Caulk Recommendation

[craigwitt]

I removed all the hardware and all the caulk from every seam on my 310 Sundancer before I refurbished it. I now need to recaulk everything, inside the cockpit and out including the rub rail top and bottom. I will be remounting stainless hardware as well. What white caulk and sealant do you all recommend?

 

[390x]

3m 4200 or 5200.

 

[Lazy Daze]

4200 and 5200 are NOT UV stabilized. Besides, their main purpose is gluing, not caulking. In the case of 5200, if you need to remove the fixture in the future, there's a good chance you'll rip the fiberglass before the glue separates.

BoatLife LifeSeal is excellent, as is 3M 4000UV. Either of those will work perfectly.

Keep in mind, these will be WHITE - your boat is not perfectly white. It really won't matter much as it will be pretty hard to see the difference in the amount you'll be using. I've used them on my boat (should be the same color as your boat) and can't tell. The most obvious place will be the rubrail, but then, the rubrail itself is white. I think, but not sure, that Bostik might have a color to match.

 

[Loneranger]

Dennis is correct about 3m 4200 and 5200. They are more adhesive than sealant. They are both polyurethane based. I would argue 5200 has no place on a boat. It bonds tighter than the gelcoat binds to the fiberglass.

If the hardware will have it's own mechanical fastener butyl rubber is a great product. It will last forever and stretches well. It can be dissolved by petroleum based cleaners and fuels.

John

 

[390x]

When I'm putting deck hardware on, I'd rather not take it off again. I'd like to do it once and be done. If I can put 4200 or 5200 on it, and only do it once, that's good enough for me. If I have to pull a cleat back off (I have no idea why I'd have to), I can cut the 42/52 with a razor and get the piece off. Also, when I'm doing a caulk job on a fitting of some sort, I don't leave any more exposed edge than necesary, so the UV part doesn't matter much to me.

 

[Loneranger]

When I'm putting deck hardware on, I'd rather not take it off again. I'd like to do it once and be done. If I can put 4200 or 5200 on it, and only do it once, that's good enough for me. If I have to pull a cleat back off (I have no idea why I'd have to), I can cut the 42/52 with a razor and get the piece off. Also, when I'm doing a caulk job on a fitting of some sort, I don't leave any more exposed edge than necesary, so the UV part doesn't matter much to me.

Hopefully nothing you ever put down will leak.

 

[Phlorida]

Here is an interesting article on using butyl rubber to re-bed. The author also supplies the butyl rubber product. Note: I haven't done this yet, I only bookmarked the link. http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebedding_hardware

 

[390x]

Hopefully nothing you ever put down will leak.

Isn't that the point of doing it right?

 

[mistercomputerman]

When I'm putting deck hardware on, I'd rather not take it off again. I'd like to do it once and be done. If I can put 4200 or 5200 on it, and only do it once, that's good enough for me. If I have to pull a cleat back off (I have no idea why I'd have to), I can cut the 42/52 with a razor and get the piece off. Also, when I'm doing a caulk job on a fitting of some sort, I don't leave any more exposed edge than necesary, so the UV part doesn't matter much to me.

You might be flirting with disaster if the occasion should arise to require removal...such as damage caused by others or a leak of any kind.

On Bostik, FWIW

http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/48356-Seam-Sealer?p=539216#post539216

 

[390x]

I've never had a problem. I want things to be permanent, and 5200 is. Also, Craig is looking to do a rubrail which is PRECISELY what 42/52 was meant for. IMO, Boatlife is SH*T. I've used it to seal some window frames before, and I could literally just peel it off in strips. It didn't stick at all.
It also seems to me that the reasons all of you are giving for why 5200 is no good, is precisely why it IS so good. When sealing something, why would you NOT want something that bonds permanently, and better than gelcoat? That sounds to me like the perfect sealant, but what do I know? Some people like doing things multiple times.

Also, with some patience, Debond 2000 will remove 42/52.

 

[Ka1oxd]

Debond does work on removing 42/52. But even 3m who makes 42/52 recommend 4000 or 101 for bedding products. I am redoing my entire bow rail and will be using 4000.

 

[390x]

Careful with how much exposed 4000 you have. It will yellow.

 

[bahamabreisus]

UV 400 turned to dust after less than a year. If anyone knows what will reallly last, I would love to know.

 

[Loneranger]

Here is an interesting article on using butyl rubber to re-bed. The author also supplies the butyl rubber product. Note: I haven't done this yet, I only bookmarked the link. http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebedding_hardware

I have used butyl and find it great to work with and so far no leaks. I have not used it for 29 years like the author of the above page but he does make some salient observations about choice of sealants.

Here is another article of interest. The life expectancy of polyurethanes is listed in the below article as 10 years with polysulfides (like BoatLIFE's Life Calk or 3M's 101) being listed at 20 years. Unfortunately the below article does not discuss butyl rubber. BTW, Good Old Boat magazine is very good for any DIY boater although aimed more at a sailboat crowd.

http://www.goodoldboat.org/reader_services/articles/sealant.php

John

 

[Lazy Daze]

390 - if Boatlife didn't work for you, the only explanation is that the proper prep work was not done. It works, and works well - if it didn't, it is not the fault of the product. We (the marina) and I (personally) have used these products for years and years without fail.

5200 is first and foremost a glue (regardless of what the packaging says) that also happens to seal things. It is very good at it's intended purpose. But it is the wrong tool for this job (simply sealing). Rubrails (and othe hardware) should not be glued - they should be sealed.

 

[390x]

Well, Lazy, since you and the marina use BoatLife I guess there's just no reason for any of us to discuss this any further.

My prep work was fine, and I've used many different sealants/caulks without problem except for the BoatLife, however, again, since it's what you use, I must just be a moron.

 

[Lazy Daze]

I'm not going down the road you are starting to go down. All I'm saying is that if it didn't work, a mistake was made somewhere else.

For what it's worth, BL is not the only stuff that is used at the marina. I've used other stuff, as well. But over the last few years I've (personally) settled on pretty much using the BL stuff. I'm not (and never did) saying it's the be all, end all of sealants. But I've acquired a comfort level with their products and know what to expect with them. I've used them long enough to trust them. They're easy to use and they get the job done done.

 

[390x]

I'm not trying to go down any road. You are speaking as if you are the foremost expert on caulks and sealants, and that your word is law. I have used boatlife, I don't like boatlife, and I do like 3M. Period. You immediately said my prep work must not have been done properly. Obviously it's not possible that I got a bad tube of it, which if I did would still make me believe it's crap as I've never had a bad tube of a 3M product. We also do not agree on how rubrails should be attached and sealed. The original poster asked what he should use. You said boatlife, I said 3M. You don't like mine, I don't like yours, but that doesn't make you right. I suppose it doesn't make me right either, but I'm not claiming to know everything. I'm saying what works for me.

 

[mistercomputerman]

I removed all the hardware and all the caulk from every seam on my 310 Sundancer before I refurbished it. I now need to recaulk everything, inside the cockpit and out including the rub rail top and bottom. I will be remounting stainless hardware as well. What white caulk and sealant do you all recommend?

Hmmmm, the OP started this thread asking for advice. He got said advice and apparently 390 didn't like the advice and now wants to argue about it????

Someone once said, "Be careful what you ask for. You might just get it."

'nuff said.

 

[390x]

Computer, I'm not trying to argue with the OP at all. I gave my advice as did everyone else. Other opinions were stated as if they were fact. They are not. They are opinions, as is mine. I stated why I didn't agree. I do not feel I was the first to draw blood. I was unaware that on a forum we all had to agree. Show me where I told someone they were wrong. I did not. I said I don't agree. The OP is free to do as he wishes. I can tell when like-minded people are ganging up on me, so I won't post further. All are free to do as they wish.