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Topic: Resealing advice please

Redorb

12/4/2010 at 12:08pm
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I have just bought an Abbey Ace caravan which is in very good condition for the price but it has some water ingress which I want to stop as soon as I can.

On previous vans I have used exterior silicone with some success but it doesn't last.

I have read some very interesting stuff on this forum and found various differing opinions. I am think going to go along the route of roll mastic supplemented by Sikaflex 521.

But can anyone tell me what width of roll mastic I should use. A rough measurement of the rails/trims would suggest that they are 42mm and 25mm. Should I be looking to find stuff that is exactly those widths or can I use narrower or wider? (I have found 25mm on the web but not 42mm).

Thanks

Rob

Grampian91

12/4/2010 at 5:00pm
Location: Midlands
Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram

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the W4 mastic on the roll seems to work, Dont try it on a hot day its sticky as hell.

I put mine in the freezer overnight, Then in the cool box, It is easier to position and unpeel the backing paper.

wizard9956

12/4/2010 at 6:00pm
Location: Bristol
Outfit: Lunar Conquest 544 a

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I would use Tigerseal tube mastic as it comes out of the tube easier than Sikaflex 512 .
Have a look here for roll mastic sizes see below.

atb

Wizard

1. Mastic Sealing Strip
Mastic Sealing Strip Product Code 40016 Price on application Mastic Strip on 19 metre reels for workshops or large DIY projects. Width 19mm. Only available in complete box
www.w4limited.co.uk/detailpages/W4_40016.html

2. Mastic Sealing Strip
Mastic Sealing Strip Product Code 40017 RRP incl.vat on application Mastic Strip on 19 metre reels for workshops or large DIY projects. Width 32mm. Only available in complete box
www.w4limited.co.uk/detailpages/W4_40017.html

3. Mastic Sealing Strip
Mastic Sealing Strip Product Code 40025 RRP incl.vat on application Mastic Strip on 19 metre reels for workshops or large DIY projects. Width 45mm. Only available in complete box
www.w4limited.co.uk/detailpages/W4_40025.html

4. Mastic Sealing Strip
Mastic Sealing Strip Product Code 00025 RRP incl.vat £9.19 Size:- 45mm. x 5m. Formulated for the sealing and re-bedding of caravan and trailer tent fittings. Suitable for use on
www.w4limited.co.uk/detailpages/W4_00025.html

5. Mastic Sealing Strip
Mastic Sealing Strip Product Code 00016 RRP incl.vat £5.59 Size:- 19mm x 5m. Formulated for the sealing and re-bedding of caravan and trailer tent fittings. Suitable for use on
www.w4limited.co.uk/detailpages/W4_00016.html

6. Mastic Sealing Strip
Mastic Sealing Strip Product Code 00017 RRP incl.vat £7.47 Size:- 32mm. x 5m. Formulated for the sealing and re-bedding of caravan and trailer tent fittings. Suitable for use on
www.w4limited.co.uk/detailpages/W4_00017.html

Redorb

12/4/2010 at 11:17pm
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Grampian, thanks for the tip about hot days and the roll mastic- that's is a mistake that I would have certainly made (if we get any hot weather that is!).

Hello Wizard - it was partly the great information on your web pages that persuaded me to take this route - thank you for sharing your experience. My confusion is what widths to use - none of the W4 stuff is exactly the right width for my trims/rails - what do I do? Do I get a wider strip and cut off the excess? Or can I get away with using a narrower strip?

rouses

13/4/2010 at 9:38am
Location: Cov
Outfit: Fleetwood Colchester 500E & L200

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Hi Redorb

I went for the narrower option. Cutting that stuff is nearly impossible once it warms up. When you screw the rails back on, the compression squeezes the W4 and widens the seal. Then a nice tidy trim of Silkaflex along the rail finished the job and hopefully sealed it for a good few years.

wizard9956

13/4/2010 at 5:34pm
Location: Bristol
Outfit: Lunar Conquest 544 a

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Hi Redorb , on my rails i used wider roll mastic and trimed it down , but you can get in a right mess with it if you don't have a very sharp knife . If you do decide to use narrower width roll mastic each side of the rail make sure , where the screw holes are in the rail , give them a good dollop of tube mastic ( between the roll mastic strips ) .

atb

Wizard

Redorb

14/4/2010 at 10:14am
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Many thanks - now ready to get on with it!

megabyte

12/4/2013 at 11:13pm
Location: Ayrshire Scotland
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The old posts are the best, thanks for the advice Wizard

lunarvenus

13/4/2013 at 8:01am
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I used sikaflex marine sealent, £10.50 a tube , its good stuff.

michael

13/4/2013 at 8:37am
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Top tip I read was when resealing rails buy a quality masking tape and place under the rails before you start.this way a lot of cleaning time is saved after.if you use a cheap one it may not want to come off.

-------------
the only silly question is the one you do not ask.

megabyte

13/4/2013 at 10:01pm
Location: Ayrshire Scotland
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I did mine today, the old sealant was white and amazingly sticky but didn't seem to do anything but get everywhere. The new sealant is the W4 stuff and dead easy to do if you take your time. The heavens opened just as I was finishing so I got to check out my handy work in action

plasticnut

14/4/2013 at 6:10am
Location: St Helens Merseyside
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Looking to do one of my window rails which is leaking in the next couple of days. How do you stop the mastic strip from wrapping around the screws?

michael

14/4/2013 at 9:36am
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Quote: Originally posted by plasticnut on 14/4/2013Looking to do one of my window rails which is leaking in the next couple of days. How do you stop the mastic strip from wrapping around the screws?

You dip the screw in water as things that are wet will not stick to the mastic.

-------------
the only silly question is the one you do not ask.

megabyte

06/8/2013 at 10:38pm
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I have just got a solar panel to fix to the caravan roof and it comes with sikaflex, it also says this can be used as a sealant for the caravan, has anyone used Sikaflex as opposed to mastic ?

Al+Mel

06/8/2013 at 11:11pm
Location: Hants
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Yes, for about 20+ years! Mainly on yachts. It is a superb sealant and adhesive, far better than any normal mastic UNLESS you want to take the joint apart again (fridge vents etc.) at some point. If you degrease properly before using Sikaflex it won't come off and there is no solvent for it once it has cured.

jeff juke

07/8/2013 at 12:15pm
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Id buy new screws before you did a reseal(needed or not) as i was caught out once and had to stop the job and go and get them.

-------------
Animals have feelings..

JEFF................

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