I have a Catalina 30 with leaky windows. From the outside. I am not ready to pull them. The window frame to hull looks good and I believe none leak at that point. It is coming around the rubber window glazing that is old. Life seal has a few products. Life seal, life caulk and life rubber as well as others. What are the difference in these and which would be the preferred choice to use. I want to trim off the bad seals and then mask the glass and frame and apply. I have read some members here have had good luck in doing so. Recommendations?
Life Seal Products
- Thread starter Admiral
- Start date
My boat has 5 opening ports, 4 of which were leaking when I bought her 5 months ago. I pulled 2 of the worst leaking ones out, cleaned off all the old silicone (including light sanding), and applied Life Seal. Removing the old silicone was a chore and a half, so for the 2 that weren't leaking very much, I cheated and simply removed the old silicone with the ports in place, and applied Life Seal. All 4 ports are now 100% leak free after 2 months in the rainy Vancouver weather.
BoatLife has a pdf that explains and compares all of their products. Here's the excerpt for Life Calk and Life Seal.
LifeSeal® Sealant
A unique combination of marine silicone and polyurethane,
formulated especially for fiberglass. LifeSeal® offers a fast-curing,
low odor, high adhesion, non-sagging, non-corrosive, non-yellowing
formula. It provides a durable watertight seal for joints subject to
structural movement. May be used above and below the waterline.
Use for sealing decks to hulls, thru-hull fittings, vinyl ports, sealing/glazing
windshields and bedding marine hardware. Will adhere to metal, glass,
wood, Lexan®, ABS® and certain other materials. Can be removed without
damaging gel-coat. Not recommended for ferro cement hulls, impregnated
wood or oil-soaked materials. UV resistant. Mildew resistant and acid
free. Custom colors available.
Life-Calk® Sealant
A long lasting, permanently flexible marine polysulfide sealant
which can be sanded, painted***, and used above and below
the waterline. Tack-free in 1 to 3 days*, excellent resistance to
teak oils, gasoline, and diesel fuel. Ideal for teak decks, to bed
deck and hull hardware, seal thru-hull fittings, and underwater
seams. Will bond to fiberglass, wood, metal, glass, and itself.
Cures to a firm flexible rubber seal with excellent waterproofing
and adhesion qualities. Can be applied underwater for
emergency repairs. Can be applied to damp surfaces.
Caulking a port by applying caulk to the outside of the lens or where the lens and the frame meet is seldom an effective solution. In the end the leak is not stopped and the amount of work involved to fix the leak correctly is increased.
You may get a short term cure, but you are curing the symptoms, not the cause.
Catalina Direct sells the materials needed to do the job properly. It is pretty straight forward, as @AndyBC notes, the hardest part is removing the old caulk. It is made easier with a caulk remover, 3m and Goo Gone make them. These are really caulk softeners and they work on releasing the bond between caulk and the frame.
You may get a short term cure, but you are curing the symptoms, not the cause.
Catalina Direct sells the materials needed to do the job properly. It is pretty straight forward, as @AndyBC notes, the hardest part is removing the old caulk. It is made easier with a caulk remover, 3m and Goo Gone make them. These are really caulk softeners and they work on releasing the bond between caulk and the frame.
