"For the experienced painter, the learning curve for working with epoxy consolidants and fillers isn't great; there's no big mystery about them," explained Robert Dufort of Magic Brush Inc., who has made a career out of working with these products. "Learning to spot and identify these problems takes the most effort, and this type of work is really for someone who wants to take care of a building's problems, not just paint over them."

Epoxy consolidants and fillers are not the easiest products to work with, but their ability to serve as a permanent solution to wood rot and decay makes them invaluable, added Dufort. The San Francisco-based painting contractor focuses on high-end residential work and specializes in what he refers to as painting restoration.

According to Sterling Adam of Pennsylvania-based Atlas Minerals and Chemicals, Dufort is one of a small number of painting contractors who reap the benefits of epoxy products.

"Most painting contractors don't want to take the time to mix epoxy products, but polyesters just don't have the strength to do the job well," said Adam. "Other bonding agents might be quicker to use, but they don't last like epoxies." The bulk of the buyers of his epoxy products are individual property owners. Because they have more of a stake in the end result, they are willing to take the time to use consolidants and fillers like Atlas's Cure-Rot, a liquid epoxy, and Epoxy Bond, a filler.

Stronger than wood: Like Dufort, Ron Saylor of Saylor Painting Co. in Eugene, OR, is one of the small number of painting contractors who sing epoxies' praises.

"Epoxy reconstruction of wood is a great technique with an array of different materials to choose from," Saylor said. "In most cases, epoxy restoration is the most cost-effective and technically sound method. If done correctly, the end result is often stronger than the original wood itself."

A painter for 30 years, Saylor has a great deal of experience with using epoxy patches. His firm dabbles in both residential and commercial work with an emphasis on residential repainting.

When faced with a repair-or-replace situation, a good painting contractor needs to accurately diagnose the source of the problem, said Saylor.

"Epoxy repair isn't a substitute for fundamental structural flaws," he said. "If a structure holds water, rot will persist following the process of repairing it with epoxy products. The structure problem needs to be corrected before restoring wood can be effective."

If the structure's sound, the next step in diagnosing the problem is to train your eye on wood decay targets such as ledges, windowsills, porch columns, and wooden gutters.

"Check around rusted nails, because they're usually surrounded by punky wood," said Dufort. "Use a scraper or the edge of a putty knife to gently dig around the surrounding wood. If the nail comes out easily, you've got some kind of a problem."

When tackling a wood repair job, Dufort and Saylor agree that the choice in fillers is an epoxy-based system. While most painting contractors are very comfortable using products such as spackling compounds or auto body fillers, they may wish to put them aside when it comes to repairing wood.

"We feel 100 percent removal to sound wood is the only long-term surface prep that should be used," said Stahl. "Leaving the decay and 'consolidating' sounds great; a quick and easy solution. However, proper bonding is greatly compromised by leaving the decay. Imagine if a paint manufacturer said it was OK to apply a low-viscositypaint primer on a peeling, wet, dirty painted substrate."

Ron Saylor has tried a variety of epoxy repair products over the years and has found Advanced Repair Technology's Flex-Tec HV to be among the best.

For Dufort, the choice in products is using Smith & Co.'s Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES) as a consolidant, and Abatron's WoodEpox as a filler. The two meet his needs in terms of quality, and he finds they work well together.

The hole truth: No matter what product is selected, using it correctly and on a well-prepped surface holds the key to success.

The first step is reading the manufacturer's directions before jumping into the job, said Steve Smith of Smith and Co. in Richmond, CA. Smith has developed his own line of products and is all too familiar with problems that can occur when directions aren't followed. His advice is to call the manufacturer if you don't understand the instructions or have questions about using the product. It's a simple way to save time and product over the long run.

Next, remove all paint from the area you'll be treating. Adhering epoxy to paint will compromise the bond. At the least, remove very badly decayed wood, old patching materials, and any other materials that will hinder bonding. Drill holes around the affected area to facilitate the work of a consolidant.

"You almost can't drill too many holes for the consolidant," explained Dufort, adding to place them one inch apart at the most around the decay. "The object is to totally saturate the good wood surrounding the patch, as well as the deteriorated area itself."

Dufort recommends multiple applications of a liquid consolidant - two to four times - to ensure success. His crews use a bottle with a nozzle to squirt consolidant repeatedly into the hole, followed by brushing it on the surface to fully strengthen and harden the punky wood.

When filling voids, Saylor and Dufort recommend coating the area with the epoxy filler, and depending on the size of the hole, filling it with wood chips or other material to conserve product, before adding more epoxy filler. Completely filling the hole with epoxy filler is wasting what can be very expensive material with no added benefit.

According to Dave Osgood of Abatron, one contractor reported great success coating rags with LiquidWood to fill holes, therefore conserving product while effectively repairing the wood.

After the filler has cured, the area can be sanded, smoothed, and finished like any other bare wood surface.

One solution for the contractor who's looking for a quick and easy method of wood repair is OSI Sealants' new FI:X Wood Stik. Wood Stik requires no measuring and mixing, and takes less than an hour to harden in temperatures above 50 F. It's designed for filling knotholes, voids in wood caused by cutting or measuring error, and holes and dents, as well as restoring torn-out tapping screw holes.

"Epoxies can be difficult to work with and people are sometimes afraid to use them," explained Tom Rapps, director of marketing for OSI. "Wood Stik is easy to mold and is stronger than other compounds contractors are familiar with using."

Stahl offered the following general advice for working with epoxies.

"At first, epoxy work is not as intuitive as say, applying an alkyd or acrylic paint," Stahl said. "Epoxy is a temperature cure material. The thicker the epoxy material, the faster it will cure. Spread in a thin layer, and it will take longer to set."

Stahl also advises contractors not to use it like a spackling compound. It can't be applied heavy and sanded back later. It should be positioned exactly where needed. After it has cured, it needs just a light sand.

Dufort's technique for mixing compound is to take equal-sized balls of Parts A and B and knead them together through a cotton rag. He finds the rag works better than kneading it with work gloves. He also dips his putty knife or spreader in lacquer thinner to help avoid the stickiness of the product.

Out of the box: In addition to using epoxy-based products for thorough wood restoration, Dufort sometimes uses Smith & Co.'s CPES as a primer for older, weathered wood to prevent paint failure. He also uses the product when varnishing older surfaces. He stains first, applies CPES, and then varnishes, creating a more uniform seal.

"Varnish neither wets nor adheres well to wood with too much moisture in it, since neither the varnish resins nor the solvents can dissolve water," explained Smith, adding that it is not unusual for varnish to peel off wood in six to 18 months. "Varnish that has not wetted the wood is not adhering to the wood, which is why it fails sooner.

Painting contractors should be prepared for sticker shock when purchasing an epoxy product for the first time. However, manufacturers advise contractors to understand that repairing wood can be much cheaper and more effective than replacing wood. Since wood rarely decays from the inside out, there is usually enough wood worth saving.

"Consider the cost of stopping an exterior paint project to call in a carpenter to fix a problem," said Stahl. "The downtime can kill your profits. Also consider how grateful a property owner will be that you have the skill to repair damaged wood quickly and effectively. That will translate into added profits."

Saylor has little trouble convincing his customers to put their money behind wood restoration, because he can solidly argue that it's a cheaper and better solution to rot and decay. He says his customers compare filling wood with replacing wood; they don't compare the different methods and costs of filling.

Stahl said to know what you're dealing with and charge accordingly.

"Don't charge the same as simple paint prep work," said Stahl of a wood restoration project. "Epoxy work is a specialty service and should be billed differently than 'scrape and paint.' If possible, separate the epoxy work and charge time and material."

Dufort never offers a fixed bid for wood restoration; he discusses a budget with the property owner but bills for actual time and materials. He adds that working with epoxy usually takes longer than anticipated because more damage can be uncovered as a job progresses.

Dufort finds that property owners in his area (even those who rent their buildings) are taking better care of their investments and are opting to take better care of damaged wood. Despite the "messiness" of working with epoxies and the added time it takes to complete a wood repair project, Dufort finds wood restoration enjoyable and quite profitable.