Subject: Rotted Wood In Travel Trailer
Date: Sunday, March 29, 1998I am restoring a 62 Airstream Trailer and have a rotted section of floor. I was told Git-Rot was a great product to use to reinstall the integrity of my floor. I found your web site and read about your product CPES and it sounds like it may work also. Does your product bring back the rigidity of 3/4" plywood? The floor in these trailers is a big part of there structural integrity. I also have a couple of small holes in this wood, could I use this product mixed with sawdust to fill these hole? Thanks for any help you can give me.
Tim C.
Tim:
I'm familiar with Airstreams, so I know what you're talking about.
The biggest problem with Git Rot is that it doesn't penetrate far enough to really completely solve your rot problem. If you go on our web site and click in on the test section, you can see the performance of thick epoxy products that claim to cure rot. We have yet to find a product designed to do what ours does. You can compare the penetration between that and our Clear Penetrating Epoxy sealer (CPES). Git Rot is also more difficult to use...and more expensive.
The CPES will restore full strength to your bad plywood. If the ply is reasonably dry, we'd recommend 2 coats. The first coat will just disappear into the wood. You keep applying it until the wood will accept no more. The 2nd coat will spread much further, because all the real work was done by coat #1. We have used the CPES for years in the marine industry, where the stresses on CPES repaired ply are at least as great as the stresses on your Airstream.
If there are large gaps in the wood, we recommend that you follow the CPES with some of our Layup & Laminating Resin, which is an easy 1:1 mix, and is slow-curing so it has ample opportunity to soak into the empty spaces. It is also a bit more flexibly when cured than the standard epoxy resins -- it won't crack or shatter. If there are no gaps, then you don't need the L&L Resin.
The only disadvantage to our CPES is that it has a strong odor when first applied. This does disappear within a few days and there is no lingering odor whatsoever. Still, if you are applying it in an enclosed space, use open doors/windows and a fan. If the space is REALLY enclosed, we use a mask capable of filtering organic vapors.
There are 2 CPES available, a warm weather version for down to 50F, and a cold weather version for 50F to 32F.
You can kind of estimate how much you'll need by the size of the area to be treated, although a lot will depend on much the wood absorbs. The 2-pint size is probably not enough, but the 2-quart unit may be enough. If you need the L&L Resin then it is pretty much a visual thing -- however much you think it'll take to fill those gaps.
All products are in stock and ship with 24 hours. VISA and MASTERCARD cheerfully accepted. If you have further questions, come back and I'll try and give you answers.
Doc