Glycol questions

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2ply

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Hello all,

Various threads on this site talk about glycol as an effective means of curing and/or preventing rot. Can anyone answer the following questions for me please?

1) Glycol is highly toxic of course, so is it safe to sray around the inside of a boat with a low pressure type spray gun? (Like the Fence preservative spray guns found in DIY stores, etc.) Should the sprayer use breathing apparatus?

2) Does it really get absorbed through paint coatings without damaging them? Even bilge paint?

3) What happens to glycol after absorbtion into the wood. Does it become inert over time? If so, how long? And if the wood gets wet after treatment could the glycol leach back out of wood and be a danger to people or animals?

4) Where do you get it in the sort of quantities or concentration required to spray the inside of a 50ft boat? Do people use a certain brand of antifreeze, or are they getting neat glycol from somewhere?

Any informed responses would be much appreciated!
 
Nothing much gets absorbed through paint. Glycol is included with some of the Borates marketed as Timbor - I think with the heavier pastes. I gather H&S has largely stopped the profesionals using Cuprinol. Try this website: http://www.woodworm-info.co.uk/boron
I have no connection with the firm!
Various borax salts are now used for wood preservation by a large number of static historic vessels - Unicorn, Batavia, Discovery etc.

Old Frank

http://www.woodworm-info.co.uk/boron
 
That guy loves it i recon hes right
that article answers allot of your questions...but how can it go through paint?
I've used it on my boat...car antifreeze[make sure its glycol]!...don't know if they all are
spraying sounds good...but i wouldn't wanna breath it in!
 
If it's any help gycol is readily available in Sweden. I have just had my boat winterised and gycol has been used extensively in the heads and cooling systems and anywhere else, apart from freshwater systems, that would be prone to freezing.
 
I had been given a log of freshly cut Blackwood, a local furniture timber, which I had converted into timber [ie. sawn planks]. These had to be seasoned, so I brushed antifreeze on the ends of each plank to prevent them splitting. Whether it was through the action of the antifreeze I can't be sure, but they didn't split. I doubt very much that glycol would permeate through a layer of paint, either inwards or outwards. In other words, if you let it dry and then paint over it, you would pretty well lock it in. Also, glycol is only poisonous if you drink it, so don't be tempted to drink your bilgewater. On the outside of the hull, the sea is exerting a positive pressure on the outside of the hull,and the glycol would have to overcome this in order to leak out.
Peter.
 
I tried to find out about this a while ago and i found that Glycol is not for me , the thread is on classic forum . Ill stick to the borates thanks , i know they work and no nutter has tried it on thier feet /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
INHALATION: May cause irritation of the nose and throat with headache,
particularly from mists. High vapor concentrations caused, for example, by heating the material in an enclosed and poorly ventilated workplace, may produce nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness and irregular eye movements.


Be careful!...i would use protective gear and have lots of ventilation on a windy day!...just in case.
 
I also washed everything down with plenty of anti freeze (nice mess on the floor too!) but since it won't last opted for red lead with linseed oil for a more permanent solution.
Not exactly environmentally friendly though!
 
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