections but the 2 that are closest to the engine still smell strongly. The boards themselves are structurally sound. Would sealing the whole piece in West Systems epoxy encapsulate and get rid of the smell? Any other tips (besides replacement)?
Diesel smell in plywood sole-seal with epoxy?
- Thread starter FulmarCT
- Start date
I took a quick look at the PureAyre website, it looks like it's spray on hard surfaces (fiberglass) and fabric but I didn't see anything about diesel-soaked wood. Do you have any experience with it in this setting? Not sure it would soak into varnished marine plywood. Structurally it seem like the most persistently smelling sections are the most structurally sound
I'm not sure about soaking through the varnish but if simple green was able to penetrate, logically this should as well. It will get rid of diesel smell. The owner is very helpful. I suggest calling the number listed on their website
There is a good chance the epoxy won't adhere to the diesel soaked wood.
Try using a solvent like Total Boat's Dewaxer and Surface prep or Presolve Orange Degreaser (Amazon Link)
Try using a solvent like Total Boat's Dewaxer and Surface prep or Presolve Orange Degreaser (Amazon Link)
What @dlochner said is spot on. Also, diesel is mostly aliphatic hydrocarbons.... and so is mineral spirits (available at Lowes). In chemistry we say "like disolves like". I suspect that you could use a liberally wetted rag of mineral spirits to get most of the remaining diesel out of the wood. And if that does not get you all the way home, try xylene (also available at Lowes).
Wear a charcoal filtered mask and have good ventilaion. This stuff is hard on your liver and the xylene is a suspect carcinogen.
Wear a charcoal filtered mask and have good ventilaion. This stuff is hard on your liver and the xylene is a suspect carcinogen.
I would suggest removing the obdurate sole sections. Strip the present surface coating. If the wood surface that is revealed still smells contaminated then clean it with "Teaka A and B". We have used this product for decades for stains on solid and veneer teak. Finally, sand as little as possible to preserve the surface veneer, and finish with 5 to 7 coats of varnish. This project will take a few days, but should last for a decade or so.
As an intermediate attempt, mineral spirits (i.e. paint thinner) might do a lot of good to also clean the surface. Sealing the restored surface with varnish would still be my suggestion for the long term.
As an intermediate attempt, mineral spirits (i.e. paint thinner) might do a lot of good to also clean the surface. Sealing the restored surface with varnish would still be my suggestion for the long term.
I once spilled kerosene on the back seat of my car. If I understand correctly, kerosene and diesel are chemically similar to one another (at least when it comes to heater fuels). I had to drive all winter with the windows open or I would get a stomach ache. As soon as sprint time came, I was able to leave the windows open overnight. The smell dissipated and a month later it was gone. Fresh air might help reduce the smell of the diesel soaked wood.
Yes that is correct. Both are distilled from crude oil. Kerosene is a lighter molecular weight fraction (lower boiling point) that Diesel. Boiling point roughly tracks molecular weight but chemical structure also affects boiling points. Both are a mixture of many different molecules but the typical number of carbons per kerosene molecule ranges from 9 to 16 carbons where the typical diesel molecule will have a range of 10 - 22 carbons. Diesel is typically made of about 25% aromatic hydrocarbons (the carcinogenic part) where kerosene is slightly less at approximately 15% aromatic.