This content material was initially revealed on OldHouseOnline.com and has been republished right here as a part of a merger between our two companies. All copy is introduced right here because it initially appeared there.
We take a behind-the-scenes take a look at Abatron.
Lengthy story brief, he invented WoodEpox and LiquidWood, nonetheless the signature objects for Abatron, an organization that focuses on the event and manufacture of epoxies and compounds that may work miracles in wooden, concrete, and steel.
Anybody whoâs struggled to patch a rotten windowsill most likely has heard of WoodEpox and its comrade in arms, LiquidWood. Each are epoxy programs. âEpoxy is a household of plastic chemical substances,â Caporaso says. âThere are two components, resin and hardener. You set them collectively and it creates a chemical response.â
The ensuing medium, whether or not liquid or a pliable strong, is used to fill voids in wooden. Because the title implies, LiquidWood is a viscous liquid that may drip into small voids within the substructure. WoodEpox is a extra plastic medium (suppose Play-Doh) for filling bigger voids. So long as itâs correctly blended, WoodEpox is very user-friendly. âFor those who make a mistake with it, you simply sand it off and apply some extra,â explains Marsha Caporaso, who’s president of Abatron.
One of many attributes of WoodEpox and LiquidWood is that they donât launch risky natural compounds, or VOCs. âThey donât harden by evaporation, in order that they have just about no VOCs,â Caporaso says. Thatâs one purpose gross sales of those GreenGuard-certified merchandise have been so profitable, particularly in California, which has stringent rules on dangerous chemical substances in constructing merchandise.
All of Abatronâs epoxy and adhesive formulations are carefully guarded secrets and techniques, so I wasnât invited contained in the manufacturing facility in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Relaxation assured, nevertheless, that thereâs an Abatron epoxy counterpart for absolutely anything (and any materials) that breaks or deteriorates, together with primers, fillers, adhesives, and even colorants for each step of the restore. Of particular curiosity are metal-filled epoxies that may restore or rebuild something from the kitchen sink to an offshore oil rig, and concrete formulations that embrace Aboweld, helpful for fill voids in concrete. âIt resists sagging on a vertical floor, even with out reinforcement,â says Caporaso. Learn how Abatron merchandise helped restore a porch roof.