Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17
  1. #1
    Slackdaddy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    MD
    Hammock
    DH Darien, WBBB XLC, 6 HH
    Tarp
    HH Hex
    Insulation
    DIY Climashield (5
    Suspension
    Cinch buckle strap
    Posts
    371
    Images
    4

    Seam Sealing polyester tarp seam

    I have a Hennesy 70D polyester hex tarp.
    last outing it rained hard for 2 hours and I was getting drops trough the seam.
    I picked up some "Seam Grip" sealer&Adhesive.

    Should that go on the outside (top) or inside (bottom) of the seam

    Slack

  2. #2
    Senior Member HoosierT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Fishers, IN
    Hammock
    DIY GE
    Insulation
    Down TQ/UQ
    Suspension
    DynaGlide UCRs
    Posts
    380
    While it's not always pretty, I prefer to seam seal the outside. My reasoning is that the stitching never gets wet at all. If sealing the inside, the outside of the seam will be exposed to water and will rely on the inside seam sealer to stop it from coming in. YMMV.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    NE Indiana
    Hammock
    DIY Gathered End
    Tarp
    DIY Silpoly
    Suspension
    DIY Cinch buckles
    Posts
    374
    Why not seal both sides?

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Manhattan, KS
    Hammock
    DIY 8.4 oz 11' Robic XL hammock
    Tarp
    1.1 oz silpoly hex
    Insulation
    900Fill 0* quilt
    Suspension
    Whoopies and UCRs
    Posts
    69
    Images
    7
    I also seal the outside. Never have had a reason to do both.

  5. #5
    Slackdaddy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    MD
    Hammock
    DH Darien, WBBB XLC, 6 HH
    Tarp
    HH Hex
    Insulation
    DIY Climashield (5
    Suspension
    Cinch buckle strap
    Posts
    371
    Images
    4
    Thanks,
    sealed the outside, not pretty but should work.

    Slack

  6. #6
    Senior Member Hobopelican's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Hammock
    DH Freebird or Roaming Gnome
    Tarp
    OMW/Tadpole
    Insulation
    UGQ 20F Zeppelin
    Suspension
    Varied
    Posts
    1,189
    Images
    1
    Yeah, Outside only for me. Doing both can't hurt, but a good seal on the top works, so why waste the time and money.
    Hobo Off The Ground All Year Round: 8 7
    consecutive months since the start, 9/2015 through 11/2022

  7. #7
    Senior Member kitsapcowboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Kitsap County, WA
    Hammock
    Dutch/SLD/WB/DIY
    Tarp
    DWG/HG/SLD/UGQ/DIY
    Insulation
    Loco Libre Gear
    Suspension
    Dutchware
    Posts
    3,763
    Quote Originally Posted by HoosierT View Post
    While it's NEVER pretty, I prefer to seam seal the outside. My reasoning is that the stitching never gets wet at all. If sealing the inside, the outside of the seam will be exposed to water and will rely on the inside seam sealer to stop it from coming in. YMMV.
    Fixed your post for you, brother; your reasoning is dead sound, though...

    Quote Originally Posted by Hobopelican View Post
    Yeah, Outside only for me. Doing both can't hurt, but a good seal on the top works, so why waste the time and money.
    I've never had the need to do it, owing to a 100% success rate with the method so far, but I have responded to questions from fellow HF members who just can't shake their paranoia that their folded grosgrain ridge lines might let them down and suggested that they could always seam seal the underside of the grosgrain-reinforced ridge line seam inside the tarp as a back-up. It's a belt-and-suspenders approach that doesn't compromise the aesthetics of the construction method.
    Smart graphic design for all your needs by BGD

  8. #8
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    SW Ontario, Canada
    Hammock
    WBBB 1.7 SL
    Tarp
    WB Superfly
    Insulation
    WB and UGQ
    Suspension
    Whoopies or Straps
    Posts
    7,184
    Images
    248
    PU coated tarps have the coating on the underside so it made sense to me to seal the seams on that side the same way it is done with taped seams on tent flies. The sil tarps today are different so either over or under are viable options. Don't know about the Hennessy tarp but seam grip is strong enough that you'll stay dry.
    Don't let life get in the way of living.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Ga.(Macon area)
    Hammock
    11 Ft Dutch Hexon 1.0 Sidezip
    Tarp
    12 ft HG Quest
    Insulation
    3/4 Phoenix20
    Suspension
    Spiderpolybeetles
    Posts
    1,442
    Regardless of which side you seal,if you brush on some baby powder after it cures it will be much less noticeable.Personally,I seal both sides because I had the unfortunate experience of having a Xenon tarp leak even though I had paid to have it sealed.Because of the steep angle at which it was pitched the water went down the "wall" instead of dripping onto me and my hammock.I considered it a wake up call.I have used Seam Grip and Flowable Silicone with good results so far.

  10. #10
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    IN
    Hammock
    DIY 10.5' HyperD 1.6
    Tarp
    Warbonnet, SLD
    Insulation
    Hammock Gear
    Suspension
    WB Straps+Buckles
    Posts
    13,158
    Images
    20
    I did the outside on 3/4 of my tarps. The last one was where I only did the inside. No difference really regarding leaking.

    When I did the outside, I have to say, it was not ugly at all. You couldn't even tell. People must be making a mess with their finger or brush if that's the case. Otherwise, just lay down a thin trail of sealant like you're caulking a tub or whatever. Obviously it only needs to be about 2x wide as the thread. How wide is thread? Exactly.

    I don't have them with me or else I would take a photo to share.

  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Seam sealing: Seam Grip + SIL & Silpoly 1.1?
      By asduaijshdoiju in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 10
      Last Post: 06-08-2018, 17:06
    2. Tarp Seam Sealing?
      By Theosus in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 08-23-2015, 21:29
    3. Superfly Tarp and seam sealing?
      By cfi on the fly in forum Weather Protection
      Replies: 17
      Last Post: 07-27-2015, 08:10
    4. How to remove old seam sealing for new seam sealing?
      By Hangar in forum Weather Protection
      Replies: 1
      Last Post: 09-28-2014, 15:15
    5. does my edge tarp need seam sealing?
      By hilltackler in forum Weather Protection
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 09-25-2012, 01:27

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •