# Rotted wood repair



## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

vBulletin search engine sucks, btw, but we all knew that.

Now that I have time on my hands to catch up with exterior maintenance, I'm finding I'm a little late on some trim. Starting to rot. Sure I could replace - well actually no I can't - too invloved for the small amount of rot.

What brand of rot repair have you all found the best (easiest/quickest/longest lasting)

thanks for posting on painttalk.com. the moderators of this forum would prefer if you post do iIt yYourself related topics on our sister site diychatroom,com


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

http://www.abatron.com/


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

http://woodwizzards.com/


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

System 3


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## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

Just finished a job with lots of rot and used abatron liquid wood hardner and wood epox. Worked very well. Chrisn is right.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

http://www.advancedrepair.com/index.html


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

If just starting to rot or with extensive damage I have had good luck with Elmers two part epoxy. Remove all loose wood fibers and coat with their wood stabilizer allow to cure, mix part 1 and part two, apply and if needed to smooth slightly wet and tool.Have had exteriors I have used it on over 3 or so yrs.and still looks great. Kit will run you around $25.00.I do believe the box store Lowes handles it.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I think all the companies listed above do similar things. A thinner coating to penetrate the wood, then rebuild with a paste or putty. I used a bunch of this stuff on my window sills last fall. Only had time to get one coat of paint on it all before winter though.


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## jprefect (Mar 4, 2015)

I have been using minwax wood hardener, then bondo fillers,

BUT getting into historic homes, I'm stepping it up to West Systems. Very little experience with them so far though. I'm just changing over.


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## Damon T (Nov 22, 2008)

Pre-treating with borate solution prior to The epoxy system gives best results. Board Defense and Tim-Bor are two products.
I've used lots of system 3 but Probably depends what's available locally


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

Damon T said:


> Pre-treating with borate solution prior to The epoxy system gives best results. Board Defense and Tim-Bor are two products.
> I've used lots of system 3 but Probably depends what's available locally


I've used borate in the past for bugs. Never knew to use it on plain old wet-rot scenarios.

You recommend it on all wood rot, whether or not insects are present?


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Damon T said:


> Pre-treating with borate solution prior to The epoxy system gives best results. Board Defense and Tim-Bor are two products.
> I've used lots of system 3 but Probably depends what's available locally


EXACTLY. That's why I am happy to see mentioned all the different brands.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> EXACTLY. That's why I am happy to see mentioned all the different brands.


We used Abatron for years and found it to be OK. When I built my last boat in 2000, I used West System and haven't used Abatron since. They have a wider array of products which makes them much more adaptable. For instance, some fillers are easily sandable, others are more structural; there are several speeds of hardener, meaning some are better for penetrating weathered wood.


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## Damon T (Nov 22, 2008)

I paint paint said:


> I've used borate in the past for bugs. Never knew to use it on plain old wet-rot scenarios.
> 
> 
> 
> You recommend it on all wood rot, whether or not insects are present?



Yes it kills the rot organisms. Whatever's left after digging out the pinky wood. 
There are also Borate rods, called impel rods, which are borates in solid form. The rods vary from 1/8"diameter up to 1/2" diameters more or less. With varying lengths. You install them where you think rot may occur, and if the wood ever reaches the moisture content level where rot can grow, it leaches out the borates into the wood. Thus preventing the rot. I've used them on window sash and some trim, especially window sills and the vertical trim mating up to window sills. Usually on a house that has had rotting problems already


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## JourneymanBrian (Mar 16, 2015)

This is a bit of a change of topic, but anyone have experience with boron salt as a fungicide? supposed to be better for the environment/health than other materials but I heard its are soluble in water, which is not practical for the exterior 

anyone?


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## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

Steve Richards uses cardboard for patching work and that's what I've been using too.


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

I to have used West to. And I have used Abatron. Sometimes both. West to harden what is left of the wood fibers. Then Abaton for the fill. But if my life depended on it all the way with West. With fillers
David


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## paintnow (Dec 11, 2011)

If unable to locate the products already mentioned, I have had success with Bondo, available at any auto parts store. If you have a large hole, fill the space with rat wire and secure it with deck screws. Takes several applications of Bondo to achieve a smooth finish, but it works great. Prime and paint and go home.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

paintnow said:


> If unable to locate the products already mentioned, I have had success with Bondo, available at any auto parts store. If you have a large hole, fill the space with rat wire and secure it with deck screws. Takes several applications of Bondo to achieve a smooth finish, but it works great. Prime and paint and go home.


Yup I was unable to find the products listed, although I did totally forget about two places that may have had a more extensive choice. I used Elmers (one part) rotten wood stabilizer ( I swear it was just Elmers Glue on steroids) and Bondo. It was a hot day and the Bondo set up in no time flat - it brought back all the teenage frustrations of trying to repair my 68 Dodge van. 

The large holes were filled with wood - glued, screwed, and caulked to what little good wood there was. The Bondo came out well. And actually got a primer coat on it Sat evening before the rains came. It's my own house so it don't gotta be perfect, just enough to hold together until we move on. 

Gotta say, I don't see how all you guys fill nail hols with Bondo, unless there's a drying retarder one can add, and the odor is nasty, unless you like a Bondo buzz.


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

Over time, Bondo has a failure rate of 100%. 

Just sayin'


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

LA Painter said:


> Over time, Bondo has a failure rate of 100%.
> 
> Just sayin'


what's the time limit?

For auto repairs, it certainly has a more than acceptable life span


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> what's the time limit?
> 
> For auto repairs, it certainly has a more than acceptable life span


Around here, auto-body putty repairs in exterior wood fail v. quickly, often within a year. About the only thing we use it for is to repair dings on metal doors, and to make custom sanding blocks.


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

This thread is very representative of my actual day-to-day experience.

Use PT to research specialty coatings, high-end fillers, niche products and techniques of all sorts.

End up stopping at the nearest hardware store with the earliest hours to buy something, anything that I can apply in a way that will meet a deadline.


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

daArch said:


> what's the time limit?
> 
> For auto repairs, it certainly has a more than acceptable life span



The short answer is that Bondo is meant for cars/metal. Wood is very different - expansion, contraction, decay, etc. A lot of painters use it by the gallon as a stronger alternative to spackle, but eventually it fails just like spackle.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I paint paint said:


> This thread is very representative of my actual day-to-day experience.
> 
> Use PT to research specialty coatings, high-end fillers, niche products and techniques of all sorts.
> 
> End up stopping at the nearest hardware store with the earliest hours to buy something, anything that I can apply in a way that will meet a deadline.


Yup, I didn't want to wait the week or so to order on line. At least it's on my own home so the only person to get pissed at the hack job is me - unless we can move before the time bomb goes off :thumbup:


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

*"Bondo" is not one thing.*



paintnow said:


> If unable to locate the products already mentioned, I have had success with Bondo, available at any auto parts store. If you have a large hole, fill the space with rat wire and secure it with deck screws. Takes several applications of Bondo to achieve a smooth finish, but it works great. Prime and paint and go home.





daArch said:


> Yup I was unable to find the products listed, although I did totally forget about two places that may have had a more extensive choice. I used Elmers (one part) rotten wood stabilizer ( I swear it was just Elmers Glue on steroids) and Bondo. It was a hot day and the Bondo set up in no time flat - it brought back all the teenage frustrations of trying to repair my 68 Dodge van.





LA Painter said:


> Over time, Bondo has a failure rate of 100%.





Gough said:


> Around here, auto-body putty repairs in exterior wood fail v. quickly, often within a year. About the only thing we use it for is to repair dings on metal doors, and to make custom sanding blocks.





LA Painter said:


> The short answer is that Bondo is meant for cars/metal. Wood is very different - expansion, contraction, decay, etc. A lot of painters use it by the gallon as a stronger alternative to spackle, but eventually it fails just like spackle.


1. My understanding is that Bondo has historically been associated with auto body repairs first and foremost.

2. In my lifetime, I have come to learn that "Bondo" is often used as a catch-all term.

3. Today, Bondo's product catalogue is vast, varied, and tailored to home repairs. These new household Bondos have become widely available in hardware stores and big box home centers.

4. All of this makes it very confusing and imprecise when painters discuss it.

So here are some current Bondo products that pertain to this thread:

Wood Filler
http://bondo.com/products/household/bondo-wood-filler-20082.html

Rotted Wood Restorer
http://bondo.com/products/household/bondo-rotted-wood-restorer-20131.html

All Purpose Putty
http://bondo.com/products/household/bondo-all-purpose-putty-20052.html

Sun Activated Filler
http://bondo.com/products/household/bondo-sun-activated-filler-00753.html

Et cetra.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

I paint paint said:


> 1. My understanding is that Bondo has historically been associated with auto body repairs first and foremost.
> 
> 2. In my lifetime, I have come to learn that "Bondo" is often used as a catch-all term.
> 
> ...


To what extent is it "tailored" to those needs versus merely relabeled? 

I'm in the "once burned, twice shy" category here. I can't see any good reason to take a flyer on these products.


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

Gough said:


> To what extent is it "tailored" to those needs versus merely relabeled?
> 
> I'm in the "once burned, twice shy" category here. I can't see any good reason to take a flyer on these products.


If I were going to pour the Elmers or Minwax liquid wood hardener on a rotten sill, I would feel comfortable using the Bondo liquid wood hardener too.

If I decided mixing a two part epoxy to rebuild a sill was appropriate for a job, I would then take into account performance, price, availability and choose a specific product. I would feel comfortable weighing the pros/cons of the Bondo wood filler against all the other great offerings listed from the beginning of this thread. Based on circumstances, I would choose West, Abatron, Bondo, etc. 

Sometimes I am restoring a boat. Sometimes historic Monticello. Sometimes the bungling Baxters down the block.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Pretty sure tomorrow morning I'm gonna be telling an older lady "you need a carpenter, then a painter". I rarely get into much rot repair unless it's a really small area. Just don't see the point as within short order it'll probably fail again.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

I paint paint said:


> If I were going to pour the Elmers or Minwax liquid wood hardener on a rotten sill, I would feel comfortable using the Bondo liquid wood hardener too.
> 
> If I decided mixing a two part epoxy to rebuild a sill was appropriate for a job, I would then take into account performance, price, availability and choose a specific product. I would feel comfortable weighing the pros/cons of the Bondo wood filler against all the other great offerings listed from the beginning of this thread. Based on circumstances, I would choose West, Abatron, Bondo, etc.
> 
> Sometimes I am restoring a boat. Sometimes historic Monticello. Sometimes the bungling Baxters down the block.


Agreed, I would put the Bondo in the same group as the Elmers or Minwax.:whistling2:

How many more products do I want to add to the arsenal? With a full line of West on hand, why bother to track down a product that might or might not work?


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

Gough said:


> Agreed, I would put the Bondo in the same group as the Elmers or Minwax.:whistling2:
> 
> How many more products do I want to add to the arsenal? *With a full line of West on hand, why bother to track down a product that might or might not work?*


Good points you make. Two questions:

1. By "full line of West on hand," do you mean you always have one each on hand of their Fiberglass Boat Repair Kit, Plastic Boat Repair Kit, and Aluminum Boat Repair Kit?

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/repair-kits/

2. What is the shelf life on those kits? Found nothing on their site.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

I paint paint said:


> Good points you make. Two questions:
> 
> 1. By "full line of West on hand," do you mean you always have one each on hand of their Fiberglass Boat Repair Kit, Plastic Boat Repair Kit, and Aluminum Boat Repair Kit?
> 
> ...


Not the kits, the components. Resin, three speeds of hardener, 4-5 types of filler, etc.

The resin and hardeners seem to be good for at least 5 years, the filler probably last indefinetly.


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