The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

24 Fundamentals of Wood/Epoxy Composite Boatbuilding
We suggest a different solution to dry rot. In order
to survive long enough to cause decay, brown rot
fungi need food and oxygen. In warm weather, the
fungi make rapid progress, but in temperatures above
90°F (32°C) and below 50°F (10°C), they are much
slower. Despite its name, dry rot will not occur in dry
wood or in wood moistened only by humid air. Neither
is it a problem when wood is so saturated with water
that air cannot penetrate to fungi in its interior.
It’s impossible to keep wood boats dry. When cured
wood is encapsulated in WEST SYSTEM epoxy, however,
its moisture level cannot reach fiber saturation point and
it therefore is no longer susceptible to fungi. Coatings
of epoxy provide additional insurance against rot
by restricting oxygen supply.
Encapsulation in WEST SYSTEM epoxy also seems
to provide wood with some protection against two
other common predators. Testing has shown that
exterior coatings of WEST SYSTEM epoxy will restrict
termite damage. Although no scientific investigations
have conclusively proven the phenomenon, shipworms
and other wood-boring mollusks seem
unwilling to pass through lines of WEST SYSTEM
epoxy. <strong>The</strong>y may typically attack the bottom of a
laminated rudder or centerboard and go no farther
than the first glue line.