Porosity of epoxy

[megalops]

I'm doing some deck core repair and using thickend west epoxy resin to reattach the top skin to the new core. I'm going to grind a bevel into the cut edges of the top skin and lay a few layers of cloth over them to provide strength. After this I'm going to cover the whole repair with a product (see my other posts) called Sea Dek, so asthetics are not an issue.

I know polyester resin is porus and needs to be covered with gel coat, but do I need to cover the epoxy with anything?

Thanks

[Tim]

I'm a little confused. Where is the epoxy you're asking about, and is it going to be exposed when all is said and done--or is it all going to be under the nonskid product you're using?

Epoxy fillers generally should be coated with plain resin to seal them before paint, but don't need this treatment for adhering additional products, such as that nonskid product.

[megalops]

No, the seams won't be exposed, they will be under the nonskid.

Sounds like I don't need to coat it with anything.

Thanks for your reply. Doug

[Tim]

No need to overcoat; in fact, doing so would only reduce the quality of your bond.

[Hirilondë]

Epoxy resin is one of the least porous materials, and probably the most waterproof I know of. I left my plywood stitch 'n' glue epoxy coated dinghy in the water for almost 6 months this season. The marina was supposed to provide a dinghy rack, but never did. I was forced to use the dinghy dock along with all the inflatables. When I hauled it out just a couple weeks ago I found no sign of water absorption at all. There was no sign of damage to the paint inside or out with the exception of some fading on the interior. This I am sure was due to ultraviolet and not water.