Sealing wood and plywood

[slawosz]

Hi,
I have rebuild headlining in my boat, used softwood and plywood. Now I wonder what type of wood sealer should I use to prevent these elements from rotting?

 

[lw395]

Mostly you should stop the deck leaking and keep the boat from getting badly humid.

The headlining gets damp from above, due to condensation on the deckhead. You can go as far as you like sealing it with varnish, paint or epoxy, The main thing is to cut off the damp at source. Adequate vents (or a dehumidifier) and zero tolerance of bilge water.

 

[Graham376]

Hi,
I have rebuild headlining in my boat, used softwood and plywood. Now I wonder what type of wood sealer should I use to prevent these elements from rotting?

I would use varnish and make sure all the end grain is well saturated with a few more coats than faces. Exterior water based varnish dries within an hour or two so far quicker than solvent based for over coating.

 

[coopec]

Hi,
I have rebuild headlining in my boat, used softwood and plywood. Now I wonder what type of wood sealer should I use to prevent these elements from rotting?

How to Apply Antifreeze to Dry Rot

Antifreeze, boric powder and boric acid can be effectively used to eradicate and prevent rot in wood. Boric acid and glycol are both toxic to a wide range of fungi, organisms and insects that perpetuate rot in wood. Antifreeze can have two active ingredients: either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. Since ethylene glycol can cause damage to the heart, nervous system and kidneys through prolonged exposure, you should consider propylene glycol your only option.

 

[slawosz]

I bought Ronseal Exterior Varnish from screwfix. Lets see how it will go.

 

[Alfie168]

Having owned a couple of wooden Enterprise dinghies, one with a traditional paint/varnish system and the later boat with two part epoxy paint and varnish, there is no doubt the two pack epoxy is vastly superior in protecting ply from water absorption as it virtually encapsulates it in hard resin. However in your circumstance I think the Ronseal will perform adequately and be a couple of orders of magnitude less costly.

 

[mikegunn]

I've used Ronseal Exterior Varnish on interior surfaces with very acceptable results. Although the description in large print on the tin claims "clear, waterproof protection" the small print warns that it is "lightly tinted". That shouldn't be a problem in your instance. It is not quick drying though and, from experience, I would stick by the recommended minimum of 8 hours time between coats.
MIke

 

[Little Dorrit]

Eposeal 300 would be your friend here.

 

[slawosz]

In my case, I will have only headlining in natural wood color, if Ronseal will prove it looks good on test pieces. All other parts will be painted white or blue. Boat is tiny, so I went for bright interior to at least pretend its bigger inside.