Wet foam, can it be driedy

[john cole]

just a question out of curiosity, if the foam in you boat got saturated or absorbed moisture for one reason or another, is there any way to dry it out. also what would be a good way to check to see if the foam has gotten wet? on my boat about the only way to get to it is to drill a hole in the fiberglass bulkhead its encased in.

 

[Bob_VT]

No wet foam is basically ruined and needs to be replaced.

Visit a place like home depot and buy some 3/8" wooden dowels...... some marine epoxy stick (the kind you cut off a chunk and knead it in your hands).....get a 3/8" drill and drill a hole or two through the deck. Insert a dry wooden dowel and push it all the way into the foam and leave the dowel in place for 24 hours. Remove the dowl and if your foam is wet the dowel will show it by being wet. If you are satisfied then use the epoxy stick to re-seal up the holes.

 

[Watermann]

From what I've seen there is no way to dry out closed cell foam. To test it for saturation, most guys will take a core sample using a piece of PVC pipe fabricated into a hole saw, notched with teeth and a hole through the other end with a piece of dowel to turn it into the foam.

 

[GA_Boater]

Both the methods above are a good. I pulled wet foam out and after a month it was still wet. And this was sitting on the floor of a hot garage and not closed under a deck.