Northwood factory sealant/Sikaflex useable shelf life

[joeshmoe]

It looks like lap sealant, but scraps off like a butyl caulk. Haven't messed with this stuff enough times to know what it is.



This is that gap that allowed the sealant to break. There's a smaller one up near the top also.



Check out this super-straight, CNC-like precision cut. Northwood really knows how to do it, don't they?



Lastly, does anyone know how far past the "use by" date Sikaflex can be used?
I got a 6 pack of '1a' for free, but the date on all of them is 12-18-2016. I've been reading everything from 6-8 mos. past the date to throw it away. Surely it's good for some time after. Probably depends on how it's been stored and shipped, I guess

[JimK-NY]

I did a lot of work sealing an area with Geocel caulk that apparently was too old. Anyway the caulk did not stick well and I had to redo the whole job. Is it really worth trying to save a few dollars when doing an important job?

[Joe417]

If it can be applied in a normal manner it is usable. (Like a new tube) Those dates are there to remove liability from the manufacturer so that ruined tubes can't be returned. Saves them a lot of money.


As far as Northwood quality, they most likely have written quality standards to produce the best product the company can. Some individuals cut corners because they could care less others are very quality minded. If they get caught it gets corrected.

The company may want to know what you found. They most likely won't be able to tell who performed the process. But, if it is a recurring issue they will probably implement something to correct it. Add a new inspection step. If they don't know about it they can't correct the process. Stirring the pot on here won't fix it.

[K_Mac]

For your piece of mind, I'd give them a call. I'd also send that Precision cut picture to Northwood. It's really unbelievable what these manufacturers call "Quality " work. A seeing eye dog could do a better job. And we keep buying "em". Sad