Soft spot in plywood floor and Smiths epoxy

MSBrown253

Cadet
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
7
I have a relatively small (maybe 5"x12") area that has gotten soft. I'm not crazy about ripping out the floor, the rest of it is fine. I hae done some research into Smith's Penetrating Epoxy, and it looks like a good option. Anyone ever use this producct?
 

andy6374

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 4, 2005
Messages
1,617
Re: Soft spot in plywood floor and Smiths epoxy

Nope, but people do it with other epoxies (west systems, system 3, ect.).

If it is really rotted though, I would overcutout the area (maybe 10"x20"). Make rabbet cuts with your router around the cutout of the existing deck. Cut a new piece of wood to the dimesions of the rabbet cut and then rabbet cut the new piece of wood. The rabbet cuts will form a lip for the new piece of wood to sit, increase the bonding area of new to old wood, and will prevent the new piece of wood from falling thru.
 

tmh

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Aug 16, 2006
Messages
1,136
Re: Soft spot in plywood floor and Smiths epoxy

I have a similar situation with two smallish soft spots. However, I fully assume that when i cut a section out, I'll find waterlogged floatation foam under at least some of the floor. My guess is that most rot comes from trapped wetness under the floor.

God luck - I hope it's as small an area as you think. I hope mine is also, but not counting on it.
 

andy6374

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 4, 2005
Messages
1,617
Re: Soft spot in plywood floor and Smiths epoxy

tmh said:
My guess is that most rot comes from trapped wetness under the floor.

95% of the time it comes from people not rebedding screws every couple of years or no bedding at all.

I oversize drill every hole, fill with resin/cabosil, then screw whatever down. This way if water does get in, it doesn't hit the wood.
 

Solittle

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
Messages
7,518
Re: Soft spot in plywood floor and Smiths epoxy

When you cut make sure that you cut out all of the bad wood even if the hole ends up being considerably bigger than what you thought. Rot is a fungus and will continue to travel unless completely removed.
 
Top