Sikaflex alternative

[ghostlymoron]

Has anyone found a cheaper alternative to Sikaflex?

 

[damo]

For lots of jobs building sealants do just as well, eg sanitary sealants are meant to last 10 years easily, and live in a much more corrosive environment. I still use stickyflex for through-hull fittings though...

 

[alexrunic]

you can't beat silicone sealant its cheap around £3.00 a tube and i have never heard of it letting anyone down.

 

[fluffc]

Sika (the manufacturers) do a whole range of products. I have used their "gutter repair" stuff from a builders merchant to much success. It appears to be the same stuff but branded differently and cheaper.

 

[savageseadog]

Silicone sealant is completely different to Sika which is a polyurethane. There are cheaper polyurethane alternatives, some cure much more quickly and I've noticed the white versions can yellow. I have a load of builders Sikaflex/bond if you need a lot.

 

[VicS]

There are also now "Modified Silicone" (MS) polymer sealants with improved properties.

Cue for Cliff to tell us they are still "builders silicone", with no place on a boat!

 

[damo]

And were marine sealants developed from the construction industry, or the other way round?

 

[doug748]

I have always used this stuff (silicone) for most things, including through hull applications. Its ok, and you have the advantage of being able to get it apart when required.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

You might find this material useful. It's pretty much identical to Sikaflex 291 but about half the price. You might also find the same company's bedding sealant very useful; it's a non-setting polyurethane sealant and very useful for any application where you want a waterproof seal but not a bond requiring hours of effort to dismantle non-destructively. No connection other than as a user.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Sikaflex "EBT" is good stuff (same as 291?) and is not that expensive I bought 10x310ml tubes from Travis Perkins for about £50 fairly recently.

 

[beneteau_305_553]

I use Nail and Seal from B&Q at 4.99 a tube.

 

[TigaWave]

Yes, and better in technical terms, but I'm not sure if they still make it in small tubes.
look at http://www.arbo.co.uk/
They supplied the caulking for the decks of the Warrior in Portsmouth. so don't let anyone tell you its not as good or not for marine applications.

 

[cliff]

[ QUOTE ]
There are also now "Modified Silicone" (MS) polymer sealants with improved properties.

Cue for Cliff to tell us they are still "builders silicone", with no place on a boat!

[/ QUOTE ]Not all of them /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif but some are a little dubious.
---------------------

Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity

 

[2nd_apprentice]

I tend to use acrylic sealant from poundworld for interiour jobs. Important thing is that it's overpaintable which silicone isn't

 

[Blueboatman]

3m make '5200',a marine polyurethane like Sika.If you happen to be visiting the States pop along to a Home Depot superstore and pay...shed prices, in dollars too.

Afaik Sikflex was developed not from the construction industry but car manufacturing which required a sealant to bed windscreens reliably and strongly,since bonded windows are a contributing part of the car shells rigidity..
B&Q.....Breaks Quickly ?

 

[Amulet]

Don't know about price, but the big fat catalogue available from:

http://www.marineindustrial.co.uk/

is the bible of gloop as far as I'm concerned.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Sikaflex 221 is identical to 291 and there are other non marine sika products the same as the "marine " type . The "9" indicates marine

I have also use products from Den Braven for deck corking which has lasted OK

Main market for Den Braven is the motor industry and for windscreen sealing / Fixing.