repairing floor rot

[joel]

Sorry to be so long getting back to you. I have been gone. I don't have any pictures. It really is a strong and long lasting way to repair the floor.Using the rods are like putting re-bar in concrete.One of the areas I repaired was in the door area on my 73 31' so it was high traffic area. We sold it but we put two years of travels on it with no sign of weakness.
If you do it this way make sure you scrape out the channel and be sure the rods go into the channel and be sure to force the fabric and resin into it to.Also check and make sure the bolts that go thru the floor are still intact. You could stand for one or two to be weak but if several of them are gone then you will need two roll the interior wall up far enough to replace them.You also need to pull the banana wrap to get to the nuts. If you have any more questions ask. I will be around a little more for a while. Good luck

[jaco]

I have been up to my arse in aligators with so many other repair subjects on my Excella that I have not addressed floor rot yet.
So far I have only found a small amount but there is alot more hidden floor to check out.
danesh's pictures look to me that his 1985 floor was a OSB strand chipboard.
Is that correct?
My 1974 floor is a traditional plywood .
Is there a year certain when Airstream Inc went away from traditional plywood?

Also the so-called "C-channel" or "U-channel" changed from a simple trough that held the two wall skins and the rib bottoms.
It was "improved" into the trough on top with a lip below to recieve the edge of the wooden floor (as I understand it). Sort of a lower cased cursive"y-channel"
Is there a year certain when that took place?
Also was the gauge of the channel made heavier?
Was the "improved" channel extruded aluminum?
I think the plain "U-channel" was roll-formed sheet metal (just guessing from pictures).

My guess is that the old plain "U-channel" would be easier to repair floor under.

Another question is Does the Rot-Doctor type epoxies work on OSB ? since it is already permeated with glues to hold it together?
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[jaco]

Joel regards to fiber glass work.

I have always had trouble using the stuff simply because I had to use some tool to do all the handwork. Sort of like eating Barbecued Chicken with chopsticks.
If I could just use my hands than I think I could master fiberglass layups.
What will happen if you get the resin on your skin?
Will latex gloves make sense? or will the stuff screw them up and you'll still get it on your hands?

I suppose this all sounds pretty dumb but I honestly have always wondered about fiberglass clean-up. Plus in tight quarters it's bound to get messy. I'd probly get it in my hair.

Oh and doesnt the mat come both in a fabric and another form? What are the advantages of either? over the other?

[TomW]

In the interest of health & safety, always use the proper personal protection equipment, i.e. gloves, coveralls, respirator, and eye protection when working around fiberglass and resin.

That being said,

Originally posted by jaco What will happen if you get the resin on your skin?

It will stain your skin unless you remove it with lacquer thinner before it hardens. But people will think you've been working hard before they wonder why you didn't wear gloves

Will latex gloves make sense? or will the stuff screw them up and you'll still get it on your hands?

Latex will gloves will work, but they take getting used to.

I honestly have always wondered about fiberglass clean-up. Plus in tight quarters it's bound to get messy. I'd probably get it in my hair.

Lacquer thinner works great cleaning up uncured resin. But, wearing gloves, coveralls, and a tight fitting cap should keep you clean.

Oh and doesn¡¦t the mat come both in a fabric and another form? What are the advantages of either? over the other?

It comes in mat, and cloth. My preference is the mat for most repairs because, being thicker, it takes less layers to build it up. Also, because of the randomness of the fibers, the repair will be stronger. The cloth works better on curvy or featured surfaces.

[joel]

Gloves are a must. I also favor the cloth because it conforms around the rods best. I like to get my cloth cut before I start because once you start it is murder to try to cut without it sticking to your gloves and hands. cut it and lay it out so that each piece can be picked up without touching the others. Lay it out like a set of upside down stairs. Also find a bunch of the cheapest plastic bowls and shallow pans you can find to mix in. A good place to find them is your local salvation army store or something like that.That way you don't need to clean them up ,you just throw them away. Use 2 or 3'' disposable brushes to spread the resin.
You don't have to wait for a layer to dry before you lay in the next one.One thing to make the floor repair extremely strong is to put in cloth up to the level of the bottom of the grooves inthe floor and then lay in every other rod then put in a couple of layers and put in the rest of the rods and finish filling in the repair . Remember to let the first 2 and the last layer of cloth flow about an inch or two onto the good floor . This will not leave a noticeable bump in the floor.This will also give a sort of swimming pool effect .If you stop just short of the floor level you can just use resin for the last 1/16" .This will give you a nice smooth surface that will need very little sanding, if any. Good luck.