Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I am planning on extending the 1/2" plywood siding down the side of the frame. this will leave the bottom edge exposed to the elements. Looking for suggestions on how to handle the bottom edge. This will be a woody, so there will be a wood skirt board along the bottom as well.

Raka 127 thin epoxy. http://store.raka.com/11/2quartepoxykit.aspx

Nothing seals wood like epoxy. It'll soak into that wood and create a plastic matrix in the surface.

Tony

Thanks tony. So, nothing complex...just saturate the bottom edge.

Really all the wood should be fully encapsulated all six sides 360° if you want best longevity, most especially and thicker on the edges.

The interior humidity is a factor as well as on the outside.

Before and after assembly, but yes overkill, diminishing returns, etc

just saturate the bottom edge.

Correcto-mundo. Give it a second coat after fifteen minutes since that cedar will suck it in. And then another one within six hours or so before it's fully cured.

T

Where wood is hidden I have used a kind of flashing tape. This product is aluminum foil outer with a 1/8" sticky butile rubber inner layer tape. I know this flashing tape isn't what you want or need but it can come in handy.
I have a very old wheel barrow. Metal spoke wheel, wood bed antique. The last time I rebuilt it I used this flashing tape over the handles where the wood tub on top covered them.

Tt

I would encapsulate the parts before assembly, at least the bits that will be inaccessible. Cedar is rot resistant only if it can dry out between soakings.

Pmullen503 wrote:I would encapsulate the parts before assembly, at least the bits that will be inaccessible. Cedar is rot resistant only if it can dry out between soakings.

Good point.

Put a step/rabbit in the maple to go under the plywood. See (crude)pic


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Be careful to seal the top edge of the last detail.

I don't like the thought of the plywood edge being exposed at the bottom. The rabbit idea is intriguing.

Im going to disagree. I think that detail will trap moisture against the ply edge. Design it to drain. Water block at bottom no matter what will just hold the moisture. Water runs downhill. Use marine ply or an exterior rated ply at least and coatings that will preserve it.

If the rabbited area is sealed/glued properly there should be zero intrusion. Leaving a plywood edge exposed is asking for trouble in my opinion. You could primer/paint, epoxy etc the edge before assembling with the rabbit but then it won’t be able to be glued. I would assemble it with a really good caulk with some good squeeze out and call it a day.


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Just wanting to clarify.

I failed to mention that if using a caulk as opposed to glue, I would use a good primer on the plywood edge first as the caulk will stick to the primer,paint. I think the epoxy edge is always better than relying on primer/paint. I’m not well versed in epoxy to know if caulk will adhere to the epoxy very well. If caulk will adhere to the epoxy then I would epoxy the plywood edge, rabbit the maple and put caulk in with squeeze out and it will very likely outlast us all.


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