Seam sealing RBTR silpoly

[yenemy]

Seeing as Silpoly v2 has "fixed" the seam sealing issue, does this mean I can use the tube of Permatex flowable silicone I bought a while back to seal my upcoming silpoly v2.0 tarp?

[ripstopbytheroll]

Seeing as Silpoly v2 has "fixed" the seam sealing issue, does this mean I can use the tube of Permatex flowable silicone I bought a while back to seal my upcoming silpoly v2.0 tarp?

Yes you should be good with any 100% silicone sealant.

[yenemy]

Yes you should be good with any 100% silicone sealant.

Perfect! Thanks Kyle!

[corrumpu]

So if you have a tarp with Version 1.0 of silpoly .. what are the options? Has anyone found a solution to seam sealing or should i just overlap with grosgrain and seal that with silicone/mineral spirit mixture?

My silpoly tarp looks nice, but has a leak in one spot of my flat felled seam.

[jn35646]

So if you have a tarp with Version 1.0 of silpoly .. what are the options? Has anyone found a solution to seam sealing or should i just overlap with grosgrain and seal that with silicone/mineral spirit mixture?

My silpoly tarp looks nice, but has a leak in one spot of my flat felled seam.

My v1 tarp was out for a full night of light rain last night. I did the grosgrain ridge and still had some beads running down the inside of the tarp. I didn't get too wet, just a bit here and there. I'm going to do what you suggested myself. I'm going to paint the threads on the grosgrain with sealer and I'll also run a line of seal down the inside of that seam (might not stick but I'll try anyway). Hoping that sealing the threads in the grosgrain make it work. Either way, Kyle is sending some v2 fabric and I'll sew it up the way I wanted initially (flat felled) and then seal it.

[North]

Yes you should be good with any 100% silicone sealant.

Would seatosummit ultra-seamsil hold better than silnet/GE silicone II?

[Shytomboy]

So basically there's still no word on the best stuff to use for the v1 silpoly? I'll be ready to seal this weekend and need this tarp to be waterproof for a month long hike on the BMT in June!

[ripstopbytheroll]

So basically there's still no word on the best stuff to use for the v1 silpoly? I'll be ready to seal this weekend and need this tarp to be waterproof for a month long hike on the BMT in June!

The sea to summit ultrasil worked best for me and a couple others. Once you find the "correct" side for sealing, there shouldn't be an issue when using this product. Since it sounds like the tarp is done, I would try a small test area on each side. Wait 24 hours to cure, then see which side won't peel off. Seal that side with the sea-to-summit product.

[V_Allen]

Have you rubbed the areas you sealed to see if you have any separation. So far everything I have tried will start to peel off with relatively minor abrasion. I don't want to have to re-seal my tarp every few times I use it.
Most recently tried seamgrip. One side, no good, other side looked good, felt good, until I ran the fabric under water for a few seconds. One or two rubs from a finger and all the tests peeled off as if they had never been there. Same with all the silicones I have tried, thinned or full strength.
Yet I have a piece of Silnylon with tests of Silnet (same tube using for the silpoly tests)
that won't even hint at coming loose even with 5 min of rubbing with an abrasive pad.
This fabric is much easier to work with, and it sounds like this sil/PU is what the industry is moving to. There has got to be a durable method sealing it.

Sorry - I missed this post. I just went outside and took a picture of the silicon on my tarp pull out. Its still good after a harsh winter and some spring rain. I have rubbed it and it won't peal off. Maybe my fabric lot is slightly different, I don't know. I used a 50/50 mix of Red Devil 100% with no name brand mineral spirits.

20150507_151359.jpg

The tarps I've made from the gen 2 got the same treatment. I do the coating and then wait 24 hours for it to cure. I have noticed that the silicon has penetrated right thru the fabric.