Teak Handrail Butyl Tape Question

[med2463]

This may be a dumb question, but can't find an answer on internet. I'm removing the handrails and rebedding with butyl tape. Question is do I just put the tape around the screws or do I put the tape all along the underside of the handrail that touches the deck?

 

[Tim R.]

You want to keep water from sitting under the handrail where it can attack whatever finish you have applied(if any) so I would seal the entire footprint.

Butyl may not be the best solution here. It will likely be near impossible to tighten the hardware enough to properly set the butyl without destroying the handrail. The base of the handrail needs to be tight against the cabin top. Warming the butyl will help a little.

I ran into this on some teak trim on my boat last year. I used butyl on the chamferred holes for the hardware and used Sikaflex 291 for the rest.

 

[Maine Sail]

You want to keep water from sitting under the handrail where it can attack whatever finish you have applied(if any) so I would seal the entire footprint.

Butyl may not be the best solution here. It will likely be near impossible to tighten the hardware enough to properly set the butyl without destroying the handrail. The base of the handrail needs to be tight against the cabin top. Warming the butyl will help a little.

I ran into this on some teak trim on my boat last year. I used butyl on the chamferred holes for the hardware and used Sikaflex 291 for the rest.

On through bolted hand rails it works quite well but with screwed hand rails you would want your body weight to do most if not all of the compression. Even with through bolted I use body weight to do 9/10th of the compression. This makes it a two person job. As you found out teak eyebrow trim is just too thin for butyl as are some thin plastics & aluminum pieces that screw in as they will deflect at the screw or bolt and not compress the butyl along the rest of the length....

I second your suggestion of sealing the bottoms of the hand rails, or any teak, as invariably some moisture will break the edge of the finish and migrate.

 

[Delezynski]

Mary,

You might want to take a look at our short Youtube video of replacing our rails. It's at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP7KS2knxn4&feature=share&list=UUyGH1-xOhCotpV_zhSzQq7g

*** Note, this video is in 3D, but you can turn that off by going to the bottom and clicking on the red "3D", then selecting off.

Hope it helps!!!!

Greg

 

[caguy]

Mary,

You might want to take a look at our short Youtube video of replacing our rails. It's at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP7KS2knxn4&feature=share&list=UUyGH1-xOhCotpV_zhSzQq7g

*** Note, this video is in 3D, but you can turn that off by going to the bottom and clicking on the red "3D", then selecting off.

Hope it helps!!!!

Greg

Thanks Greg, great video. Appreciate the tips. It only goes to show that you may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can sure learn from them. :dance:

 

[caguy]

Mary,

You might want to take a look at our short Youtube video of replacing our rails. It's at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP7KS2knxn4&feature=share&list=UUyGH1-xOhCotpV_zhSzQq7g

*** Note, this video is in 3D, but you can turn that off by going to the bottom and clicking on the red "3D", then selecting off.

Hope it helps!!!!

Greg

I'd like to view your videos on the big screen with my not so smart 60" tv, but there is no 3d option so it shows up as a split screen.
Is there anything you can do to reformat your videos to 2d without too much trouble?

 

[gettinthere]

If you are going to varnish the rail, varnish the bottoms before install as well as the whole rail. That will better seal the wood from any bit of water migrating under the varnish and eventually lifting the edge