Subject: Travel trailer rot (pt. 2)
Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000

Have the CPES and have finished the floor repair in the rear corner of the trailer. Am now tackling the floor area around the front door. The floor construction appears to be a composite of "marine" plywood for a bottom sandwich, ploy foam in the middle and plywood for the top layer. What happened was, the window adjacent to the door was subjected to a torrent of water when there was a downpour. The water collected on the raised awning and poured out the front of the trough made between the rolled awning and the roof. This river of water hit the corner of the bottom edge of the window and overcame the water drains in the window frame. This water then poured into the trailer and collected on the edge of the floor. It then drained down into the area between the top and bottom sheets of plywood. The top sheet has some "dry rot" checking but now is dry. I have sealed the window closed so water cant penetrate the interior of the trailer. Have dug out most of the real rotten wood on the bottom and am drying the area with a hair dryer.

Can I use the CPES mixed with sawdust to make a paste?

No. CPES is far too thin and contains too many solvents to make a useful mix. It just takes forever to cure. Pastes are made from our Layup & Laminating Resin and sawdust.

If I can do this I could build the area back out to it's original.

Yes.

The CPES is so good to work with I'm hoping I can do this. If not, since you say any epoxy resin would bond to the CPES, could I buy the resin locally or would I be better off to buy it from you?

This is kind of your choice. The advantages our resin have are: 1) much slower setting and so there is plenty of "pot life" to get things mixed and spread; 2) L&L Resin gets hard but always retains a slight degree of flexibility, which the standard epoxy and polyester resins do not -- they will shatter. There are some other advantages, but these two pertain to what you are going to do with it.

I want to thank you for the help you gave me when I called.

You're certainly welcome.

One more thing. When I pull up the carpeting again in the area which shows dry rot, how long after applying the CPES should I wait before relaying the carpet.

In warm, dry weather a day is usually sufficient. Actually, it's good to go when it is no longer tacky.

The sealer seems to have a looong time period it retains an odor.

Yes, this is true if the sealer runs deep, into seams, crevices, and the like. On a strictly surface spread, this is not a problem. The odor DOES eventually disappear, a fact I have to keep reminding my wife about.

Also, should I let the mixed CPES set for awhile before using it or is it considered mixed as soon as it looks like it is. I mix until I can no longer see the two liquids swirling around (I mix in a clear jar).

The CPES is ready to go immediately after stirring. I usually stir it for about 45 seconds and then apply.

The injection kit works great and is worth the money.

Glad you're happy. It took us a long time to find that bullet-proof syringe.

Can I use epoxy filler like "Bondo" over the sealer or am I better off to stick to the epoxy and sawdust?

You can use the Epoxy Filler the same way you would use the L&L Resin and sawdust. The resin/sawdust is stronger by a little than the Epoxy Filler, but hell-to-sand after it has cured. The Epoxy Filler dries white and can be sanded pretty easily with an orbital sander. For what you are doing the Epoxy Filler would work just fine.

Thanks again;
Hugh D.

Hugh,

Good questions, and we're happy to give you answers. Come on back if you have more questions.

Doc