Hi all,
I think I might need to remove silicone from my PU4000 tarp because I never realized that one side (the PU side) doesn’t accept silicone. However, I am scared that I would really have to soak the fabric in alcohol or turpentine or something in order to remove the cured silicone, and that this process would damage the material.
Unless you have a better idea (?).
I have 3 ridgeline tie out points that drip.
Should I:
Try to remove the silicone and then add a sealant which is designed for PU?
Or
Leave the silicone where it is and try to add some other PU-friendly sealant on top?
Or
Try attaching an additional piece of PU4000 material directly over the tie out area (although the loops will still need to stick out, and this would still provide an entry point for rain)? And anyway... would I somehow glue it in place?
Or
Would seam sealing tape be of use? (I don’t have much experience with it and so I have no idea if it would stick to silicone or the PU side at all)?
Here’s the design (if this is pertinent): I made a 5 meter long tarp from PU4000, I have the darker PU side on the inner of the tarp. I used a flat-felled hybrid seam for the ridge line but I added 3 ridge line tieouts (my theory was that the tarp would live longer with the suspension not directly touching and rubbing the material). Tie outs are made from poly webbing sewn to the outside of the tarp, with Ripstop nylon reinforcements on the inside of the tarp.
All seams and stitching was given a silicone/turpentine coating.
After testing it in a rainstorm, all tie out points dripped!
I re-applied a second coat of silicone (inside and outside) with some improvement, yet the 3 ridgeline tie outs drip!
And now I have only JUST discovered that the PU side does not accept silicone (although most of the silicone is directly on the Ripstop nylon).
Has anyone else had similar problems with PU4000? What solution worked well?
Sorry for the long message — just trying to give all the information in one dollop!
JJ
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