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Can Flex-Tec HV be sanded? |
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Flex-Tec HV sands like a hardwood, the density of an oak or maple.
It can also be chiseled, drilled, carved, or planed, just like wood.
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Can Flex-Tec HV be stained? |
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Since epoxy is not a porous
material, it will not take stain like wood. You can, however, color
the epoxy during the mixing process to give full depth of color to the
material. Just add dry pigment or a universal tinting compound to the
material while mixing. These materials can be found at any paint store.
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Can Flex-Tec HV be painted/ varnished? |
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Yes, you must sand the surface
first. After sanding an oil or latex paint/varnish system can be used.
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Why do you advocate removing all the
decayed wood to sound, bright wood? |
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Impregnating dirty, wet, contaminated
wood fiber with a low viscosity "consolidant" will not provide
a high quality bond to sound wood fibers. As the wood expands and contracts
a poor bond will fail. This failure leads to further moisture penetration
and wood decay.
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How do your materials compare to X,
Y, and Z repair materials? |
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In two distinct
ways: (1) As noted above, ART is not a consolidation method of repair.
Most other repair materials do not properly address the bonding failures
found by poor adhesion to a poorly prepared subsurface. (2) ART's products
are specially engineered to work with the wood. High bonding strength
(adhesion) together with a high degree of flexural strength (cohesion)
allow for expansion and contraction of the wood with out
adhesion
or cohesion failure.
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Is your system structural? |
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In compression load, yes. (ie:
column bases, bottom of wood posts, etc.) In shear load (ie: floor joist,
roof rafter, etc.), we recommend the use of fiberglass rod or rebar
for strength. Consult an engineer for specific product applications.
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How much epoxy do I need for my repair
project? |
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It depends on the
size of the repair. Flex-Tec HV is sold in a 450 ml (16 oz.) dual-tube dispensing
system. This amount is equal to the size of a grapefruit in volume.
Prime-A-Trate cell-bonding primer is sold in a 350 ml (12 oz.) container.
Roughly, you will go through 4 or 5 sets of Flex-Tec HV to every set of
Prime-A-Trate.
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How large of a repair can be done? |
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Any size. Flex-Tec HV will not
slump or sag in any volume. Flex-Tec HV will not shrink.
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Can Flex-Tec HV be left unpainted? |
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Flex-Tec HV is engineered to
withstand ultra-violet light degradation. All materials, however,
deteriorate to some degree when left exposed to the elements. In instances
where Flex-Tec HV is bonded to wood, we strongly recommend painting the entire
surface to protect the wood and surrounding repair against Ultra Violet
light and moisture degradation.
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What is the curing time? |
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Prime-A-Trate has an open time of 2
to 3 hours. Flex-Tec HV has an open time of 30 to 45 minutes. Flex-Tec HV
is designed to cure in 16 hours (overnight).
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What is the shelf life?
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Prime-A-Trate and Flex-Tec HV both
have the same shelf life. Once opened, we recommend using the product
within 1 year. Unopened, both products have a 2 year shelf life.
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What about safety? |
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Prime-A-Trate and Flex-Tec HV contain
no VOC's. Like all epoxy compounds, care needs to be taken to protect
exposure to skin and inhalation. Work in a well ventilated area, wear
protective gear such as gloves and eye wear. Use a respirator if working
in an unventilated area. See our
MSDS for detailed
safety issues. |
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What is the difference between the
light-duty and heavy-duty dispensing guns? |
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Both are good quality professional grade
tools. The only major difference is the heavy-duty gun (ART 300X) will
enable the user to attach mixing nozzles to the tubes of Flex-Tec HV. The
mixing nozzles require a higher pressure to push and mix the material as
it is dispensed. The light-duty gun (300LV) is only designed for
dispensing and manual mixing. |
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Where has ART’s Repair System been used? |
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The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Hearst
Castle State Park, The Old Iowa State Capitol Building, Denver Parks, The
Adirondack Museum, Lyndhurst (Tarrytown, NY).
ART’s Repair System is specified by The National Park Service, Restoration
Architects, Residential and Commercial Painting Contractors, Remodeling
and Restoration Contractors. ART’s Repair System has also been featured by
This Old House |
See helpful article that uses the ART
Repair System on
the
This Old
House website: |
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How to Fight Rot |
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http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,17071,680938,00.html |
