Filling screw holes - will epoxy putty work OK?

[captain58sailin]

See posts# 11 & 14, he is giving you a good process which will protect your deck core and insure good seating for your screws when you put them in and eliminate the possiblity of water ingress to your deck core. Cored decks are touchy and once water gets a foot hold, you will pay the devil to get it out. Better to use this method to insure a water tight seal, I would also put some epoxy on the screws and in the holes when I started the rebed, of your deck hardware, make sure you don't have a water problem first before starting the rebed.

[PamlicoTraveler]

And still wonder about the epoxy putty. If I fill the hole with that can the screw go into the dried putty? The issue re epoxy is that I am in Italy....there's no West Marine around the corner

[Blue Crab]

Italy changes everything!

Seriously, how long are the boxes going to be off? A week? Cram in something flexible (like the butyl) build up a little mound, and rigging tape over. And a tarp over that if need be. You could be overthinking this.

My actual first, middle, and last name: Quick And Dirty. And obviously I am a Jr. Goes without saying.

[KDH]

When you removed the screws was there wet, crumb like wood in the screw holes and threads? If not and it is dry, until you are ready to put the dorade boxes back in just put the screws back in with whatever removable sealant you have. Epoxy putty is not really a sealant. If you have nothing else, put the screws in and a tarp over the top. If you mean to hollow out the core by use of an L shaped bit and then fill with the putty it will probably work as it is supposed to be drillable but you will not be able to gel coat over the repair. We used epoxy putty to fill a hole in the deck that goes all the way through to the cabin and no, we didn't hollow it out first, and it is still there 7,000 NM later and dry as a bone but I wouldn't screw anything structural into it. If you need a source for butyl rubber you could look for plain old grey plumbers putty, same stuff I think as the tape. We have a tub from the mid 1980s that is still useable. If you do use the epoxy putty you may not be able to get the screws out again easily.

[PamlicoTraveler]

Thanks for the info....KDH, sounds like the epoxy putty woks as a filler but maybe not for something to be screwed into - sounds like I should not hollow it out and refill, just use the same holes and threads.

[TeddyDiver]

Actually epoxy works great. You just have to predrill the holes again when putting everything together again, and put some more into the holes again. No silicone, butyl or any other sealant or bedding compound seals as well as epoxy, they are made for sealing btw intact surfaces... End of story
BR Teddy