Does this foam look shot?

Pulled middle seat out, wood is wet underneath and feels heavier than I think it should be

I would say yes but if you squeeze the phone does water come out. That doesn't look like close cell foam. At low most looks like some kind of Styrofoam.


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"wood is wet underneath and feels heavier than I think it should be"

what feels heavier ?? the wood or the foam ??

That type of foam is about 2 pounds per cubic foot by volume.
so, if that piece is 1x1x4' it should weigh anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds.
if it is over 10 pounds, I would say replace it with closed cell builders foam.
remove the foam block to do the research.

that type of foam is used to support floating docks and lasts forever.
it is very doubtful that your foam is degraded or waterlogged if it is EPS foam.

Edit: It may also be the wood plank for the seat that is so heavy.
solid heart pine is very heavy for its size.
redwood and cedar of the same size could be half the weight.
just something to explore.



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Yes! Water does come out, dirty spots or not, it's soaked

it will be relatively inexpensive to replace
with the closed cell builders foam (if you choose to do so).

just out of curiosity, weigh it when you get it out just to
see how saturated it is

Will do Johnny.

Now I'm wondering if this is why I had so much trouble getting onto a plane with this hull

All foam soaks up water, all of it. If you are going to replace it try to allow for drainage of the foam, in other words keep it from contacting the bottom surface of whatever you are installing it into. That is tough to do if it can but, if it does come into contact with water it will soak it up. It should only be used for emergency floatation such as in the case of a swamping.

"All foam soaks up water, all of it".

ummmmm I totally disagree with that statement.
anyone that has spent any time around boat docks,
marinas and boat yards know that a lot of floating docks
are made with foam blocks. Yes, absoutely, there are "some"
types of open cell of foam that soak up water like a sponge.
On the other hand, there are types of closed cell foam that are
totally impervious to water intrusion.

The word "styrofoam" incorrectly refers to expanded (not extruded) polystyrene foam,
commonly called EPS Foam or Closed Cell Foam such as disposable coffee cups,
coolers, or cushioning material in packaging, which is typically white and is made of
expanded polystyrene beads.

EPS Foam is the correct term for any form of the Expanded PolyStyrene products.
Expanded PolyStyrene Insulation is a lightweight, rigid, closed cell insulation.
EPS is available in several compressive strengths to withstand load and back-fill forces.

not to undermine your experience with waterlogged foam, (I have experienced it also)
but, a quick Google Search of "Styrofoam vs EPS foam" can provide enough accurate information
for one to make his/her own judgement of what foam to use for any particular application. In our case, boat flotation.

jus my Dos Centavos





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I work with EPS foam quite a bit. It's made of small pellets that are all bonded together in a mold. While each pellet is relatively sealed, there's still many voids between pellets that soak up water and allow mold to flourish.

I'd suggest replacing that with the blue type of insulation foam at Lowes. That foam is extruded as a sheet, so there are no little pellets and voids between them like there is in cheap white EPS. and it has a sealed surface that will make it last forever.

Just cut it up and make a stack of material the same size. You can glue them together or just band them up with clear box tape... that stuff lasts forever too....

Go to one of those floating docks and cut off a portion of the foam that is under water you will ring out a lot of water. That is the best foam available and it resists absorption for a very long time but, over time and exposure it does absorb water, it is also not the foam that is used for floatation in boats, boats use a spray in type of foam and if left in contact with water will absorb water, I have pulled out too much of this "closed cell" stuff and seen it too many times. Styrofoam stuff is good but it will dissolve immediately if exposed to fuel so it is really not used anymore in boats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styrofoam

Do what you want but if it was me I would provide drainage.

mrdrh99 - you did not mention the distance of the foam block to the hull.
I am thinking a few inches - not actually touching the bottom ???
or - does the foam actually contact the hull bottom.
so unless you left the plug in the boat and it filled up with water,
I see no reason for it to be water logged. Even from rain water.
you have ample open surface area for evaporation.
like SurfMan said - adequate drainage will prevent future problems.
(no matter what kind of replacement foam you use).
I am curious as to the dimensions and how much just the foam alone weighs
and how much that wood plank weighs.

I agree, that looks like some sort of a bench seat? I see water where the wood and foam meet telling me that something is or was wet, I am assuming the thing is upside down? If the foam has ventilation under it I would think it would be fine, My boat had the same set up with the bench seats full of foam but were off the bottom by an inch at least, the foam was many years old and still just fine. Only my boat did not have the wood top on the seats.

You might be able to just spry some bleach on it to clean it up and let it sit out in the sun a few days. As far as floatation goes it will probably still work fine for that.

Hey guys, yes bench seat. In the boat, not upside down. Boat did get some snow and ice the last couple of weeks. I'm thinking I'm replacing all the foam and the wood, since I'm re building my boat, floors and all. The insulation does not touch the bottom of the boat, and the drain is out.

If you do replace the foam then I would go with the stuff that Jonny listed above, it is a lot better than the polystyrene bead type foam. You can buy it in blocks but it might not be tat easy to find, depending on your area. The spray in stuff is still a good option though.