Butyl Tape in Tropics

[tonga]

A question for all of the butyl tape fans out there: Have you had any problems in hot climates? I just heard it has a tendency to ooze out from under fittings and make a mess when it is really hot.

Brian

[Caribsailors]

I replaced the glazing in my coach roof two year back and used butyl tape, as that's what I used when in Canada. I have experienced some oozing, but nothing out of hand. Easy enough to trim back on a cool winter morning. Still the best seal I've had on the windows

Cheers

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by tonga

A question for all of the butyl tape fans out there: Have you had any problems in hot climates? I just heard it has a tendency to ooze out from under fittings and make a mess when it is really hot.

Brian

If it's for deck fittings, only use enough to seal the screws. It's not a bedding compound.
For windows, use just enough to cover the contact area. I don't even use fasteners, just the tape with a layer of black poly over the outside. They do have cars with windows in the tropics, don't they?

[minaret]

If you use the high temp butyl tape made for vacuum bagging exotherms it won't ooze. The drawback is that it's bright yellow. And it costs more. Some people bed the fasteners and maybe a little line under the hardware base and then use sika or 4200 around it. Then it looks like normal bedding compound and can't ooze out.

[roverhi]

I used Butyl tape to seal a large portlight and a couple of deck fittings. These were done on a cold 60 degree day in SF. The Butyl didn't compress and squeeze out like LifeCaulk would have done. Thought it would bleed out badly when we got to warmer climes. After a year and a half in Hawaii, the Butyl has oozed out around the deck fittings a bit but was easily trimmed off. The portlight hasn't had any oozing and what's better, hasn't leaked. The cutout was poorly done and there were a couple of areas where the overlap was minimal which hadn't stayed sealed with normal caulk, previously.

[tonga]

Thanks folks. Sounds like even if there is a little oozing it's still worth it to seal all of my deck hardware.

Brian

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by tonga

Thanks folks. Sounds like even if there is a little oozing it's still worth it to seal all of my deck hardware.

Brian

I think so. It's tropical-hot sometimes on the Chesapeake (100F) and the ooze is very minor so long as you clean-up several weeks after tightening (a little will creep out but is easily trimmed with a dull knife).

Butyl for things that are any of these:
* through-bolted
* may have to come off
Perfect for winches and large hatches.

Polyurethane for things that are any of these:
* secured with screws
* are below the water line
* small, like smaller pad-eyes
5200 gives some extra security and reduces movement

I think you will find yourself using both/

[Matt Johnson]

Brian,

It's so easy to clean up that I cant see it being a big deal. I just use a dental pick and walk around the deck once a year getting the extra off. You want to get it off before someone tracks it all over the nonskid.... then it can become a pain.

[sailvayu]

I know I will catch it for this but after more than 35 years building and repairing boats I have found silicone or a silicone hybrid is the best thing to use for bedding deck fittings on a fiberglass boat. That oozing you have to keep removing with butyl is the material coming out. sooner or later it will start to leak. I know there are many out there that will argue this but the results speak for themselves. I have no deck leaks and I only use silicone and I do not get customer complaints about leaks. I also think no matter what you use fittings should be pulled and inspected then resealed about every 10 years. That is the average life span of any sealant.

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by sailvayu

I know I will catch it for this but after more than 35 years building and repairing boats I have found silicone or a silicone hybrid is the best thing to use for bedding deck fittings on a fiberglass boat. That oozing you have to keep removing with butyl is the material coming out. sooner or later it will start to leak. I know there are many out there that will argue this but the results speak for themselves. I have no deck leaks and I only use silicone and I do not get customer complaints about leaks. I also think no matter what you use fittings should be pulled and inspected then resealed about every 10 years. That is the average life span of any sealant.

Lemme be first in line to give you hell:

I completely disagree with everything you said. Silicone has **NO** place on my boat, as far as I'm concerned it's for fish-tanks and bathtubs, and even then there are better household products to use.

It will not hold up to sun, or constant temperature changes. And your 10 years idea is great 'in theory' but in practice I have parts on my boat sealed with 5200 or butyl that are MUCH older than that. And lastly, I've never seen silicone last three years let alone 10.

[sailvayu]

The silicone you get from the hardware store is not the same as marine and will not work well. Marine silicone has good UV resistance.

Let ma ask you xymotic have you ever used marine silicone on your or any boat?

And yes sometimes you can get 20 years out of a sealant just fine. Most manufactures will only recommend 10 years. And I prefer being pro active when it comes to leaks. To think you will always get 20 years from a product is a mistake. It is like getting 300,000 miles from a car, great if you can do it but it does not always work that way.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by sailvayu

The silicone you get from the hardware store is not the same as marine and will not work well. Marine silicone has good UV resistance.

Let ma ask you xymotic have you ever used marine silicone on your or any boat?

And yes sometimes you can get 20 years out of a sealant just fine. Most manufactures will only recommend 10 years. And I prefer being pro active when it comes to leaks. To think you will always get 20 years from a product is a mistake. It is like getting 300,000 miles from a car, great if you can do it but it does not always work that way.

It's not silicone!!! it's Polyurethane! Or some times called "Marine Sealants" 3M

Terminology is very important when in debates. It's EZ to get stuff and other whatcamacallits mix'd up.

[roverhi]

Now you've set me off!!!!!!!! I sure as hell hope you are in a minority of one. Sillycone belongs in boobs, not boats.

The stuff is a bitch to clean up. Acetone, Alcohol, Paint Thinner, Kerosene, etc. don't cut it so it leaves a residue on and around the fitting unless you very carefully phyically rub it off. It doesn't seal well over the long haul, even the short haul for that matter. Have spent 100s of hours R&R'ing SPOTs sillycone bedded fittings that have leaked. Better hope that you are never going to paint anywhere near where sillycone has been used. It bleeds into the substrate and will not allow paint to stick if there is ANY sillycone left. It also skins over quite quickly so better not have to reposition or move a part around as you could be compromising the seal. Nothing sticks to skinned sillycone including sillycone.

Butyl, Polysulfide, and Polyrethane sealants are so much easier to work with, are easy to clean up, don't leave enduring issues, and actually will give you lasting seal so why mess around with sillycone. Yes I know some plastics react with the 'Poly' sealants so you have to use something else. My solution to that is not to use anything made with that kind of plastic. The problem seems to be mostly ports that UV uglifies so quickly that they look terrible after a few years so really something I wouldn't consider in the first place. As far as longevity, redid the solar installation on the roof of my house because the treated wood frame work was rotting after 20 plus years. The wood had deteriorated but the LifeCaulk bedding was still pliable and thouroughly bonded to the wood and the metal of the roof.

BTW, mechanically remove the excess butyl. I tried using paint thinner/mineral spirits to clean up the excess and it melted the butyl tape into a black liquid that soaked into the very porous gel coat on my boat. Since butyl is not as 'sticky', instantly bonds to itself, and has 'body, unlike the 'Poly' sealants, it is easy to remove without solvents. Just cut around the fitting and peel/scrape t off.

[casual]

The original Butyl tape in my Hull to Deck Joint on My 1978 36 is still good no leaks spent the last 25 years in S FL and The Bahamas,I rebeded all deck hardware and fittings with it about 8 years ago No leaks

[sailvayu]

It's not silicone!!! it's Polyurethane! Or some times called "Marine Sealants" 3M
These are 2 completely different types of sealant please see my article here: http://www.projectboatzen.com/forum/...-sealants.html

I know many will disagree but if you do please say exactly why not just that it does not work or you have seen 100's of failures lets get a bit more specific and see what we all can learn here. I think silicone has a bad wrap and not always deserved. All sealants fail and most for a reason not related to the product but in how it is used.

Yes i will admit it can be hard to clean up but with any proper job if done right cleanup in minimal this applies to all sealants and no you cannot paint over it but in most modern FRP boats this is not an issue.

I know some will steadfastly refuse to even listen to what I have to say...so be it but I have done my homework and know what works.

Use what you are comfortable with I do not expect to change everyones mind but I do know I would rather clean up silicone once than keep cleaning Butyl ever few months.