# Ch 17 deck base coat

**URL:** <https://forum.clcboats.com/t/ch-17-deck-base-coat/46023>\
**Category:** Builder's Forum\
**Created:** [March 1, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/ch-17-deck-base-coat/46023 "2018-03-01T14:14:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_Greenwald](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Bruce\_Greenwald](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Bruce_Greenwald)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/ch-17-deck-base-coat/46023/1 "2018-03-01T14:14:50Z")

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i am ready to glass the deck of my Ch 17 and I am confused about the advisability of putting down a base coat of epoxy before laying the fiberglass. From what I can tell there is no consensus on this - are there any disadvantages? &nbsp;If I go ahead with a base coat how quickly can I lay the fiberglass? &nbsp;If done the same day no sanding required as would be the case after the first if I were to lay the fiberglass on the bare wood? &nbsp;Thanks. Bruce

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**Author:** ![Howard\_Spira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@Howard\_Spira](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Howard_Spira)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/ch-17-deck-base-coat/46023/2 "2018-03-04T02:15:43Z")

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the 'base' coat as you describe it is also often called a skim coat.&nbsp; if you do it in the morning, you can do your glass coat later in the day.

the idea of the skim coat is simply to put a very light coat (often spread with a squeegee) to just block the pores of the wood...so when you do the later glass coat, it prevents the wood from soaking up all the epoxy and potentially leaving a dryed out area of glass.&nbsp; this usually results in a lighter overall build and protects against outgassing (when during rising temperatures, the wood gives off air that gets trapped as little air bubbles int the glass/epoxy.

i usually do it becuase i like to keep my builds light....and avoid the having to babysit the next coat....looking for places that i thought were wetout but where the wood aborbed the epoxy...not leaving enough in the glass.&nbsp; i also like to not have to worry about out-gassing.

it does add an extra step....and you can certainly get away with not doing it with no major problems....so its really a matter of preference and how you want to control factors like weight and out-gassing (e.g., only epoxy during declining temperatures)

h&nbsp; &nbsp;