Deck Repair: Six Questions
Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 5:32 pm
I learned about the “hammer tap” method for identifying soft spots on the deck of my 1983 Striper 15. I thought that before I go to the expense of a complete AWLGRIP [paint] job and redesign of the interior, I ought to make sure the deck was sound. Regrettably, I found an area about one- square-foot immediately aft of the area where the bow pedestal seat post contacted the non skid deck.
Using a Dremel tool, I cut through the 1/2-inch plywood under the non-skid gel coat and removed the deck section back to where the wood was sound.
The repair advice from Boston Whaler does not address how to securely bond the replacement marine plywood to the underlying foam or to the original plywood along the aft edge of the new wood. Give me advice on making a repair of this type
Q1: Should I fill the minor foam divots lost when removing the old wood with an epoxy mash as described in the repair instructions?
Q2: Is replacement of the minor foam divots necessary?
Q3: Does the new wood need to be wetted where it meets the foam?
Q4: Would a proper repair involve feathering the surrounding skin back and laying 2 to 3-inch strips of cloth around the edges, overlapping the edges of the new wood and the surrounding gel coat?
Q5: Are there better ideas to properly bind the new wood to the surrounding areas?
While my cut runs along the smooth channel outside of the non-skid surface along the forward edge and the sides, it runs straight through the non-skid pattern along the aft edge
Q6: Is there any way to preserve the non-skid pattern and bond the aft edge of the wood without grinding the skin down and laying glass along that edge amd still have an acceptable bond?
I will appreciate anyone’s thoughts.
Using a Dremel tool, I cut through the 1/2-inch plywood under the non-skid gel coat and removed the deck section back to where the wood was sound.
The repair advice from Boston Whaler does not address how to securely bond the replacement marine plywood to the underlying foam or to the original plywood along the aft edge of the new wood. Give me advice on making a repair of this type
Q1: Should I fill the minor foam divots lost when removing the old wood with an epoxy mash as described in the repair instructions?
Q2: Is replacement of the minor foam divots necessary?
Q3: Does the new wood need to be wetted where it meets the foam?
Q4: Would a proper repair involve feathering the surrounding skin back and laying 2 to 3-inch strips of cloth around the edges, overlapping the edges of the new wood and the surrounding gel coat?
Q5: Are there better ideas to properly bind the new wood to the surrounding areas?
While my cut runs along the smooth channel outside of the non-skid surface along the forward edge and the sides, it runs straight through the non-skid pattern along the aft edge
Q6: Is there any way to preserve the non-skid pattern and bond the aft edge of the wood without grinding the skin down and laying glass along that edge amd still have an acceptable bond?
I will appreciate anyone’s thoughts.