Wood rot...

[Anonymous]

I bought a used canopy a while back. It looks fine on the outside but the inside has some water damage to it. The hinge has pulled out of the wood leaving a huge gaping hole. Is there anything I can put on it to help or prevent it from spreading? Like some sort of sealant or something? I'll putting my lights in it soon.

Glenn

 

[DaktariEd]

Good advice from tyoberg. I would talk to the folks at the hardware store to see what they would recommend. Without seeing it myself I feel reluctant to give you advice.

However, once the wood has been treated you may want to seal the entire canopy with a good polyurethane varnish.

Hope that helps,

Ed

 

[McReef1]

Could you send some digital photos?

The rotting will not spread as long as it stays dry. Otherwise, good advice above. Once you cut out/sand out all the rotted wood, you could square it off and cut a new piece to glue in. You would need a saw or two depending on the design, but it could be good as new again!

There is a spray product at Home Depot that is a "Marine Varnish" (I think it is Minwax?) in the wood stain aisle. This is a great product to spray on as a last coat (use at least two coats and let them dry overnight before applying additional coats).

Good luck,

McReef

 

[Anonymous]

You should probably remove any rotted or detereorated wood, sand and seal the inside if you want it to last. tell the guys at the hardware store what you've got and they should be able to help out. Now's a good time before you do the lights!

stay away from brass if you replace screws or hinges--it's not safe stuff around a reef tank. stainless steel!

ty

[ August 07, 2001: Message edited by: tyoberg ]