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I am replacing the cockpit sole due to a" wet core". A moisture meter was off the chart but as I began removing the skin to expose the plywood, in most areas the plywood appears sound and dry. In one area, about 7 inches in diameter, the fiberglass was really wet. Before I was able to remove the fiberglass and take a look at the core, a S. Fl. storm came in and I had to stop. Since this is my first time repairing a core, my question is this. If the core is wet, will the fiberglass be wet also or could the fiberglass be dry and intact and the core be wet and I not know this until I keep going deeper. I only want to repair the necessary areas. Any advice would be very much appreciated.
The fiberglass will not be harmed by moisture. The balsa, or plywood core, however, will rot if exposed to moisture. The problem of rot arises when water somehow breaches the fiberglass skin, and is trapped with the wood between the fiberglass skin. Wood is laminated with the fiberglass skins to make the deck more rigid than FRP alone.
Q1) is wood / core rotten if fibergalss is wet?
A1: Most likely yes. Fibergalss should not take up any humidity, if it has something has been seriously wrong for some time. As said by others, usually the core rottens when it get wet.
Q2) is it necessary to replace all?
A2:No, it is not. If you can define the area that has been destroyed then it is sufficient to fix that part. But it is very difficult to really know how far humidity has stretched in the core.
Q3) Is it necessary to swap the core if it looks dry and good?
A3: No it is not. But why not do when you have the possibility?
Extra: if you still have the option, it is much easier to work from top, ie to remove the top layer, and then the core. This is as gravitation makes it difficult to get a good GRP lamination in thck layers in one go.
A possible drawback with this is that sometimes (often) the top layer is thicker then the lower layer, which can be very thin. Before you do remove complete top layer put in some temp stiffeners under lower layer and between the walls.
If you remove all the top layer (which I would recommend) then you have to consider how to end the job. Most easy is to cover with something, wood (teak), treadmaster, TBS or something.
/J
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