Porch beam repair

[Wes]

I am an owner-builder and to my chagrin I've allowed some deferred maintenance to create this issue.

My home is what is commonly known as "Santa Fe" style and uses exposed beams as both structural and architectural features.  My front porch uses two 6" X 10" Ponderosa Pine beams intersecting at one corner in a right angle half-lap joint for support.  This joint is in turn supported by two decorative and structural corbels that in turn are supported by a 6" x 6" post.

I am in Tucson where the weather is normally very dry (only 6" of rain for all of last year) so shrinkage and cracking are normally more of an issue than rot.  Nevertheless, for reasons beyond my control I failed to renew the normal treatment (half-and-half turpintine and linseed oil) for too long and some rot has taken place in the end grain of one of the exposed beams.

I propose to treat the wood with Board Defense and then Consolidant 100 but then deciding what filler to use is my question.  Since there hasn't (yet) been any structural failure, clearly the sound wood that remains is up to the task, but I still question whether I should use what appears to be the more installation friendly Epoxy Patch 200 or Structural Repair 600.

The major void is horizontal so low viscosity materials will be more difficult to use, but I think I can form in place if necessary.  Of course, color is also an issue, since the normal finish is essentially clear. I think darker is better than lighter, considering the darkening and discoloration that has already taken place and that "aging" is part of the charm of this style.

Ideas?

[Paul Marlowe]

Wes,
It sounds like you caught the decay prior to any significant structural damage.  This makes the repair easier.  As you probably know, porches are one of the highest maintenance components of a building because of their exposure to the weather.  Keeping good dated maintenance records along with periodic inspections should help with scheduling any future necessary work prior to severe decay conditions.

The 200 patch sounds appropriate from your description of the damage.  It has a reddish brown color as seen in photos on our website.  After sanding the cured patch the gloss will disappear and the patch will have a flat look.  A Decorative Painter could probably blend the color in with the surrounding fabric if necessary.  A protective UV  coating over the epoxy patch should keep it stable. 

Feel free to post pictures or follow-up with questions if you want more input.   

[Wes]

Thanks Paul.  Sounds like a plan.