silicone sealers
There have been many posts over the years about what to use for different sealing problems and the name/term silicone inevitably. I do not like silicone for this use for many reasons. No.1 anything y...
Forum Discussion
covered wagon wrote:
HMS Beagle, I like your post very much.
I have heard of sealing all mating surfaces screw it down but, not quit all the way. Wait till the caulking is cured, then tighten the screws. Sort of like forming your own gasket. But this sometimes requires a strong frame for even pressure or adding more screws.
I'm going to stay with the butyl tape because I've had great success, usually doubling it, even triple it in some places and on a warm day it'll squish into a good seal. This means having to add screws to a compartment door frame for 'pressure fit' if they don't already.
There are many that recommend tightening the fastenings after the sealant has cured, the problem I have with this is that it is sure to break the seal to the screws themselves - and that is one of the most likely points of ingress. So I prefer to restrain myself in the tightening, or insert something to tighten against that is embedded in the sealant. When using silicone you need clamping pressure to make it work long term, but if properly cleaned and using a good polyurethane, it will stick to the surfaces well enough that the screws are often ornamental.
There's nothing wrong with butyl tape, it has the advantage that it is thick enough and stiff enough you are unlikely to squeeze it all out. I have seen it ooze out from under flanges over time, which I don't like. There are also polybutylene wet sealants which work well though a little harder to find. Used in the commercial glass industry for one.
