Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

[GregE]

Looking around at different epoxies for jon boat casting decks and flooring. Looking at Gluvit. From what I can gather in reading, it's thicker than most epoxies. Is that correct?

Also, Gluvit directions state that a 2lb kit covers 25-35 sq feet and recommend a 6-8 mil application, which makes this seem like a much thicker product. That amount seemingly should cover more sq footage, but I'm a newbie on this stuff, having never used any epoxy, so I'm really guessing here.

Would this be a good choice for this application? I'd then paint over it or vinyl, not sure yet.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

Gluvit is a sealing product for existing areas. I am not sur of it's compatability with cloth.

If you are building a new deck you will want to use new wood, cloth and normal polyester resin.

 

[GregE]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

Thanks. Once the wood is sealed with epoxy, I'm going to cover it with the paint or marine vinyl, not fiberglassing it.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

gluvit is not for construction. it is the aluminum boats best friend for sealing leaks.

 

[GregE]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

gluvit is not for construction. it is the aluminum boats best friend for sealing leaks.

Because of that, it sounds like it has a little thickness to it. Ok I'm sold on using something thinner. Something thinner that will penetrate the wood will be the ticket. Thanks all!

 

[tylerr83]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

check out west systems epoxy...perfect for sealing wood to waterproof it

 

[GregE]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

gluvit is not for construction. it is the aluminum boats best friend for sealing leaks.

Just noticed that Marine Tex has a new epoxy... "Marine Tex Penetrating Epoxy"

 

[wbeaton]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

Because of that, it sounds like it has a little thickness to it. Ok I'm sold on using something thinner. Something thinner that will penetrate the wood will be the ticket. Thanks all!

I've only used Gluvit on an aluminium boat (with great success) to seal some leaks and coat the cheap plywood I used for the transom. The consistency is really thin when you first mix it, but becomes thicker if you let it sit for a while. It goes on much like varnish. I used it on my wood transom and it has held up nicely.

 

[GregE]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

Thanks all!

I emailed MarineTex to ask about it, and got this reply...

Gluvit is a thin epoxy that has a long working time allowing it to saturate into the wood. Gluvit has capillary action; like when you dip a cookie in milk and watch the milk rise up the cookie.

Gluvit would be an excellent product to use since it will soak into the wood, making it completely waterproof.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

Gluvit was originally made for sealing old wood boats below the water line, it's been around for years, it just so happens that it works well on aluminum. Its thin enough to soak into just about any void but yet will cling well to any surface.
I remember a guy I knew as a kid that ran an old rotted wood clamming boat, it was pretty much held together with Gluvit, he would slop that stuff on anywhere he found a leak. It worked great, he ran that boat for years. It was so rotted that you didn't dare walk anywhere in the bilge for fear of falling through. He used to carry several cans of the stuff with him just in case. It would actually seal active leaks, although I'm not sure it was ever meant to. There were spots down below that were thick with layer after layer of Gluvit from years of repeated use. He was the type that would never spend a dime to fix anything right, but would spend hundreds on cases of Gluvit. (It wasn't as expensive back then as it is now, but it still wasn't cheap). They get about $45 for a quart here now for it.
It also don't go very far, one quart will just about do the below the water line area on a 16' boat. On my last project, I used two cans to really coat the inside well since that boat had rivets everywhere. I didn't have any leaks that I knew of, but it's $100 worth of insurance that I never will in the future.

One note as to using this stuff: It has no UV protection, so if you plan to use it where the sun will shine, you need to paint over it.

 

[island boy]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

All epoxies are not created equal. Epoxy brands can vary widely in their formulations, quality of raw materials and their suitability for marine environments. It's easy to market an off-the-shelf industrial epoxy product as a marine epoxy, or formulate an epoxy with one or two favorable characteristics, while sacrificing other important characteristics.
Epoxy resins, the key ingredient, are among the most versatile of thermoset plastics. They bond exceptionally well to a wide range of materials and are highly moisture resistant. Compared to polyester resins typically used in fiberglass boat construction, epoxies have greater strength, less shrinkage, better moisture resistance and better fatigue resistance.

 

[tylerr83]

Re: Gluvit vs Other Epoxies

i think you're idea of using ply sealed with epoxy resin is the best bet, then you can use marine vinyl, carpet or whatever you want over the top