Moisture question
12-02-2014 | 12:35 PM
#2
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,198
Likes: 500
From: KY
With moisture in there it's only a matter of time before the rot starts. My moisture was up but only the bottom 18 inches. Rot started showing up upon removing part of the lower transom against the outer hull. If you can get it dried out and then be able to use get-rot or something like it, it might be ok. I'm no expert and continue to seek advise for what I have going on
12-03-2014 | 04:05 AM
#3
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 489
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From: Cape Cod, MA
A 100% remedy would be the transom replacement and most folks will tell you that. Short of a 100% remedy, you probably will want to know more precisely where moisture exists in the transom, as in all likelihood, it is not evenly spread throughout.
A core sample or even a few core samples could only give an indication that rot does not exist where you drilled. Moisture + Time = Rot in most cases, so it may just be a matter of time.
Short of replacing the transom, your possibilities are to try to dry out the transom. In order to do this, you will need to find and eliminate the source of the moisture. Then, you will want to try to remove the moisture that is within the transom . . . not an easy task, but if you were to expose some of the wood on the lower part of the transom and presumably where it is most wet, then you may have a chance at reducing the moisture. Heat applied to the transom, can promote evaporation of the moisture. A nice dry low humidity place to store the boat for the duration would be needed.
If you were able to dry the transom wood out satisfactorily, then you would need to apply a rot preventative treatment to the wood, as the rot process is already started, because of the previous moisture levels.
As you can see this process is long and drawn out and not a 100% for sure cure. As such, you will not find any professional restorers taking this route, because as a business, who would have time to do all of these things? It is more efficient and less costly to replace the transom.
As a DIY, then you could attempt these sorts of things, knowing that it may or may not work out.
A core sample or even a few core samples could only give an indication that rot does not exist where you drilled. Moisture + Time = Rot in most cases, so it may just be a matter of time.
Short of replacing the transom, your possibilities are to try to dry out the transom. In order to do this, you will need to find and eliminate the source of the moisture. Then, you will want to try to remove the moisture that is within the transom . . . not an easy task, but if you were to expose some of the wood on the lower part of the transom and presumably where it is most wet, then you may have a chance at reducing the moisture. Heat applied to the transom, can promote evaporation of the moisture. A nice dry low humidity place to store the boat for the duration would be needed.
If you were able to dry the transom wood out satisfactorily, then you would need to apply a rot preventative treatment to the wood, as the rot process is already started, because of the previous moisture levels.
As you can see this process is long and drawn out and not a 100% for sure cure. As such, you will not find any professional restorers taking this route, because as a business, who would have time to do all of these things? It is more efficient and less costly to replace the transom.
As a DIY, then you could attempt these sorts of things, knowing that it may or may not work out.
Last edited by tpenfield; 12-03-2014 at 04:08 AM.
