How Much Epoxy Can I Put in a Rotting Column Base

Rot happens, even to the best of houses. All it takes is wood, water, and warmth, and before you know it solid lumber turns to mush. Exterior trim is the about vulnerable to assault by rot fungi, and it doesn't have to be very old; the trim shown hither was installed only 10 years agone.

Fortunately, rotted trim is generally easy to repair. (Rot-infested framing or mudsills pose a much bigger problem.) But before y'all can prepare it, you have to find it. Check out the horizontal areas that don't drain well and places where the paint is croaky, peeling, or blistering or the wood is darker. If your screwdriver pushes deeply into a suspect lath, information technology's fourth dimension to root out the rot. Pay particular attention to joints, which dry slowly, and to all wood that'southward close to dirt, concrete, or masonry.

For a relatively bars area, a two-office epoxy resin is a smart option that yields a seamless repair for pros of all levels. Here, John Stahl of Advanced Repair Technology, who restored the former windows for This Erstwhile Business firm TV projects in Milton and Salem, Mass., takes us through a typical repair of a rotted window mullion.

Pace 1

Remove Rot-Softened Wood

Photo by Brian Wilder

After clawing out the loose stuff with a hammer, Stahl removes all the rot-softened forest with a die grinder and cadre-box router bit. For an epoxy repair to be effective, the freshly exposed forest has to exist sound and dry out—less than xviii percent moisture content. Stahl checks it with a wet meter before proceeding.

Step 2

Inject Borate Into Holes

Photograph by Brian Wilder

The undisturbed area at the bottom correct of the mullion is an old epoxy repair, effectually which the wood continued to rot. To ensure that won't happen again, Stahl injects a borate woods preservative into holes drilled halfway into the wood. Sealed over with epoxy, the borate penetrates the wood, minimizing the risk of future decay.

Stride 3

on the exposed wood

Photo by Brian Wilder

A two-role epoxy primer brushed on the exposed wood ensures that the final repair will bond to the surface. After waiting about 15 minutes for the thin liquid to penetrate, Stahl wipes off the backlog with a paper towel. The surface is now fix for a coat of the two-function epoxy filler.

Pace 4

Blend the Resin and Hardener

Photo past Brian Wilder

Stahl pumps the two components of the epoxy filler—resin and hardener—onto a plastic board, then blends them thoroughly with a plastic putty knife. Epoxy doesn't stick to difficult plastic surfaces, then the board and putty knife can exist cleaned and reused.

Step 5

Sculpt the Epoxy

Photograph by Brian Wilder

Using the same plastic putty knife, Stahl sculpts the viscous epoxy into shape. The mix remains workable for about 30 to 45 minutes (longer in cool weather condition and shorter when it'southward hot).

Footstep 6

Paint the Epoxy

Photograph by Brian Wilder

Epoxy breaks down in sunlight, so it needs to be painted. The side by side day, after the repair hardens, Stahl sands it smooth, first with lxxx-dust paper, then 100-grit, then 220-dust. An acrylic primer is next, followed by 2 coats of 100-percentage acrylic paint.

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Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/siding/21016702/how-to-use-two-part-epoxy-to-fill-rotted-trim

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