My boat's rear jump seats are the kind that are attached to a wood pedestal and are similar to this:
I would like to seal the bottoms of them to avoid water rot. What would you suggest I use?
WOW there are so many options here. I personally would use polyester and some CSM to seal wood for waterproofing, but that is just me. Some others use marine varnish and other sealer type coverings. It really depends on how well you want them sealed and how much money and time you're willing to invest. Some folks just paint theirs as well. So the options are many... I'm sure others will chime in with their ideas as well... JMHO!
I agree ^^^. Sooo many choices!!!! Epoxy IS prolly the best AND most expensive. Totally Your choice. Do some searching here on the forum and you'll see just how many there really are!!!:lol:
The wood is actually plywood -- not sure if it is marine grade or not, about 3/8" or 1/2" thick and it is not finished. I just want something easy to apply that will give me a reasonable amount of protection and sealing...I don't want to invest a ton of time doing it.
I was referring to my whole post, which this mix is part of. Are you OK with the strength of the box? When you sit of stand on it, do you feel it rigid and supportive or weak? If the box is OK, seal it with the above mix or any other deck sealant from your local hardware store. If it is weak, enforce it with fiberglass and this will also seal it
I was referring to my whole post, which this mix is part of. Are you OK with the strength of the box? When you sit of stand on it, do you feel it rigid and supportive or weak? If the box is OK, seal it with the above mix or any other deck sealant from your local hardware store. If it is weak, enforce it with fiberglass and this will also seal it
The wood is actually plywood -- not sure if it is marine grade or not, about 3/8" or 1/2" thick and it is not finished. I just want something easy to apply that will give me a reasonable amount of protection and sealing...I don't want to invest a ton of time doing it.
The KEY with plywood is the edges. The Flats are very thin laminations of wood that won't absorb much water or Sealer but...The edges are where the majority of the water intrusion and damage starts. Make sure to get a Lot of material on the edges. I'd recommend thinning the first couple of coats with Mineral Spirits to ensure deep penetration into the edges and then follow up with 2-3 full strength coats. Do that , And you'll be protected for a good long time.
The KEY with plywood is the edges. The Flats are very thin laminations of wood that won't absorb much water or Sealer but...The edges are where the majority of the water intrusion and damage starts. Make sure to get a Lot of material on the edges. I'd recommend thinning the first couple of coats with Mineral Spirits to ensure deep penetration into the edges and then follow up with 2-3 full strength coats. Do that , And you'll be protected for a good long time.
Very good point well taken and I can see that is the case with my situation (the edges being more prone to damage). The the seats however are already assembled and I don't want to take them apart, so I will do my best to get the sealer on to the edges.
Here are the results. I sanded and then applied a couple coats of Spar Urethane (see post #10 above). I then attached the angle brackets. which were badly needed for support of the base when lifting the seat out of the boat when it had stuff in it. I know I could have done a much better and thorough job, but given the minimal time I spent doing it, it's a whole lot better than what it was.
Thanks, although I am not sure what I was thinking because unless I also varnish the insides of the seat boxes, I am not sure the varnish on the bottoms will do much good, but hopefully water won't get that high inside the boat. DOH! Someday...
