After reviewing the many posts regarding the repair of wet/rotted wood on slideout floors, I've decided to do a fix that would be more permanent so I don't have to revisit it down the road. Like most have experienced, the problem usually is limited to the edges of the floor, where water has been allowed to seep in and cause delamination. Here's my plan in a nutshell:
* Remove edge trim and pick or cut out all deteriorated wood.
* Inspect bottom edge of the slide sidewall for further water damage; If affected, it too must be restored.
* Have a rigid 1/8 to 3/16th" steel plate made up that extends at least 6" beyond the damaged area, and extends 2" up the inside of the sidewall. Basically
an L shaped plate.
* Attach this plate from the inside the RV, with countersunk screws into the existing flooring as well as into the wood bottom plate of the sidewall.
* Cut and fit a piece of marine ply, with thickness matching the existing floor, into the opening. Attach this to the underside of the steel plate, again with
countersunk screws, from the inside. Use new fasteners to attach the outer edge of the new piece to the bottom of the sidewall.
* Apply several coats of fiberglass resin to the underside repair area, including the edge, using a filler where the new wood abuts up to the old.
* Reapply the edge trim with adequate caulking.
The reason I like this approach is that it should result in a much stronger support than with several "fixes" I've seen among these threads, and should be more than adequate for the fairly heavy sofa we have resting on that slide. I invite your comments. Does this look like overkill? I plan to begin on this project over the coming weeks.
* Remove edge trim and pick or cut out all deteriorated wood.
* Inspect bottom edge of the slide sidewall for further water damage; If affected, it too must be restored.
* Have a rigid 1/8 to 3/16th" steel plate made up that extends at least 6" beyond the damaged area, and extends 2" up the inside of the sidewall. Basically
an L shaped plate.
* Attach this plate from the inside the RV, with countersunk screws into the existing flooring as well as into the wood bottom plate of the sidewall.
* Cut and fit a piece of marine ply, with thickness matching the existing floor, into the opening. Attach this to the underside of the steel plate, again with
countersunk screws, from the inside. Use new fasteners to attach the outer edge of the new piece to the bottom of the sidewall.
* Apply several coats of fiberglass resin to the underside repair area, including the edge, using a filler where the new wood abuts up to the old.
* Reapply the edge trim with adequate caulking.
The reason I like this approach is that it should result in a much stronger support than with several "fixes" I've seen among these threads, and should be more than adequate for the fairly heavy sofa we have resting on that slide. I invite your comments. Does this look like overkill? I plan to begin on this project over the coming weeks.
