for Cold Climate Housing and much more

Last Updated: , Created: Thursday, September 14th, 2000

Rotting Wood on a Window

Update 2025 to the product availability listed below.

US Coatings is marketing a product very similar to BCS under the brand name Abatron, which for Canada is much easier to source than my old stand-by BCS.  It is encouraging as a quality endorsement that LeeValley Tools is selling this brand, which tells me I can count on it as I have always counted on BCS.

LeeValley sells the basic Abatron “Kit” as well as the 2-part sealer and filler separately.  You can also find it on Amazon.ca (search “Abatron wood restoration kit”) with more selection than LeeValley, but the same price. I would choose to support the Canadian company LeeValey rather than Amazon if the standard kit works for you.  In addition, some of the extended Abatron product listings on Amazon are not fully supported by Amazon, indicating some customer problems, probably delivery.

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Wooden window sashes tend to rot. There are special hardening and filler materials that can do a good job of restoring this wood without having to replace it -- also good for the bottom of door frames.

A wood hardener is the starting point, to solidify existing soft wood and prepare the area for a filler. Minwax makes a one part wood hardener. BCS makes a two part epoxy wood hardener. Both are very liquid, not putties. The BCS product is the only one I know that will penetrate moist wood, up to 18" deep for log cabins.  Rather that being repelled by the water, it mixes with it and penetrates completely.  Minwax now claims good penetration as well.

Once the mould is killed and the soft wood is solidified, any missing wood can be replaced with epoxy fillers. Minwax makes an epoxy filler called Wood Filler (not to be confused with a true pore filler) which is very similar to an autobody filler but a pine colour. BCS makes an epoxy filler that stronger than the wood it replaces, specifically designed to adhere to their epoxy penetrating sealer. Neither are inexpensive. Follow this link for more details on the BCS product.

Minwax products are available in most renovation centres -- although you may have to special order the hardener.  Smith & Co. make and distribute the BCS product with local distributors scattered around the world.

A unique use for these is to repair rotten joists under toilets.  The Minwax hardener will kill all the fungus and stop all changes in the wood allowing for sistering other joists to the side of the rotten ones.  The BCS product properly applied can even restore the origional joist to its previsous strength.

Follow this link for details and working techniques when working with these penetrating epoxies. 


Keywords: Mould, Mold, Epoxy, Wood Restoration, Wood Rot, Rot, Wood

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