research the materials, Please

The SS Scrodge was a 50' X 14' X 4' scow barge. Made of ACQ treated lumber & ACQ plywood. I fell heir to her after the "builder" became imbroiled in a divorce & left the area. I took over the lease on the building site & got the barge in the deal.
Since then I have been trying to research the feaseability of completing the project. I realizwd I would have to refasten the whole hull with ACQ suitable screws. The previous builder had used regular deck screws. While an inconveince, I was more concerned with a suitable coating for the hull.

Just had an interesting chat with a tech support fellow. He is tech support for a large company that sells many coatings & adhesives.
http://www.epoxysystems.com/
They will not recomend ANY product for ACQ treated lumber. This we knew from earlier posts, (nothing new). What is new (to me anyway) is the fact that SOME marine plywoods are also not recomended as underlayments for coatings. Urethanes, polys or epoxys. The culprits are insecticides & fungacides that are often added to some marine plywoods.
Regular AC grade exterior grade plys are OK. That being said, I quizzed him on prices for suitable coatings for underwater use. All were very expensive! Most requred an expensive primer, which all but doubled the cost per sq. ft. $80 to $120 per 3 gallon units were average costs (less shipping). Average coverage was 80 sq. ft., with 2 coats recomended. Pricey!
As a result of this, I am sad to say but the SS Scrodge is dead. I will strart cutting her up into small chunks next week. Nearly $2,000 in materials ,( many weeks of labor) wasted. We even have to be careful of the bonfire because of the fumes.
After pricing steel, aluminium, wood (and its coatings), rotocast plastic pontoons, I think it is better (for me anyway) to buy something used.

 

Why just burn it?
put a free ad in the paper or on the net.
Someone will surely make a use of it.
I guess you probably need the space, but it shouldn't take too long to pass it on.
Sorry, I just hate to see stuff go to waste.

Hans.

 

Right you are Hans. Everything has a value to someone. Thanks.
We are deciding if it is worth the additional $700 + to add yet another layer of untreated plywood over the hull & thereby salvage the project.
It would take 2,500 Stainless steel screws & 40 more sheets of ply.
?????

 

I dont know Ted. Honestly, Mr. Tech support sounded more like a salesman. Personaly, I've never heard of marine grade ply not being suitable for coatings, but ok. I'm sure it will be fine. If it was me; glass it and sell it.
Try to recoup some cash.

 

For an overlayment the SS screws sound like overkill to me, mabey every so often to go into framing, but thats one hell of alot of surface area. I would be looking for something I could shoot through a nail/staple gun at a huge savings over SS screws, not to mention time. Or as figgy said glass it. I would'nt do this if it was a structural application on a yacht, but sheathing on a barge? Glass away! (Unless its right side up, glassing upside down sucks real bad. There are ways to make it easier they probably not worth the expense.)

Joe