philgrindle Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Hello everybody I have discovered a damp patch beneath a window. I intend to take the window out and reseal (it is a small window) as the first step in trying to cure the problem. What is the best sealant to use please? The motorhome is 11 years old so I suppose this can be expected. Your help would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxer1 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Use some of the non-drying bedding sealants, caraflex etc. I fixed one recently. You have to mark with a pencil where the rubber seal meets. In fact mark it at corners etc so that you are putting it back in its original position. Don't be afraid to use plenty of sealant. Boxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 A sealant commonly used for bedding caravan/motorhome windows is Carafax "Caraseal IDL99". It's mucky stuff and, as it remains sticky, will pick up dirt and muck and tend to complicate cleaning the vehicle. To prevent this, once you've refitted your window, you could run a bead of silicone sealant around the edge of the window where it meets the motorhome's bodywork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 I've used IDL99 for some sealing jobs and it is indeed mucky stuff. However most, if not all, of the sealant used on our current van, which was converted in Belgium, is more similar to the widely used Sikaflex 512 but is definitely not as 'tough', in that it is possible to separate the sealed surfaces relatively easily. I think it's a polyurethane sealant of some sort (it's definitely not silicone) but I've no idea which one - if anyone can suggest what it might be I'd be grateful! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Ordinary silicon doe's not always work it might be a good idea to buy a new length of rubber seal and some caravan window sealant i found that when I recently sorted a caravan wndow for someone the rubber window seal had stretched and gone soft it did not grip around the window opening properly it seems to lose its rigidity and its also a lot easier to remove the window to do the work . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Andy_C - 2009-12-12 11:05 AM I've used IDL99 for some sealing jobs and it is indeed mucky stuff. However most, if not all, of the sealant used on our current van, which was converted in Belgium, is more similar to the widely used Sikaflex 512 but is definitely not as 'tough', in that it is possible to separate the sealed surfaces relatively easily. I think it's a polyurethane sealant of some sort (it's definitely not silicone) but I've no idea which one - if anyone can suggest what it might be I'd be grateful! Andy It could be a product from the Loctite/Henkel range of adhesives/sealants. Hobby certainly uses Henkel products and (because I needed to re-seal my own motorhome's shower-compartment joints) I know that the sealant employed there was Henkel Terostat MS 939. There are alternatives marketed in the UK by Wurth and there's a product called "Innotec Adheseal" that's supposed to have enormous adhesive power. I'd be very wary of using any of these constructional adhesive/sealants for bedding in windows, as they really do bond if the joint is made correctly. If there's any possibility that the window may need to come out subsequently, it might be wiser to stick with 'soft grip' IDL99-type stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache two Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I use W4 from my local caravan dealer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Derek Uzzell - 2009-12-13 8:55 AM Andy_C - 2009-12-12 11:05 AM I've used IDL99 for some sealing jobs and it is indeed mucky stuff. However most, if not all, of the sealant used on our current van, which was converted in Belgium, is more similar to the widely used Sikaflex 512 but is definitely not as 'tough', in that it is possible to separate the sealed surfaces relatively easily. I think it's a polyurethane sealant of some sort (it's definitely not silicone) but I've no idea which one - if anyone can suggest what it might be I'd be grateful! Andy It could be a product from the Loctite/Henkel range of adhesives/sealants. Hobby certainly uses Henkel products and (because I needed to re-seal my own motorhome's shower-compartment joints) I know that the sealant employed there was Henkel Terostat MS 939. There are alternatives marketed in the UK by Wurth and there's a product called "Innotec Adheseal" that's supposed to have enormous adhesive power. I'd be very wary of using any of these constructional adhesive/sealants for bedding in windows, as they really do bond if the joint is made correctly. If there's any possibility that the window may need to come out subsequently, it might be wiser to stick with 'soft grip' IDL99-type stuff. Thanks for that Derek, I've looked up the spec sheet for Terostat MS939. The description calls it a soft elastic product with good adhesion but relatively low strength, which does indeed sound like the product that's been used in our van.. I'll get a tube and try it out. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.