Wooden accent wall exposed to water

[downsouthcamper]

I am thinking about putting in a lightweight accent wall in a TD, but due to the design, this wall will be exposed to the elements during travel. I am trying to keep the wall light-weight so it won't be solid wood, but might be a tongue and groove type of deal. Here is kind of the look I'm going for except on a much smaller scale:



Say I used aluminum skin, ply backing, and a thin wood as the visual impact, how would I protect the wood from the elements knowing it will be exposed?

is epoxy my main alternative?

as always, thanks in advance.

[yrock87]

Epoxy!

[tony.latham]

Epoxy crossed my mind too.. (with a UV varnish over the top).

The problem as I see it is that––as you well know––wood moves.

You could coat the outside with epoxy, but all of those joints are going to continue to expand and contract and water will get between and behind your surfaces.

Here's a woody build worth looking at: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=62386


Tony

[swoody126]

DWX EPOXY from DUCKWORKS BOAT BUILDER SUPPLY has UV inhibitors in it

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/supplies/ep ... /index.htm

GOOD STUFF!!!

[Tomterrific]

This is a bit much but I think will work. Use vacuum, then pressure to force polyurethane into the wood.

Cut wood. Use PVC pipe of sufficient diameter and thickness to put some cut wood into. Cap bottom and glue a screw on cap on the opposite end. Put a nipple on the screw on cap. Fill the tube with wood and thinned polyurethane to cover. Use a vacuum pump to pull air from wood. Reverse to pressure to force polyurethane deep into the wood. Stack to cure and keep going until all the little wool parts are saturated. Use a waterproof urethane construction adhesive slathered on the side of camper to glue the small boards.

The resin impregnated boards are water resistant and the adhesive acts as caulk to keep water from getting behind. Please note that I am fascinated by the resin impregnated wood process but have never tried it.

T

[jstrubberg]

http://www.uscomposites.com/kk121.html

[troubleScottie]

I am wondering what this material actually looks like. Is this basically a butt joint or a tongue and groove or some complex joint between adjacent rows and/or ends?

It seems that issue is does one have to cover/seal the ends and edge joints first, then assemble, then place another coat on top. Or is the top coat sufficient to seal all the joints. Obviously boats are build this way and water does not penetrate.

Impregnating the material is basically doing that ( and all the other surfaces as well ). The other issue is will the adhesive hold the boards to the side. Belt and suspender construction would have other fasteners eg staples, so it might not matter.

The clear coat is a thick layer of epoxy on top of the surface designed to cure in spite of the volume of epoxy. The joints are not technically filled/sealed, but there is no path for water to enter the joints. In addition, there is the issue of having the surface flat while applying.

One or more epoxy coats with or without glass is doing something similar to the clear coat -- giving you layers albeit not as thick as the clear coat. Hopefully no path to the joints. Adding glass might improve the strength of the wall.

Using other coatings eg paints, varnishes, urethane, all would do the same as epoxy, sealing the outside. Again, boats have been built this way. The only issue might be that these coatings are not as hard/durable/flexible as an epoxy coating.

Is this a reasonable assessment of the alternatives? Do I have something wrong eg one method does not allow the wood to breath or is too brittle? If this material is not whole wood, but laminates or composite or engineered matrial, would any of this change?



What about the ends of each row where it meets the roof/outer shell. depending on the shape of the wood, what does one have to do there to ensure that water does not get in?

[doug hodder]

If using epoxy, every piece of material would have to be coated out prior to installation, edges, back front etc...Because of the gaps, doubtful it would be water tight, it would rot from the back and any fasteners would also allow water intrusion. Boats using epoxy are also sealed on the interior, just for that very reason. Unless your joints were perfect, there's no real reason for glass over it. 1. if it's not perfect, it will be a bear to make it look decent, 2. you don't really need any strength from the cloth anyway. 1 layer of cloth won't provide much strength, more likely some abrasion resistance.

I'd say if you want that look, plane all the pieces the same thickness, rip them all the same width on a table saw, cut all the ends and then laminate it all up onto a thinner piece of ply...then do your finish work on it. You can apply epoxy on vertical surfaces using a roller and back dragging it with a section of a roller. It'll take a load of coats to get it nice and flat. Doug

[TimC]

Your design will be beautiful! Go for it. I love woodies!

A couple suggestions... Wood will age and you should accept that it is not going to look new forever. Make a cordura cover for rainy weather travel to extend its beauty (not to prevent it from changing). The cover will block a lot of the rain, not all of it. Make sure you let it air out after a rain. Do not keep it covered with cordura after a rain.
If at all possible, when you seal it do it when it is horizontal on the sawhorses. Seal it many times. Let the sealer (I used Minwax Spar Varnish) dry completely between coats. It will take days after pooling in the nooks and crannies.

Here's my woodie before it ever saw a rain drop...


And here it is after half a summer of use and sitting mostly in my yard uncovered. Today, after a season of sun and rain exposure it still looks very good. I suspect if I keep taking good care of it I should get a half dozen years out of the current finish before I will sand it down and refinish.


I don't have a photo of my homemade cover. It is not exactly professional looking, but, it keeps the driving rain off the walls and roof.

[tony.latham]

Your design will be beautiful! Go for it. I love woodies!

Nothing like getting advice (or talk) from someone that walks the walk.

Tony