Translate

Monday 14 September 2015

Trying to save our boatman's cabin

One of the traditional ways of waterproofing a wooden cabin roof was to cover it in canvas and then paint over it. Over the years the canvas cracked and rotted, allowing water in and allowing rot to set in. :0( Here glenda is hard at work stripping the old canvas back.
Both boats have had many different configurations and there are a lot of blanked off chimney holes and this old, rusty and very leaky chimney collar. I decided to remove it but it was so rusty I had to grind the heads off the bolts, the boards around it were rotting away.
Removing the rotting hand rails to reveal more rot below
The chimney collar has been removed, and plugs made to fill the chimney hole and bolt holes. The first side has had a layer of liquid rubber, the geo-textile tape applied and the liquid rubber on top.
Upstands and corners were also treated to rubber / geo-textile tape

Started using a roller but  preferred to use a brush as I progressed.
The frame, runners and board around the rear hatch was all badly rotted, I used a piece of scrap mahogany (with the castle painting) the oak on the sides and for the tapered wedge-shaped runners.

The first light coat of liquid rubber was rollered on.
Getting there

After the first thick coat of liquid rubber, we had to rush to beat the heavy rain which had been forecast.
The upstands on the workshop skylight.
Now this is an expensive experiment, aimed at nipping in the bud, the incessant leaks in the hope of stopping the rot.
We are heading out, for three weeks, on the river with our neighbours John & Rita. When we return we'll give her another thick coat of rubber then leave it until spring to give it the final coat, which we'll cover with a membrane which we hope will be paintable.

2 comments:

  1. Hi there! I read that you have been using liquid rubber paint. You mention applying 3 coats. My research shows that usually a single coat is enough but they are referring to garage roofs and harder surfaces. Could you please explain why you have used 3 coats. Many thanks. Alex

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alex

      We were proposing to put 3 coats on simply because we enough of the liquid rubber to do that with some to spare. We were advised that we would need a 20 litre tub to cover the area of the roof, 10 litre would have sufficed. We had a very small window of opportunity to remove the rotting canvas and an unused chimney collar (which leaked like a sieve) treat and fill the worst of the rotted areas under it, and to apply the liquid rubber.
      After patching the rot, came the most time consuming bit, applying some liquid rubber to joints, cracks and upstands, followed by a layer of geo-tape then another layer of liquid rubber, left this until the following day and gave the roof one complete coat. 23 hours later we gave it a second coat. A day later it chucked it down and we were delighted to find the back cabin and workshop as dry as a bone ;o)
      As we couldn't find suitably wide canvas, we bought a lightweight waterproof material, in red, which we have been assured is paintable. The intention was to wait until Spring, give the roof the 3rd coat and apply the waterproof fabric, which would then bond to the last coat, and then paint it.
      In the meantime It was touching up the paint on one of the cabin sides, and realised that if I painted the rubber under where the handrail would be going then we would find out if painting directly on the rubber would work, if it didn't, then no great loss as ir would be covered anyway.
      In fact, the paint has taken beautifully and months later is still in good condition.
      So now, we may just go with painting on top of the two coats and keep the rest of the rubber for when / if, we decide to replace the roof along with the rather rotten cabin sides. Oh, the joys of boating! LOL!

      Delete