Resealing seams. How easy is it?
Resealing seams. How easy is it?
As per heading, I'm wondering how feasible it is to reseal a tent when the tape has water damage. And is it possible to seal them to a standard where they won't start leaking again shortly afterwards? If so, any tips on products/procedures used would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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Re: Resealing seams. How easy is it?
If its only in tent floor corners - a cool iron will rebind clear tape -
works for a bit. For long term - seam sealants McNett Seamgrip or
Easton urethane (on the outside seam).
For the tent fly - tape seems to hide crappy stitching and doesnt
stick for long esp. on ultralight fabric. If the adjacent PU coating
flakes off when you rub it - the tent is pretty much stuffed for
wet weather use.
More expensive tents have silicon coated flysheets - no taped
seams.
I once reproofed a favorite tent fly with a mix of paint thinner
and Silicon roof gutter sealant (lots of how tos on U tube) - was a
fair bit of work - a couple of washes to get tape and bulk of the
PU crap off. Dry - then thin coats on flysheet outer and inner - bit
thicker on seams.
Pros - totally waterproof, cheap, durable, water beads on surface
Cons - heavier.
works for a bit. For long term - seam sealants McNett Seamgrip or
Easton urethane (on the outside seam).
For the tent fly - tape seems to hide crappy stitching and doesnt
stick for long esp. on ultralight fabric. If the adjacent PU coating
flakes off when you rub it - the tent is pretty much stuffed for
wet weather use.
More expensive tents have silicon coated flysheets - no taped
seams.
I once reproofed a favorite tent fly with a mix of paint thinner
and Silicon roof gutter sealant (lots of how tos on U tube) - was a
fair bit of work - a couple of washes to get tape and bulk of the
PU crap off. Dry - then thin coats on flysheet outer and inner - bit
thicker on seams.
Pros - totally waterproof, cheap, durable, water beads on surface
Cons - heavier.
Re: Resealing seams. How easy is it?
I have wondered about using clear polyeurothane paint
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Re: Resealing seams. How easy is it?
use a tube of seam sealant - which is something a bit like bostic. Looks messy but totally works. Back in the olden days you did this with your new tent as a matter of course
Re: Resealing seams. How easy is it?
Thanks for the responses. Seam sealant would appear to be the obvious choice. Would you apply it to the existing tape or would I need to get new? Also, the flysheet is sticky. Incidentally, this is a tent on ebay which I'm considering bidding on, not one I currently own. Just to keep you in the picture. Cheers
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http://www.thespokeandwords.wordpress.com - West Africa on a Tandem....
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Re: Resealing seams. How easy is it?
If the flysheet is sticky it may be that the proofing is breaking down.
Re: Resealing seams. How easy is it?
b1ke wrote:
Incidentally, this is a tent on ebay which I'm considering bidding on
Unless they're giving it away, I would reconsisider.
Re: Resealing seams. How easy is it?
I once had a tent that came unsealed. The manufacturer (Saunders) included instructions on how to seal it yourself. They claimed that taping was a poor way of sealing as it degrades over time. The fly was silicone sealed, so I had to get some silicone sealant from the nearest Cotswold shop. If your sealant is PU your sealant will be a different formula, so you need to know what it is. You have to stretch the fabric over something, as if you were ironing it, and do short sections of seam. The sealant is in a tube. If you have delaminating tape you may need to peel off loose bits first.
After re-sealing put a hose on it in the garden, find remaining leaks and have another go. And just to be on the safe side, take some sealant with you when you use the tent.
After re-sealing put a hose on it in the garden, find remaining leaks and have another go. And just to be on the safe side, take some sealant with you when you use the tent.