S.O.S.

Spray Foam Magazine – Fall 2020 – A 100-year-old boat house on Green Lake, WI was in dire need of repair or replacement. The owners of the property decided to save the aged structure and contacted a local business, Oak Ridge Foam & Coating Systems (ORFC), for an experienced applicator who would be able to make their boat house look as original as possible. Alan Kent from AR Foam & Coatings (AR) from Warren, IL had completed similar jobs in the past, so they were the best company to undergo this project using a coating process to last for years.

The boat house structure was made from field stone, concrete, and wood. Through the application process, closed-cell foam was sprayed and shaved down to maintain the natural look of the existing foam exterior. 

The structure was made from fieldstone, concrete, and wood. AR had to remove the old boards and clean the structure with a high-pressure power washer before the foam and coat process could begin. Once the substrates were cleaned and the old boards replaced, AR primed the full structure with OR-E41, an epoxy-water based primer from ORFC.

The complete boat house was spray foamed with a 2lb closed-cell polyurethane foam. AR then shaved the foam to create the natural look of the existing field stone and 80 mils of ORACR 42 (an acrylic coating) was sprayed on the interior of the boat house to protect the foam and structure from moisture.

The exterior of the boat house was protected with a pure Polyurea Protective Coating that ORFC manufactures, OR90WPM, a waterproofing membrane. The walls were sprayed at 70 mils, the deck of the boat house was sprayed at 100 mils and has a 10-year warranty.

To finish the boat house with its new look, a handmade steel railing was designed and made by Kries Welding & Repair located in Eldorado, WI. The duration of the project was projected for one week, but due to the rainy weather the job took three weeks to complete. The owners were very pleased with the outcome of saving their aged boat house.