Subject: CPES (on my trailer)
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000

Hi,

Today I treated the step entrance in my travel trailer with the CPES (I think the name is right). This is the three vertical faces in the step up entrance (about 6" high). I drilled some holes at angle, every 3 - 4 inches or so, near the top, and used the syringe to apply the sealant. I also used some old screw holes (they worked well) to get the sealant into the somewhat rotted wood.
I also used the syringe to spray (with tip just off the wood surface) sealant on the surface and worked well. I used up about 30% of the two quart kit I bought.
When I finished the wood looked dark and wet so I left it at that. However, an hour or so after that application the wood had soaked up a lot and the surface appears almost dry to the touch.

Can I make a second application safely - say tomorrow, and know that it will be worth the effort and that the second application will soak up as the first did? I don't want to premix a batch and find I am unable to use it all up.

When the CPES cures, what time frame should I be looking at eg. say 3 days?

Thx in advance, for any info you can pass my way.

John W.

John,

Repeated applications of CPES are always beneficial, although the wood will absorb much less on subsequent applications. What happens is that on the first application all the very small spaces in and around the deteriorated wood absorb the CPES. The carrier solvents evaporate away and leave the wood epoxy-encased. Second and third CPES applications fill in the larger spaces, until the wood is almost solid epoxy. We have a demonstration piece of 4 X 4" that was so rotted you could hardly handle it without it coming apart in your hands. After three CPES applications you can almost drive nails with it -- it's that hard.

In warm weather and applied outdoors with good air circulation, 24 hours is about the time when the CPES is mostly cured and you are free to paint, fill or whatever else you choose to do. The test is when you can stick your nose near the treated area and NOT smell strong solvent odors. You will smell some for awhile, but they won't be strong.

Come on back if you have further questions.

Doc