Advice on fixing water damaged cabin ceiling...

Hi All,

I had water seep into my aft deck where the fiberglass flybridge steps screw into the deck, and the water damaged the ceiling in my aft cabin (see pictures).

The deck itself is not in bad shape, but I need to remove the part of the cabin ceiling (about 1' by 1' area) and replace the plywood. I'm thinking to peel back the white vinyl head liner (which is drooping) and cut out the bad plywood (its rotten and warped) and just cut a new piece to fit? Then epoxy it into place, and use a few 2x4 as jacks to hold it in place until dry?

Any better ideas?

"fiberglass flybridge steps screw into the deck"

If the repair is expected to be structural, a patch may not do it.

If just cosmetic , go for it.

It won't do any good untill you fix the leak first.

Water will ruin evrything you have done.

SD

I do plan to fix the leak (its an easy fix, its water dripping in from zipper on the flybridge bimini top, which I plan to put gorilla tape over the seam). But I'm looking for advice on how to fix the wood portion of the ceiling.

I have done as you say. It will work. The problem is getting a good bond.

When you put the new plywood in I would cover it with a layer of 3/4 oz matt.

Install it before it cures.

Really jack it into place in many places. If you can I would place weight on the outside also. Voids will give you soft spots noticible from the outside when you walk on it. The effect is called oil can.

SD


-- Edited by skipperdude on Thursday 12th of January 2012 09:57:24 AM

Hi SD,
thanks for the good advice.
As the area above the ceiling is a part of the deck that gets alot of traffic (it is the deck at the landing of the flybridge steps, and also the landing to the cabin door) I have thought about putting a permanent support post inside the cabin, something nicely turned and varnished - would also serve as a handhold going up and down the steps into the aft cabin.

It is a messy job if you do as*I indicated.

Sometimes it is difficult to get a good bond with the glass over*plywood.

Don't use any treated plywood. To get a tac coat I would first paint the raw plywood with a coat of resin thinned with acetone. About 1/4 acetone to resin. it soaks into the plywood.*allow it to cure then re wet it and apply the matt over it. The wet mat*will conform to the voids. *

When working overhead with this stuff really protect yourself and anything you don't want ruined. visqueen works well.

Poly resin is a lot cheaper than epoxy.

More than likely the boat is made of poly.

Poly will not stick to epoxy.

Epoxy will stick to everything.

SD

Hi SD,
any advice on a good brand of poly (or epoxy) to use?
Many thanks, this is very helpful.

West Marine sell epoxy. I have never used it as my boat is made of poly. It is all generic. If you go to a fiberglass shop they get the stuff in 50 gallon drums and will usually sell it by the gallon.

When mixing the catylist be sure to measure accuratley.

Temperature really has a lot to do with how fast it will kick off.

Really talk to the people*where you get the resin if you are not famillar with working with fiberglass.

Don't be afraid of it it is not rocket science just messy.

SD**

When we bought the Eagle it had several leaks that discolored the ceiling and one area that the 2 X 2 and ply had to be replaced.* Since nobody would know what the original looked like, plywood with a vinyl coving, I was not concerned about changing it.* I stripped the vinyl, replaced the 2 X 2 and plywood using screws and Epoxy.*Then I spayed the ceiling with off color white with ceiling texture mixed in which covered the blemishes.* To accent the ceiling and cover the seams, I added/hid with ½ round wood, stained to match the surrounding teak.
*
So what ever you do I would not be to concerned about how it originally looked as long as the new matches/goes with the rest or the*areas décor/color.* Nobody will notice and in time you will not either.* *

7tiger7 "I do plan to fix the leak (its an easy fix, its water dripping in from zipper on the flybridge bimini top, which I plan to put gorilla tape over the seam). But I'm looking for advice on how to fix the wood portion of the ceiling."

Your deck should be impervious to water dripping on it, no matter the source. Sounds like you have a leak to fix, and a zipper to fix. Do you know where the water is getting through the deck?