deck screws and wood

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I have a question about all those screws on the deck. The posts on the wood rot caused by all those screws has me concerned. My boat is kept under cover on a trailer and from about October to March she is not used very much at all in the Smoky Mountain winters. Of course this does not mean rot can not happen.

Should I back out all those screws and put some 5200 under each one to help seal it? It is a new boat and I plan on having it for at least 10 years. Or, is this something not worth worrying about? What would you guys do?

Thanks

 

[richie rich]

Absolutely!

since the screw goes into the top of the stringer any water will begin to wick directly into the wood. I would first unscrew and drop in a little epoxy into the hole that will penetrate into the wood. Use something thin like System 3 clear coat as its water thin and gets in there well. Then use a good sealant, not just silicone, on the screws. 5200, 4200 and Boat Life work well for this application. Make sure the holes are dry before using anything or you're just trapping in moisture...use a blow dryer to locally dry out the hole if needed. Then seal the deck lid itself to keep water out of the bilge.

 

[BobP]

Use Boatlife Lifeseal or equal.

Clean screw with denatured alcohol.

Doesn't matter where you store it, once water follows a screw thanks to the laws of physical nature (our friend gravity), it doesn't ever leave since it's trapped between glass on all sides, never drys, so it continues doing it's nasty thing.

 

[Grog]

Just not 5200, the breaking strength is too much for that app.

 

[ElyseM]

i use 4200. keep an eye open for an over countersunk hole. had one on my '02 gulfstream. if you have any, fill with marinetex, or the like, and re-countersink. ron

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Thanks a bunch guys. When we get home from our trip, I will get this project going. I never thought about the holes needing resin, but it makes a lot of sense. I am big on preventative maintenance...an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It does make me wonder why this is not done at the factory before they deliver the boat... oh well.

 

[1st grady]

What do you think about drilling out like a 1/2 inch hole into the stringer, filling with epoxy resin and then running a pilot hole in the resin for the deck screws? If water ever seeped down the screw, it would never touch the wood.

 

[Seahunter]

You guys have me scratching my head here. What screws are you talking about?

If you’re talking about the hatch cover screws, none of mine are in the stringers. They are all drilled thru the flange in the cutout.

Stripped a couple out over time. Fill them all with resin and redrilled them last summer as a precaution.

 

[ElyseM]

You guys have me scratching my head here. What screws are you talking about?

If you’re talking about the hatch cover screws, none of mine are in the stringers. They are all drilled thru the flange in the cutout.

Stripped a couple out over time. Fill them all with resin and redrilled them last summer as a precaution.

those ore the ones i'm talking about. better a little preventive maintenance than to have to repair later; that's all.

 

[richie rich]

the stringers are right there at the flange....Seahunter has a valid question because if the screw is perfectly straight down, its just the 1/8 inch thick deck flange....but some of mine were angled and did go into the top of the stringer which is within an 1/8 inch of the hole and can get damaged....epoxy never hurts and when thickened is great for stripped holes....the drill out and plug method 1st Grady mentioned is great if applicable...I did it in a transom where the screw holes were wet in the transducer and trim tab areas...once done the wet plug never goes any further than the resin ring around it. Not sure if it applies here...may be an individual application.

 

[CJBROWN]

When I first got my boat I went over every thru-deck bolt and tightened them - railings, cleats, etc. Got a half-turn on most of them. Was especially disconcerting on the cleats.