Stress Cracks - Maybe

[nautiguy]

Sans Souci was built with teak decks that, sometime in the 60s, were covered with plywood and dynel/epoxy. Over the years that we have owned her small stress or expansion cracks have developed which I am going to grind and fill. So, my questions have less to do with the repairs than with the cause and the future.

Three years ago, after buying the boat, I tried a fix that consisted of forcing some epoxy into the cracks and then painting the deck with a non skid paint. Those cracks have reappeared. This time I will grind the cracks with my Dremel so the cracks will be wide enough to fill with an epoxy filler. After grinding, the cracks will still be much to narrow to lay down fabric.

Some of the cracks are around through deck fill pipes and where the dynel fabric is lapped, and I can't figure out why the crack are beginning to appear after at least 30 years of service.

I wonder if painting the deck with Interlux over whatever was there has anything to do with the cracking, although I can't imagine why. Some of the cracks already existed which is why I started this project in the first place.

Norm

[oakman]

It all fails in the end. I'd say 30 years is a good run. The ole dremmel, boy I don't miss that routine. Did a 30' Alden sloop, it's constant maintenance now as they will not stop.

The cracking has to do with the wood moving underneath the epoxy, which does not move as much as the wood. If it gets too bad you may have to go to some of the rubber coatings to get a few more years before new deck.

Good luck, wear a mask.

Oakman

[WFK]

It's very possible they're not stress cracks at all but rather from moisture traveling through from the back side. Epoxy coatings will only work if what you're covering is completely encapsulated, meaning all sides coated.....