Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Product sources need product for sealing surface rust on culvert

We had our 4' culvert inspected and were told we should treat the bottom of it for surface rust. The rust doesn't go all the way through, but we do need to treat it with something that will protect it and prevent future rust.

My husband used "Extend Rust Treatment" on cars he repaired up north many years ago and wondered if this would work. Anyone ever use this on culverts?

Anybody have any recommendations for a product that will do this?

Thanks!

How long is the culvert?

I'd look for a 2 part epoxy alot stronger and more durable..

About 40 feet.

I've used POR15 on other rusted things - above ground fuel tank, mower deck (top), and by following their directions, it's worked very well. My concern in the culvert is how do you get it 100% dry.....

http://www.por15.com/POR-15-Rust-Preventive-Paint/products/1/

Good point. Since the water level is well below the bottom of the culvert, it appears dry now. However, I haven't checked deep inside yet with a flashlight. 40 feet of dark is a little intimidating.

I was going to recommend por 15 too,while it is a good product after reading all the details I might be looking into something else if it was me.The reason being I surely wouldnt want to be crawling in a dark 40 ft deep culvert again for a real long time.I think there has to be a 2 part epoxy paint for this job,I just have no clue as to what it is.I'd be looking at stuff aimed towards ships and bridges if it was me.

I just sent a email to a friend in the commercial fishing industry,if he is in port he might have a recommendation.

i wonder how bad the fumes would be inside a 40 foot pipe applying epoxy?

is there ever a way to slide a slightly smaller black plastic culvert into an exiting rusting galzanixed culvert?

bad at best,I have to say I like your plastic culvert idea.With my redneck engineering PHD I think some hydraulic cement and a properly sized tube would make a really nice permanent solution.

Wouldn't water get trapped between the new plastic culvert and the existing one? Could you ever get the seal strong enough to prevent that?

hydraulic cement is primarily used for underwater applications..........in Jersey it is what was used for Hoffa's shoes that have kept him from being found In short with a properly sized plastic culvert and hydro cement i think you could have a really good permanent repair.

I see no reason why you couldnt fill the gap with hydro cement,after thinking about it this is what I'd probably try to do.

Again I'm no expert and there are plenty here,but with what i know this is probably how I'd go about fixing the problem,if it was mine.

This is jkrueger's other half- thought I would step in with my 2 cents. Years ago when I did bodywork I found a product called Duro Extend rust treatment that somehow chemically bonded with the oxidation to form a polymer coating over the rust and seal it. You had to knock all the loose rust off (stiff wire wheel on a grinder or drill), then brush the material on- it goes on like milk (it was latex-based) and when it works properly it turns black. I was able to bondo over it, prime it and paint with good long-term results.

I thought that might be good to use in this application, but figured we should check in with this forum first. This stuff has been around for years, and certainly there must have been newer/better/safer things developed. From the descriptions, it looks the the SEM Rust Mort might be the same material. Anybody know if it's different?

I gotta do something before March or so, or it will be another year!

I am a complete novice in such matters, so i can't answer.
But I wonder if it would even matter though?
Is this a culvert drain for a pond or a culvert one drives over...ect?
Before placing the new black plastic culvert....
Maybe you could drill holes in galvanized bottom to let any water seep out.
Others can answer this better than me.

This is both a culvert drain and one we drive over.

I'm beginning to like the idea of the black plastic slipped inside the exisiting galvanized steel. However, as you can see from my "hijacked" post earlier, my husband is very concerned about the rust continuing if it's not stopped. Perhaps we "stop" the rust with whatever product that might be, then we insert the plastic.

How in the world do you insert 40 feet of plastic without damaging it - cracks, holes, etc?

Extend works well by chemically converting the surface rust and stopping it...you would need to seal the surrounding metal once rust is converted however.

I think you have to look at service conditions first. What's it got to deal with?

I would think that if you properly prepared the surface, and correctly applied an appropriate Urethane System, you'll be good for the next 20 years.

Some Epoxies may work fairly decent, but I am taking abrasion into consideration, which may have been a major participant in your current situation. Other factors apply as well.

I like Robert-NJ's "Redneck PHD" line! I wish I would have thought of that It's probably patented by now

I would call Mike Otto and tell him you are a subscriber to PondBoss magazine and a regular poster on the message board and get his feedback. Besides being a super nice guy, he is an expert. You'll probably have to leave your number and he'll call you back in a few days. Plus he'll be busy at the PondBoss Conference this coming weekend.

Mike Otto

Hey Zep! God did make more than one expert

Actually, Mike Otto was the one who came out to our property and recommended we treat the rust and seal it.

Does he read these posts???

What were the specific solutions offered?

Mike "toured" our property and had several recommendations throughout. Nothing pressing, but he did suggest that we treat this rust before it got bad. He didn't have a particular product in mind.

He was brave enough to enter that 40 foot black tunnel and check it out.

Very nice with a great sense of humor.

I'm an industrial and commercial painting contractor. The problem you will have with coating the pipe is it's made from galvanized metal. There are VERY FEW products that will stick to it. Most that will stick are not suitable for wet applications. If it was mine, I would go with the plastic pipe insert. You can get a product called STAMPEDE at Sherwin Williams that comes in a caulk tube to attach/seal the plastic to the metal.

Assuming the culvert is hot dipped Galvanized:

Coatings for Galvanized by AGA

A combo epoxy/urethane system seems to be pretty solid.

Probably pretty expensive tho.

I may be mis-reading, but some of the statements from the link provided seem like they could be probematic for a do-it-your-selfer inside a 40 foot pipe. I think mineral spirits has extremely strong fumes. I would not want to be inside a 40 foot pipe using ammonia, Mineral spirits, turpentine, epoxy, ect....

"In order to provide a good adhesion profile for the paint, the galvanized surface must be flat with no protrusions and slightly roughened to provide an anchor profile for the paint system"

"A solution of one to two percent ammonia applied with a nylon brush"

"Mineral spirits, turpentine, high-flash naphtha, and other typical cleaning solvents can be used to clean galvanized surfaces"