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How much of the old paint will I have to remove?

Perhaps 95%. CPES™ will not soak through old paint, but if the remaining paint on the wood is in spots smaller than 1/4" to 1/8", CPES™ will soak around and under the old paint. It may, however cause the edges of the old paint to curl up. You may have to sand the wood and apply CPES™ again.

How much rot do I have to remove before applying the sealer?

Whatever can be scrapped away with the bare fingers tips should definitely be removed. Light brushing with a wire brush easily removes badly deteriorated wood. Special attention should be given when removing rot from plywood.

Do I have to use the sealer first before I use the filler?

Yes. After applying the sealer, wait until the wood no longer smells strongly of solvents before applying the filler. This will take at least a day and may take up to a week, depending on the extent of deterioration and how deeply the CPES™ soaked in. Do not apply filler on top of freshly impregnated wood.

How soon can I paint the filler? Do I have to prime it?

The filler cures overnight and should be sanded before painting. CPES™ is an excellent adhesion-promoting primer for paint when the topcoat needs a primer, although most primers can be used.

Can I use it indoors?


Yes, but you must provide adequate ventilation, such as an exhaust fan in the window. It is also a good idea to wear a mask with an organic vapour filter cartridge when working with chemicals or solvents.

Does it meet the Air Quality Management District regulations?

Yes.

Will it pass inspection?


The inspector usually stabs the wood with a screwdriver to see how easily it penetrates. After proper restoration the repairs will feel the same as new wood.

Why Smith & Co.?


Most less expensive epoxy based products do not contain water dissolving elements, therefore they cannot penetrate the wood effectively. 

Also, some are diluted with low-cost ingredients and so are less effective. They are not designed to restore deteriorated wood to something that has the toughness and flexibility of wood. Restoring wood does not mean putting a rock into a piece of wood.

Process of wet and dry rot and why impregnation is so important?

Wood contains hollow tubes made of cellulose walls. Fungi and bacteria love cellulose; it is like sugar to them! As the fungi and bacteria eat the cellulose walls, the wood loses its substance. Surface coatings will not solve the problem because the problem is not limited to just the surface of the wood; basically the wood has an infection. The CPES™ is absorbed into the rotted areas and stops the infection. In other words, wherever fungi and bacteria can move, CPES™ will follow. The spores, which are the eggs of the fungi, will have been carried further into areas of good wood by fungi. When they hatch, they will continue the deterioration process. That is why impregnation is so important. CPES™ will absorb through capillary action until all infected areas are totally impregnated, encapsulating the spores and halting the potential spread. Dry rot is generally fungus; wet rot is generally bacteria. After CPES™ has impregnated the wood, the residual solvents evaporate leaving a certain amount of porosity in the wood. This allows the wood to breath-somewhat like the original just not as much. The woods normal rate of expansion and contraction has now been stabilized.

How long is the shelf life?


Two years, provided that the containers are closed properly, and the kits have not been mixed.

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