Rotten floor-4yrs old...

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walleyehed

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Jun 29, 2003
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need some advice here...Rebuilt my supersport 18 about 4 yrs ago..when I installed all flooring, I resin'd both sides and ends..on the front deck I used 3/4" A/C and soaked with a 50/50 mix of thinned oil paint, then resined over the top of that, again, both sides..<br />When installing rivets, I used a 1/2" wood bit and counter-sunk all holes about 1/8" so rivet heads would not show. I filled these holes flush with carpet glue on installation of carpet.<br />Tonight when putting the cover on, I stepped clear through the front deck right in front of the consoles..apparently the water had nowhere to go with the boat tilted up as I always do after washing, to dry for a few days before installing the cover, which IS vented, but I try and make sure it's dry anyway.<br />Am I looking at a new floor job??? I was wondering about GIT-ROT, but some of the wood has flaked away under the carpet...<br />Advice???<br />Thanks.
 
C

crab bait

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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

poly resin does squat for rot protection.. <br /><br />carpet glue ... for a sealer..?? i don't think so
 
gewf631

gewf631

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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

Walleyehed,<br />That location was the reason I re-did the floor in my SuperSport 18 a couple years back. The factory used 5/8's plywood, and the only bad piece, was that one in the bow.<br />By any chance, did you fasten each floor piece to the next? The factory used a 2" strip of aluminum, with 1" on each piece. I went with extra plywood, extending several inches on each side, as the 1" seemed to allow too much flex in the joint.<br /><br />As for a solution, why not just place another piece OVER that one? It might not be a perfect solution, but there's not a lot of cuts to be made, and if you make it large enough to extend between the consoles, it's not a bad transisition, especially if you can feather that edge. Put some carpet over that board, and you'd hardly notice the difference. Or, make a step-up to the height of the bow seats, and call it a fishing platform!<br /><br />Long term, I'd look to replace the floor, or at least that bow piece - if I remember correctly, the seam is at or in front of the consoles, so it shouldn't be too bad - pull the bow seats and replace that plywood.
 
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walleyehed

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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

carpet glue ... for a sealer..?? i don't think so<br /><br />
Click to expand...
crab bait, the glue I used is a rubberised substance made for carpet in saltwater applications, and is said to be 100% water proof within 5 min. It is also incredibly rubbery when dry and the carpe, even wet, will not pull away from the wood...this was not just multi-purpose outdoor adhesive, in fact it was 180 bucks for a 3 gallon bucket.<br />I detect a bit of attitude here..I just asked what my options may be as I spent 4 yrs and nearly 6000.00 refurbing this.<br />As I said about the deck, as with many other boats I've rebuilt, I thinned oil base paint 50/50 and put 3 coats of this on both sides and the edges..each piece took 7 days to seal, then 2 days to coat each side with EPOXY resin, not poly...<br />I thought this was almost over-kill, but the rivet holes got it started.<br />This is a help forum and that's what I was looking for...I guess I'll just rip it out and start over.
 
T

thehermit

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Aug 21, 2002
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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

walley,<br />Did the A/C have anything to do with it? Where is rotted was there a void in the center of the ply? Cant you do a patch now that you know wehere the bulkheads/deckbeams/or stringers are? Did you take a bunch of pix 4 yrs ago so you can come up with a plan?
 
C

crab bait

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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

no 'tude' just in a hurry.. <br /><br />i'd epoxy first.. epoxy is the best defence .. the 'paint soak 'first ,, keeps the 'poxy from gettin' a<br />bite.. <br /><br />paint soak is just fair at best if'n no 'poxy at all..<br /><br />still i think the carpet glue was the weak link.. never sure it got into the wood right.. i.e. pinholes.. <br /><br />the pinholes will get ya every time..
 
G

G DANE

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Nov 24, 2001
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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

Thats hard to believe, sad to hear after all that work. Are you sure there is rot, it could have been a weak point in ply from production, maybe a big void. Can you actually see any rot ? Would be early after just 4 years.
 
B

BillP

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Aug 10, 2002
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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

Forget Gitrot, it is made for small repairs and doesn't saturate well...even when the wood is bone dry and falling apart from rot. Best is to cut the wood and replace it. It is near impossible to dry out water saturated plywood anyway.<br /><br />Obviously there is water getting in. Normally it shows where with discoloration when you start pulling the wood out. You need to find out whether it is from the underside or topside. My guess is you have leaks from fasteners, cut holes or where the ply is butted.<br /><br />Paint could make a barrier that keeps the epoxy from adhering well. Then again, if it looks ok it probably is ok. Use only thinned (10% max) epoxy next time and build up 3 or so coats. <br /><br />Rot spores only grow in freshwater. They don't survive in salt. That makes it double bad on trailer boats that spend time on freshwater lakes. What you can do to inhibit future rot is to pour a gal of antifreeze in the bilge and let it stay there. That will take care of underside rotting but the top needs to be sealed well to stop exterior water intrusion.
 
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walleyehed

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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

Underside looks good as it appears it started on the top, right in front of the consoles where there is no "Real" drain....the wood is black there and just a sponge...<br />2" fwd of that, the ply looks new and very well sealed.<br />I'll take a pic tomarrow and post it...I "think" I have a fix in mind and it's joining another piece underneath and filling the top void with epoxy and belt-sanding back to flush...
 
C

crab bait

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Re: Rotten floor-4yrs old...

i'd use a 'scab joint'..<br /><br />cut straight across the deck.. i.e. cut across,,cut out the rot..<br /><br /> then glue & screw a sealed plywood lip to the underside of the floor.. about 6 inches wide an long enuff to fit between the stringers.. <br /><br />glue,countersink & screw it centerline.. so 3 inches of lip/overhang/cantillever is had..<br /><br />now cut/seal good a new ply.. <br /><br />the lip acts/is a great rigid base..<br /><br />mix up some epoxy putty ..fill in the saw cut gap bettween the old & new ply.. putty fill any countersunk screws..
 
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