I need to seal the seams on my [thread=124860]new tarp[/thread]. The material is listed as PU coated nylon. I've never sealed a seam before, does anyone have any advice or suggestions on how to do it?
Thanks
Julia
Thanks
Julia
Seam sealing
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There was a thread on here about making your own seam sealer with clear silicone and white spirit.
I forget the proportions but just mix it up and paint it on...
A quick search should find you the thread......
sent from my windswept fell using Tapatalk 4
I forget the proportions but just mix it up and paint it on...
A quick search should find you the thread......
sent from my windswept fell using Tapatalk 4
This is th evideo of how to seam seal from Tarptent. Includes how to make a seam sealing mixture. highly recommended
http://www.tarptent.com/ttvideos.html
Works just as well on PU waterproofed tarps as Sylnylon
Coghlans and Colemans produce squeeze tubse of seam sealer, and they, or the UK equivalent will be available in UK "adventure" stores.
http://www.tarptent.com/ttvideos.html
Works just as well on PU waterproofed tarps as Sylnylon
Coghlans and Colemans produce squeeze tubse of seam sealer, and they, or the UK equivalent will be available in UK "adventure" stores.
We did all the seams of our big family tent just prior to the Bushmoot (and jolly good job we did!) The tubes of seam sealer you get from Cotswold Outdoor & other places are like toothpaste tubes with a brush on the cap. You just squeeze the stuff out and draw it along the seams. This certainly worked though was a bit messy, and when I come to do it again I'll probably squeeze the stuff into another container, thin it a bit and paint it on with a paint brush.
Are you sealing it on the inside?
Give the seam a light dusting of talc with a make up brush. Same sort of principles as when fixing a puncture on a bike.
Depending on the amount of sealant applied and the drying time you might not need it but you dont want your tarp sticking together now do you?
Good luck with it !
Honest answer: I don't know, that is one of the questions I have. Do I seal just the inside, just the outside, or both sides?
I presume that is after application of the seam sealant? I am planning on using the McNetts seamgrip from Backpackinglight, I take it that this doesn't alter anything?
Good luck with it !
Thanks, I may need it.
Julia
Does it actually need seam sealing? I'm presuming the original factory sealing tape has come off the ridgeline?
Thats what happened to my "Fox lightweight basha" I peeled the tape completely off, painted mcnett along the seam on the inside and after it had cured, gave it a dusting of talc.
It came without any seam sealing. This seems common for some tarps it seems.
Julia
Just a bit of claification. Silnylon is totaly different story to seam seal than PUnylon. Silnylon stretches for once, and also doesn't take any adhesive so your only option is saturating the seam with silicone. PU nylon can be done in two ways. Either paint the stitch with a relevant seam sealant or tape the seam with relevant tape. After doing 3 silnylon tarps I can say they are a b**** to seal.
This tarp looks to me as a normal PU nylon.
My general advice would be to find a good working area, have a dry run first to check you have enough room to move around, make shure you can leave your tarp in that spot to dry for a day or so. The only thing that can go (very) wrong is that you can make a horrible mess when the tarp sticks to itself, you are covered with sealant and you spread spots of it everywhere etc.
My way of doing it is to lay it flat on the floor and pin it down with chairs and books which holds the seam under tension. Also you can go the DIY route but a good sealant from cotswold will cost you £8 and it's purpose made for the job...
This tarp looks to me as a normal PU nylon.
My general advice would be to find a good working area, have a dry run first to check you have enough room to move around, make shure you can leave your tarp in that spot to dry for a day or so. The only thing that can go (very) wrong is that you can make a horrible mess when the tarp sticks to itself, you are covered with sealant and you spread spots of it everywhere etc.
My way of doing it is to lay it flat on the floor and pin it down with chairs and books which holds the seam under tension. Also you can go the DIY route but a good sealant from cotswold will cost you £8 and it's purpose made for the job...
Actually the big question is it leaking? if not, dont bother.
Can anyone tell me the score with the DD / TW tarps with regards to being taped ? Or not taped?
My superfly tarps have central seams which dont need sealing, (the panel pull-outs are a different matter) the trailstar tarp i have needed sealing.
In a nut-shell..Any tarp from a factory should not leak, if it comes from a cottage industry type thing ( Warbonnet / Mountain laurel designs etc) thats a different matter.
I don't think this tarp needs sealing Julia
I think it should be fine,
atb
The tarp is from a factory, but there is no evidence of any sealing on any of the seams. Seeing as it's built down to a price, I think it unlikely that it's fully waterproof. Not entirely sure I trust it without doing it, and for the sake of 7 quid, I would rather be safe...
Julia
Another good article about seam sealing from backpackinglight
http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/seam-sealing.html
http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/seam-sealing.html
thanks folks for the local recommends
i sealed a tarptent with the sealant sent with the tarptent. how to video quoted below @PDA1 is a good how to.
i worried about getting right stuff for material but after sealing my impression was the sealant could be used on a variety of materials and other sealants/mixes would also do fine. thanks for tips below if i needs to do it again. there may be something you could get in BnQ (fUK) and just mix with white spirit.
i thought it strange that a tent (or a tarp) wouldnt come pre sealed but read that for small manufacturers high costs for a place to dry tents/tarps + time needed made the product more expensive so they leave it to the punter to do.
i sealed a tarptent with the sealant sent with the tarptent. how to video quoted below @PDA1 is a good how to.
i worried about getting right stuff for material but after sealing my impression was the sealant could be used on a variety of materials and other sealants/mixes would also do fine. thanks for tips below if i needs to do it again. there may be something you could get in BnQ (fUK) and just mix with white spirit.
i thought it strange that a tent (or a tarp) wouldnt come pre sealed but read that for small manufacturers high costs for a place to dry tents/tarps + time needed made the product more expensive so they leave it to the punter to do.
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PU coated nylon is ideally coated with a PU sealant. Silicone is fine, but not as strong. McNett Seamgrip is the goto for PU sealing but I've recently been having great results with Wilko's own brand PU glue in a blue tube. £2.99 instead of £8 and cheaper than a half decent tube of silicone sealant. PU doesn't need thinning either.
Once silicone is used, PU can't. It wont stick.
Once silicone is used, PU can't. It wont stick.
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