Posted 2008-05-04 10:15 PM (#83131) Subject: Pitting on aluminum floor
Member
Posts: 5
Location: Atlanta
I have been looking for a used trailer for a while, and found one this weekend that was perfect in every way, until I pulled up the mats. It has aluminum floors, and under the famous 'urine' spot of the driver's side horse, there is some corrosion, pitting and 2 or 3 very small (smaller than an eraser) holes. The rest of the floor appears to be in great shape from above and below. My question is how much of a PITA is this going to be to fix? The seller is willing to come down off of the price as a result, but I want to know what to expect to have to do to correct it. Will the entire floor need to be replaced? Can you patch up a piece of an aluminum floor? Can you simply stop the corrosion and take better care of it in the future?
Posted 2008-05-05 7:38 AM (#83147 - in reply to #83131) Subject: RE: Pitting on aluminum floor
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
You can wash the floor with Muriatic acid. This will stop the present oxidation, clean and etch the floor. Small holes (the size of a pencil eraser) can be filled with the small epoxy kits like "JB Weld". If there is a great deal of continuous pitting that involves more than a third of the metal's thickness, you may have to consider repairs. If the number of pits are occasional, there should be no reason for a major renovation.
Most floor corrosion damage in trailers is found near the middle and towards the curb side, near the horse's belly and hind feet. If mats were used, it will be near the mats' edges.
Once cleaned and etched, your floor can be left alone or coated with products that prevent further damage. If it uncoated, it would be wise, depending on usage, to flush it out at least once a month.
The acid cost $15/gal last fall, the JB weld about $5. The cost of coatings will vary with the type of material you choose to install. The major part of the clean up is your time and labour.
Pitting on aluminum floor
