Drilling holes and filling for deck repairs

[Captain Smollett]

I've grown to completely dislike the method of repair that involved drilling holes and filling with epoxy.  I have found quite a few spot that when the coring was ground out of such places, the 'plug' did not bond with the bottom layer...

Thus repair of the area ultimately harder than it needed to be.  In the end, it still required grinding out old coring and recoring with new core material PROPERLY bonded to the under layer. 

Perhaps the previous job was not done correctly, or it was done in the improper context.  Whatever the case, it is has created a bitter mess to clean up.

YMMV, but my current opinion is to suggest taking the steps to recore the deck and don't try to take short cuts.

[s/v Faith]

I've grown to completely dislike the method of repair that involved drilling holes and filling with epoxy.  I have found quite a few spot that when the coring was ground out of such places, the 'plug' did not bond with the bottom layer...

Thus repair of the area ultimately harder than it needed to be.  In the end, it still required grinding out old coring and recoring with new core material PROPERLY bonded to the under layer. 

Perhaps the previous job was not done correctly, or it was done in the improper context.  Whatever the case, it is has created a bitter mess to clean up.

YMMV, but my current opinion is to suggest taking the steps to recore the deck and don't try to take short cuts.

I agree (having repaired "repairs" done in this manner)... it seems to rarely work.

[sugar magnolia]

I agree completely with you both. I, as well, have repaired repairs of this type repeatedly.

I would like to add that in my experience is that an equally ill-concieved plan is to remove the bottom skin even if you have no headliner and the deck finish is in good shape. I tried this once and ended up with voidsw between the top skin and the core and ended up drilling and filling to access the voids. I had the worst mess imaginable all in an attempt to best conceal the repair...
JUST CUT THE TOP SKIN OFF AND DEAL WITH IT...EVERY TIME!!!

[Captain Smollett]

I would like to add that in my experience is that an equally ill-concieved plan is to remove the bottom skin even if you have no headliner and the deck finish is in good shape. I tried this once and ended up with voidsw between the top skin and the core and ended up drilling and filling to access the voids. I had the worst mess imaginable all in an attempt to best conceal the repair...
JUST CUT THE TOP SKIN OFF AND DEAL WITH IT...EVERY TIME!!!

I bet you have a convert here


On another note, I had a dude at the dock just this morning sing the praises the drilling holes vice full recoring.  He said that it works very well..it has FOR HIM.  When I told him I knew quite a few folks (included yard workers) that blast this method as ineffective, he stuck to his guns...it works, because he has not had to re-repair HIS deck (yet).

[CharlieJ]

On the other hand-

I've done two deck recores from the bottom, quite successfully

Once on a customers boat and once on Tehani.

Just depends on the job.

[Captain Smollett]

On the other hand-

I've done two deck recores from the bottom, quite successfully

Once on a customers boat and once on Tehani.

Just depends on the job.

Correct me if I am wrong, Charlie, but was not the main issue there the size ... 4' x 6' ... coupled with trying to do one thick layer rather than building up?

The only bit I've done from the bottom was a few inches square...the big stuff was from the top. The again, the top 'skin' was poop, too, so no incentive to try to save it.

[CharlieJ]

One thick layer is tough to do.
Much better to do in layers. But ya know- I glassed the under wings of a 35 foot tri with one sheet of 48 inch wide cloth 14 feet long  Took three people to do it, but we got'er done.

As I said- depends on the job. You have to do what is needed. Both boats I did had good tops to the decks.

[Jeremy]

[JUST CUT THE TOP SKIN OFF AND DEAL WITH IT...EVERY TIME!!!]

As yet another Meridian owner (and one working on his first deck recore - in the inconvenient area under the coamings on the bridgedeck), I was glad to see this statement as it validated my decision to work top down.

But then since the inner skin was so thin that I broke through it in a few places, I ended up also having to work bottom up (laminating up a layer of cloth to reinforce the bottom skin).

Now, with all the fairing necessary to clean up the top, I can certainly see that there are benefits of working from the bottom, despite the laws of gravity.

[Captain Smollett]

But then since the inner skin was so thin that I broke through it in a few places, I ended up also having to work bottom up (laminating up a layer of cloth to reinforce the bottom skin).

Hi Jeremy,

I had a place on my deck where the bottom skin did the same thing.  By the time I cut out the 'bad' section with a reciprocating saw, I had an area that was about 3 inches by 9 inches or so cut all the way through the deck.

It would have been near impossible (or INCREDIBLY labor intensive) to work from the bottom due to the placement of the hole.

What I did:

I cut a piece of 1/4" plywood larger than the hole.  With the plywood UNDER the bottom skin, covering the hole from the bottom, I screwed it in place.  I then laid just a couple of layers of cloth, also cut slightly bigger than the hole, from the top, where it was convenient.

Once it cured, I removed the plywood "form," and laid additional layers over the now essentially complete bottom skin.  Once THAT cured, I began gluing in my core-cell and finish the job as normal..from the top.

This worked for me and eliminated working from the bottom, both against gravity and with interior 'furniture' in the way.

YMMV, and each project is different.