Sealing houseboat Deck Railing
Houseboat repair, repairs, maintenance, sales and information
Houseboats for sale, Houseboat for sale
You might not think of it but over time people leaning against your deck railing will loosen it. This can and will cause water damage over time. It works the retaining screws loose and water finds its way into the exposed wood. Part of the problem is during assembly crews usually use silicone and it doesn't really ever harden. The fix is pretty straight forward. Start on one end of the boat and remove one screw at a time. Use 3M 5200 marine sealer squeeze some in the open hole that was exposed. This product actually sets up hard and has excellent sealing properties. Re-install the screw tight but not so tight to strip it out. Move onto the next one in the same manner until you have finished. If you get tired or get stopped for any reason simply mark you last finished screw so you know where to start back. Don't forget the fly bridge. This one may be a bit more difficult. It may require you going in under it to apply sealant because the fiberglass is usually raised a bit off the roof so water can drain out from under it. Re-install the screw and tighten as done before. If your boat has arches it most likely has inside panels that are removable. Generally these are attached with ΒΌ inch hex screws. Remove the screws for access to the arch base. Remove its attaching screws and squeeze sealer in these holes as well one at a time. Re-install cover panels. The same holds true for canopy braces. Don't forget that slide base it gets a lot of movement with the kids playing on it. Uncle Ricky says it's as simple as that!!