Termites!

[luckydave215]

I found termite droppings on deck under the portable wooden step stool (original Hatt part with teak top) in the cockpit last week.
Fortunately the problem is confined to a piece of construction douglass fir someone used to beef up one of the corners at some time, and the bugs are in that part only, and the stool is never stowed below. Yes, I inspeced the whole boat with a fine tooth comb!
My slip neighbor Ben ("Daybreak, 42C") is a roofing estimator, and he's seen more than his share of termite problems. He looked at it and suggested I go to home cheapo and buy termite "death" foam, which I did. I drilled some small holes in the affected part (why not remove it? it's epoxied into the whole structure) and douched down the whole assembly.
After a week sitting on white paper towels in the garage, no further evidence of termites.
Now I'm smelling linear polyurethane as I type -computer in the garage- because I decided to refinish it while I was at it. The best matching color turned out to interlux perfection two part in Mediterranean White.
As soon as this one is done, I'll bring the other one (there are tall and short ones) home and refinish that one too.
Ahhhh...........boating!

 

[Beckytek]

Around here, ( New Jersey) we have subteranium termites that live under ground and venture above ground to look for wood etc. West coast termites must be submariner type that swim and surf to get to your boat.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

You guys need to live in Michigan. We have no termites. I don't blame them either. Today is Easter and we have snow on the ground.

 

[Genesis]

Those things are wicked.

Don't be CERTAIN you got 'em all. Keep your eyes open.....

They get in the boat the same way they get in anything else - from a swarm that comes from someone's house!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

You guys need to live in Michigan. We have no termites. I don't blame them either. Today is Easter and we have snow on the ground.

We don't have termites, but we do have carpenter ants. Those can eat a bunch of wood in a hurry too.

 

[Liquid Asset]

There was a boat around the corner from me that got termites. The guy tried everything to get rid of them. The final solution was to tent the boat like you would tent a house. Crazyest thing I ever saw, but later I found out that they use this to kill Rats on your boat too!

 

[REBrueckner]

Sounds crazy, but if spiders can walk aboard then I guess termites and carpenter ants can fly aboard....Last year I had a larger than normal number of tiny spiders aboard July and August....and I was anchored out the entire summer except for fuel and water stops...not even near any trees or shoreline otherwise....whazzzz up with that!!!!

 

[Maynard Rupp]

We don't have termites, but we do have carpenter ants. Those can eat a bunch of wood in a hurry too.

Don't tell them the bad parts, Sky. We need to import some usefull people to this state.

 

[jim rosenthal]

We had snow at Easter, too, Maynard, you're not alone in this. It's still only forty here. Snow and Daylight Saving Time are an odd mix...

 

[Maynard Rupp]

We had snow at Easter, too, Maynard, you're not alone in this. It's still only forty here. Snow and Daylight Saving Time are an odd mix...

Why did I leave Miami?

 

[67hat34c]

you have dry wood termites.
Subterranian live under ground, travel up and eat wood then go back under ground. These can be baited with sentracon system. dry wood termites live in the wood and only leave when they swarm, go to the next boat or house etc. they have been traditionaly killed with fumigation. heat will also kill them. There is now a bait that will kill them, it is a foam that is injected into the tunnels, termites eat it and take it back to the nest. Not sure what you got at homo depot but i would be leary. Massey services in FL has the proces to drill and treat without tenting, not sure if they are in CA but it may be worth the look.

 

[hwginc]

You guys need to live in Michigan. We have no termites. I don't blame them either. Today is Easter and we have snow on the ground.

IT IS EASTER IN TEXAS WE RECORDED OVER 4 INCHS OF SNOW THIS WEEKEND BROKE RECORDS

 

[Full Moon]

I was replacing my water pressure pump the other day and was amazed to see this. It is the wooden frame for the salon floor/engine room ceiling. I don't think it is bugs but just the salt air. I've seen this in my salon with some window trim but this looks like time to rebuild the floor. Has any one seen this kind of rot?

By the way Low of 74, High of 88 every day. The weather man has the most boring job on the island until hurricane season.

 

[Genesis]

Yep.

Got an AC unit right near there? Condensate that drips on the wood will do this every time.

Rebuild it and soak CPES into the replacement wood before installation, along with all wood in the area to stop it.

This can get away from you fast if not arrested; you wouldn't believe how far it can travel once it gets started.

 

[Mike53C]

Yep.
Rebuild it and soak CPES into the replacement wood before installation, along with all wood in the area to stop it.
QUOTE]

Sorry to ask but what is CPES?
I have this problem, exactly above the A/C units.

Miguel

 

[Beckytek]

CPES is a penetrating epoxy sealer used in the treatment process for restoration of rotted or deteriorated wood. It penetrates and saturates wood with epoxy resin. It's very thin so it penetrates into the fibers. Ron

 

[Avenger]

Here's a link to the manufacturer's website:

http://www.smithandcompany.org/

 

[rswirtz]

Scrod, I like your sig file, I stole it to use at work, hope thats ok

 

[Avenger]

Of course it's okay. How do you think I got it?

 

[Genesis]

CPES is great stuff for getting WAY into the wood. It is FULL of volatiles so you don't want to breathe it (work with GOOD ventilation or get gassed!) but the "gassing" part is good for killing the beasties :->

Never mind that they have a little problem eating plastic....

CPES is a good coating for sound wood that can get wet and its also an excellent "soak the stuff beyond the damage area" solution to insure that you get ALL the rot that's beyond the visible damage area (rot can extend up to a foot into apparently sound wood!) Deteriorated wood still has to be cropped out; small areas can be blocked and filled with thickened epoxy but any significant gaps (or worse) need to be cropped out and then replaced with new.

I had trouble with the platform on which my compressors were (same issue - dripping condensate from the piping) and installed doublers with CPES-soaked plywood. If and when those compressors failed I intended to tear the entire mounting platform set out and re-do it from scratch - but the doublers were not going ANYWHERE after I soaked 'em and then laminated them to the deteriorated wood, then soaked THAT with CPES. Not pretty but in the engine room where its a strength and integrity rather than beauty thing it works and saves having to rip the entire AC system out to rebuild the platform from scratch.