grey or white caulking Q

[vas]

hello all,

got a bit of a problem...
I laid teak on the heads floors (and a largish step/seating thing) which adds up to 2sqm (give or take)
Teak was 49mm wide strips 11mm thick (I think I overdid it, will slice thinner next time...) Strips are spaced 6mm apart.

Looked around Greece for white or grey caulking and I had no luck whatsoever.
I know I should really get TDS SIS440 stuff, BUT I've not managed to get any dealer locally.

Someone suggested I use SIKA 221 which is not for caulking!
Others mentioned SIKA 291 (or 292)... Officially SIKA recommends 290DC for caulking, but it's only black and I don't want black caulking in this place.

So Q time:

Bearing in mind that we are talking INDOORS use, so no UV whatsoever to mess things up, is it safe to use something like SIKA 291 or should I get the real thing (TDS)?

Alternatively, anyone know of a dealer willing to send a couple of tubes (or a sausage) down here reasonably quickly? (i.e. NOT from the states with customs involved)
I just emailed http://zetamarinegroup.com/Company.htm (the EU dealer) and found another site in ES that has them in stock on their online shop, so will investigate with them as well. (http://www.bluemarinestore.com/teak-deck-caulking-tds-sis440.html )

Anyone got a couple of tubes or a sausage spare I could buy?

cheers

V.

 

[gjgm]

291 is an adhesive isn't it ? I have sometimes used it as a temporary filler if a patch of caulking has gone tacky, until I get round to using 290. I am guessing that 291 doesn't give that tactile non slip quality, and I think it tends to stay a bit shiny, from memory.
Slight drift, anyone know why 290 keeps going tacky..? I thought it might be from some chemical, but I haven't used anything this time.

 

[jfm]

I would think white 291 will be perfectly fine. It is sand-able, which is important. It is much stiffer than deck caulk, so if the wood expands it could "tent", but maybe you can have 4mm gaps at the edges and fill/cover with a bead of white silicone, then you'll be fine

I only have 1/2 sausage of TDS440 left I'm afraid, and I'm about to use it. Good luck finding it but iirc the pack size is 10 tubes! 291 will likely be your answer

 

[jfm]

anyone know why 290 keeps going tacky..?

Plenty of caulk products do that in the sun, and 2-parrt cleaner makes it worse. Saba does it, I found to my horror on my last boat. The TDS products use more silicone and don't go tacky. I keep saying this but nobody, especially the Sika fans, will listen: TDS 440 is the best retail-available product for deck caulking, bar none. Royal Huisman use it, for starters. I have it on my current boat and I have zero problems with it

 

[Prhperio]

If you can't get the "proper" TDS stuff, our local chandlery has the 291 in stock by the look of it...

http://www.force4.co.uk/1337/Sikaflex-291-White-300ml-Cartridge.html

Can't imagine that the UK is the closest source for you but if push comes to shove I'll happily pop in there and get a tube in the post to you if that helps (don't ask me how long the post will take to Athens though!)

Paul

 

[vas]

I would think white 291 will be perfectly fine. It is sand-able, which is important. It is much stiffer than deck caulk, so if the wood expands it could "tent", but maybe you can have 4mm gaps at the edges and fill/cover with a bead of white silicone, then you'll be fine

I only have 1/2 sausage of TDS440 left I'm afraid, and I'm about to use it. Good luck finding it but iirc the pack size is 10 tubes! 291 will likely be your answer

Thanks J,

checked the (minimal) specs that SIKA give out, seems that it could do the job (there's grey as well which would match the grout on my 20X20 mosaic tiles!) although there's no mention on it being sandable .

BTW, we are talking about the new I technology series by SIKA, so we are talking 291i, correct?

I'm happy to leave a 3-4mm gap and use normal white silicone as I want to be able to remove the panels if something wrong happens (or simply to access the pipework underneath although all servicing can be done with the panels in place) I'll bolt them down with nice hex headed countersunk 6X50 screws (and hope I can get the dirt and sand out of the hex head to undo them when needed...)

If you can't get the "proper" TDS stuff, our local chandlery has the 291 in stock by the look of it...

http://www.force4.co.uk/1337/Sikaflex-291-White-300ml-Cartridge.html

Can't imagine that the UK is the closest source for you but if push comes to shove I'll happily pop in there and get a tube in the post to you if that helps (don't ask me how long the post will take to Athens though!)

Paul

thanks Paul for the kind offer, I can get white 291i down here, 300m from home, so no problems.

I'll leave the two companies I've contacted up to Monday to respond, if not I'll get a couple of tubes of 291i and be done with!

cheers

V

 

[gjgm]

Plenty of caulk products do that in the sun, and 2-parrt cleaner makes it worse. Saba does it, I found to my horror on my last boat. The TDS products use more silicone and don't go tacky. I keep saying this but nobody, especially the Sika fans, will listen: TDS 440 is the best retail-available product for deck caulking, bar none. Royal Huisman use it, for starters. I have it on my current boat and I have zero problems with it

Ok thanks..I did wonder if it was the 2 part cleaner. I guess most of us use Sika as that is what is on the shelves... I will keep an eye out for TDS for when I have to re-do this..again !!

 

[James L]

We used 291 for a small bit of caulking on our indoor teak (not on purpose, but it was the end of a long day).
After sanding, looking close up you could see it didn't bond to the sides as well as the 290, there were some small air bubbles, I'd guess it just doesn't flow as well so won't fill every crevice.
18 months on, there's no noticeable difference, I had forgotten about it until I read this, but then this doesn't get wet so I don't know if there would be a difference in damp conditions.

Definitely I'd wait a bit longer before sanding, as it didn't seem to sand as easily or as smooth as the 290, but wait for the 290 if you can get it.

 

[Prhperio]

<<< thanks Paul for the kind offer, I can get white 291i down here, 300m from home, so no problems.

I'll leave the two companies I've contacted up to Monday to respond, if not I'll get a couple of tubes of 291i and be done with! >>>

No problem , the offers always open if there's anything else you need that you can't get locally :encouragement:

How about some pics when the jobs finished? Be good to see. I was reading jfm's build threads recently and was a little dubious about the white caulking at first but see the light now! I should think especially inside it would look great (and I think I'd have it outside in a med boat now)

Cheers!

Paul

 

[jfm]

was a little dubious about the white caulking at first but see the light now!

I was dubious too. But 1.5 years on I have zero regrets and totally love it. I'm so glad I did it!

 

[vas]

No problem , the offers always open if there's anything else you need that you can't get locally :encouragement:

How about some pics when the jobs finished? Be good to see. I was reading jfm's build threads recently and was a little dubious about the white caulking at first but see the light now! I should think especially inside it would look great (and I think I'd have it outside in a med boat now)

Cheers!

Paul

thanks Paul!
Just posted on the main thread, but too tired to sort out and prepare pics of the decks. Will do tomorrow most likely, or Sunday.

UPDATE:
after two emails, Zetamarine group pointed to the Athens dealer for the stuff.
A phonecall later, 3 cartridges are on their way to Volos. 59.50 euro, not bad and they had grey as well!

So hopefully on Sunday I'll caulk them up and wait for curing!

If anyone is interested, company is Albatros, www.albatrosltd.gr, person to speak to is Petros Coveos. Top service!


And to add to this issue, since my grooves are too deep (6mm wide, by 11mm deep) I'm planning to go the old traditional route with rope in the gap instead of the breaking tape as proportions of the sealant will be all wrong no matter what and it's much easier to break at the sides.
Any objections?
Any particular type of rope to avoid?

Was thinking of squashing a 7mm cheap rope in there. When teak shrinks, rope would "move" (or rather "rise") in the groove to accommodate the stretching of the sealant without stressing it too much

cheers

V.