How to put a screw into wood?

Rivers & creeks

Rivers & creeks

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We have a wooden wheelhouse and we've put solar panels on them. We screwed the bracket straight into the beams but all this rain has me worried, should I have squirted something in with the screw to make it waterproof? I can't paint over the screw because it goes through a plastic mount.
 
Lazy Kipper said:
We have a wooden wheelhouse and we've put solar panels on them. We screwed the bracket straight into the beams but all this rain has me worried, should I have squirted something in with the screw to make it waterproof? I can't paint over the screw because it goes through a plastic mount.
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On a boat always bed the fitting in a sealant
 
Could you just take the screws out, put some epoxy glue in the holes, then put the screws back in. Just put a little bit of glue in otherwise you risk glueing the solar panels to the wood.
 
I believe the traditional jollop is something called Dolphinite. I've never used it; when I screwed things to Kindred Spirit's masts I dipped the screw in varnish first.

Pete
 
Using an epoxy is fine, if you ever need to remove the screw/s just hold a soldering on screw head, heat will soften the epoxt and make removal very easy.

The advantage of an epoxy is that it seals the timber as well.

Good luck and fair winds. :)
 
If you want use epoxy and are planning (hoping) to remove the scews at some time in the future, either coat the screws with wax prior to inserting into the epoxy-filled holes, or apply some heat to the screw (over 60 deg. c) before trying to move it.
Or both.

John

Whoa - pipped at the post!
 
We are talking about above the waterline. I assume that your wheel house is constructed of hardwood, teak?? I assume you used brass or stainless screws. Presumably you screwed them down tightly. What's the problem?
 
Hadenough said:
We are talking about above the waterline. I assume that your wheel house is constructed of hardwood, teak?? I assume you used brass or stainless screws. Presumably you screwed them down tightly. What's the problem?
Click to expand...

+1 if its through Ply wood you might want to think about sealing the grains, on Galvanized (i doubt your using) a little grease/ tallow of some sort can help when it comes to undoing them.

I would worry more about water being trapped underneath and sweating. Then by that time it will probably not be your problem...
 
Any of the mastic solutions suggested but not epoxy - sets hard and is too brittle. I know from experience that Sikaflex works fine, that epoxy doesn't, and that if you do nothing you will have water penetration of the surrounding wood. I'd not use the tape methods because you should actually introduce sealant into the hole. I put some sika in a syringe for this (no needle of course).
 
I'd be bedding the feet of the bracket down with Arbokol 1000. You want to stop water getting into the screw holes, but you also want to stop water getting trapped under the bracket too. Bedding it down will solve both problems and using Arbokol you won't be prevented from removing it all at a later date.
 
Yes, it's a plywood and hardwood beam wheelhouse, painted on the outside. The epoxy release method sounds fun! I used stainless screws but worried about water getting in with capillary action, with the tape, you stick it on the wood, put the bracket over that and then screw through them both?
 
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