Deck Rot at corners of Hatches '99 310 DA

[Caveman22]

I recently removed my 3 hatches to rebed them for soft spots at corners. I found that the 2 rear (smaller) hatches have rotted wood that goes back approx 1 ft in the rear corners of the hatch openings. I heard that "Get Rot" is the best thing on the market to repair this soft wood. I think that a tube from a syringe type injector would be better than the "needles" to use due to the depth of the soft wood. Anyone have similar issues?

 

[Golfman25]

I would dig as much bad wood out as possible. Let the rest dry. Hot it with get rot or similar penetrating epoxy. Then replace voids with new wood and/or thickened epoxy.

 

[89P270]

I am having to do a repair like that too. I am considering Injectadeck. there's few videos of how too on their website. Problem is it will be invasive. Your Get Rot, Which I was unaware of, looks to work in a similar way - use needle to inject behind/under the gel coat. The issue is if the rot goes a foot or more away from the window opening, like mine does, its likely you'll have to drill holes from under or topside to get penetrating deeper away from the window frame. Watch the videos on Injectadeck website to see how they do this. The dilemma is that will be very difficult to hide the inject holes if you drill through the top of the deck. You can regel the holes but you'll never completely hide them I suspect. I can live with that for the improved structural rigidity it will provide. Your Get Rot appears to be much less viscous so would likely need to drill far few holes than with Injectadeck..........my two cents.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Cutting off the "skin" of the underside of hatches and then replacing the core and new skin is a very easy job. You re-skin with glass and tinted epoxy, or just paint. In the case of removable deck hatches, it's not too time consuming, either. Plus, you're guaranteed to have gotten all the rotten stuff. Unless you've already removed the skin or drilled a number of exploratory holes, expect the rotten area to be larger than you are thinking.

 

[Caveman22]

What type of "thickened" epoxy to use? I can tape up openings where the rotted wood has been dug out 3-4" wide. Then inject epoxy till it oozes out injection holes. This would be from the side of the hatch opening. Want to ensure the void is completely full also. Any suggestions for epoxy type and/ or brand?

 

[Golfman25]

What type of "thickened" epoxy to use? I can tape up openings where the rotted wood has been dug out 3-4" wide. Then inject epoxy till it oozes out injection holes. This would be from the side of the hatch opening. Want to ensure the void is completely full also. Any suggestions for epoxy type and/ or brand?

West system epoxy. They have various fillers to thicken it. https://www.westsystem.com/

 

[Caveman22]

Thanks Golfman25. Do you think the Six10 or the 2 part would be better for this job? I'm trying to fill the 3/8" gap between the deck and inside panel where the rotten wood has been dug out and left to dry.

 

[PlayDate]

No matter what you do this repair sucks.

-Injectadeck puts lots of holes in your deck that are very difficult to conceal unless you are a pro at fiberglass.
-Cutting the deck from above and replacing the rotted core is impossible to conceal unless you are a pro at fiberglass.
-Cutting it from below means that you can be less competent at fiberglass work but need to be a pro at headliner repair.

Most owners I know have opted for this repair:

Cover everything under the hatch with a plastic sheet. Dig out as much of the rotted material as possible using homemade tools (coat hangers, shop vac attachments, screwdrivers) after the hatch is removed and let dry. Most rot goes deep in one direction (as water makes it way through the core).

Some folks like to use Get Rot and push the liquid into the void. Maybe this helps stabilize some of the wood but it is unlikely to actually penetrate very far. The next step is to use fiberglass to fill the void and stabilize the deck. Some people use wood or pvc board. Fiberglass is way stronger than wood and is impervious to water which accomplishes two things: Providing core strength to the deck and sealing the area around the hatch to prevent further water intrusion.

It is a messy job to cut small pieces of fiberglass, soak and stuff them into the void but it is a permanent repair.

Plenty of YouTube videos on the different processes.

 

[Caveman22]

Thanks for the input John! I'll let you know what I finally end up doing. I don't have any fiberglass experience though.
Dave

 

[Chip S]

When I redid my hatch last Winter I had some minor rot that extended 3 to 4 inches from the hatch opening. I dug out the rotted wood, let it dry, and then used thickened epoxy to fill the void. It worked very well, but was a much smaller area. Good luck with your repair.

 

[Golfman25]

Thanks Golfman25. Do you think the Six10 or the 2 part would be better for this job? I'm trying to fill the 3/8" gap between the deck and inside panel where the rotten wood has been dug out and left to dry.

I'll be using 105 2 part with either 403 or 406 filler to thicken it.

I have dug out approx 3ftx2ft section of my bow from the hatch side. I am drying out what is left as best I can. I have made a template to cut some new balsa core. My plan is to coat the left over balsa with plan epoxy resin to kind of make a shell. Then pack in thickened epoxy on the sides. Coat the new balsa, top, bottom and sides, in thickened resin and stuff it in the hole. Clamp and pray.

Right now I am stuck on the balsa thickness. I took out 1 inch balsa, but wondering if I should use 3/4 as a replacement to allow the epoxy more room, top and bottom.

 

[Golfman25]

No matter what you do this repair sucks.

-Injectadeck puts lots of holes in your deck that are very difficult to conceal unless you are a pro at fiberglass.
-Cutting the deck from above and replacing the rotted core is impossible to conceal unless you are a pro at fiberglass.
-Cutting it from below means that you can be less competent at fiberglass work but need to be a pro at headliner repair.

Most owners I know have opted for this repair:

Cover everything under the hatch with a plastic sheet. Dig out as much of the rotted material as possible using homemade tools (coat hangers, shop vac attachments, screwdrivers) after the hatch is removed and let dry. Most rot goes deep in one direction (as water makes it way through the core).

Some folks like to use Get Rot and push the liquid into the void. Maybe this helps stabilize some of the wood but it is unlikely to actually penetrate very far. The next step is to use fiberglass to fill the void and stabilize the deck. Some people use wood or pvc board. Fiberglass is way stronger than wood and is impervious to water which accomplishes two things: Providing core strength to the deck and sealing the area around the hatch to prevent further water intrusion.

It is a messy job to cut small pieces of fiberglass, soak and stuff them into the void but it is a permanent repair.

Plenty of YouTube videos on the different processes.

One tool that worked really well for me was really long (like 4 feet) drill bits. I had them to cut holes in walls and studs to run TV wires and such. They made quick work of rotting balsa.

 

[Lazy Daze]

What type of "thickened" epoxy to use? I can tape up openings where the rotted wood has been dug out 3-4" wide. Then inject epoxy till it oozes out injection holes. This would be from the side of the hatch opening. Want to ensure the void is completely full also. Any suggestions for epoxy type and/ or brand?

You can use anything for this. Polyester would be fine, too. Poly is smellier, but much less expensive. Epoxy is a little easier to control. Epoxy is stronger, but poly is PLENTY strong... way more... for this application.

If you want to avoid voids, oozing it out the hole you're injecting into isn't going to do it. There has to be a "back door" for air and extra resin to escape. I would do this from the perimeter of the deck hatch opening. Use a long syringe or even a tube stuck onto the syringe tip and get the tip/tube all the way to the back of the cavity and then start pushing from there.

 

[Caveman22]

Looks like I'm going to fill the voids with inject a deck. With the hatches already out and the rotted wood removed (couple of square feet either side) Chris at inject a deck says this 2 part water seeking foam will go after all the moisture and voids between the deck and lower layer. No holes to drill, or runny epoxy to deal with. Trim the foam after it dries and reinstall / seal the hatches. He says it'll pass the moisture meter test also.

 

[PlayDate]

Looks like I'm going to fill the voids with inject a deck. With the hatches already out and the rotted wood removed (couple of square feet either side) Chris at inject a deck says this 2 part water seeking foam will go after all the moisture and voids between the deck and lower layer. No holes to drill, or runny epoxy to deal with. Trim the foam after it dries and reinstall / seal the hatches. He says it'll pass the moisture meter test also.

Shoot pictures and let us know how it goes. I like the approach.

 

[Caveman22]

What is the thinking on the subject of the smaller hatch gaskets? (Where they seal against the deck) They appear to be in serviceable condition. Should I scrape / clean them off and just use sealer or just use new sealer on top of them?
The larger center hatch only had sealer on it, no gasket.

 

[firecadet613]

What is the thinking on the subject of the smaller hatch gaskets? (Where they seal against the deck) They appear to be in serviceable condition. Should I scrape / clean them off and just use sealer or just use new sealer on top of them?
The larger center hatch only had sealer on it, no gasket.

I rebedded my deck hatches this past fall. Seals were fine, but I wanted to epoxy over the exposed coring. I re-installed with LifeCalk, after completely removing the foam gasket.

 

[Caveman22]

I rebedded my deck hatches this past fall. Seals were fine, but I wanted to epoxy over the exposed coring. I re-installed with LifeCalk, after completely removing the foam gasket.

You think life caulk is better than 3m 4000UV?

 

[firecadet613]

You think life caulk is better than 3m 4000UV?

I've heard good reviews about the 3m... but my preference is lifecalk. Above and below the water line.

 

[Bayou340]

Looks like I'm going to fill the voids with inject a deck. With the hatches already out and the rotted wood removed (couple of square feet either side) Chris at inject a deck says this 2 part water seeking foam will go after all the moisture and voids between the deck and lower layer. No holes to drill, or runny epoxy to deal with. Trim the foam after it dries and reinstall / seal the hatches. He says it'll pass the moisture meter test also.

Please take lots of photos. This is on my to do list for the coming months. While the hatches are out is the perfect time to do this. No holes. How do you plan to reach the inject a deck nozel to the farthest points? Can you daisy chain the tips to make it longer?