where to buy butyl tape in Preveza?

[Zen Zero]

Well here we are in Greece.

Found the boat full of water - rain is getting in through a poorly sealed perspex window. I removed the frame and took the pane out, and then it started raining cats and dogs so i put it back witth a basin under it and went to look for new sealant. No luck in Igouminitsa, but a nice giro lunch and since it was still raining drove the hire car south towards Preveza and Lefkada. Whether it's because it was Monday afternoon or raining or the day before a holiday or a combination of these and other factors i don't know but everything was shut except one shop in Lefkas who told me to use sikaflex.

So does anyone kniw for certain where a roll of butyl tape can be got within an hour's drive of Sivota?

And ang suggestions for how to get old butyl off boats?

 

[sailaboutvic]

I try to buy some in Italy , no one heard of it ,ended having it sent out from eBay

 

[macd]

I regularly use butyl but afraid I've never noticed it for sale in the Med: get mine from UK caravan specialists such as this one: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251285702478?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649.

It's excellent stuff for sealing windows: leak-proof, stays flexible (so allows expansion movement) and not at all messy to use, although it's not the neatest solution if the window trim allows it to be seen. A specialist acrylic foam tape is neater if the bedded area is visible.

Slight traces can be removed harmlessly with a rag soaked in vegetable oil (olive, sunflower etc) but it takes a fair bit of effort. Bigger lumps are best removed mechanically.

 

[danielefua]

Butyl tape is very common and easily found all over the world; the only problem is that very few people know it under its chemical name.
You may find it in hardware stores that sell plumbing articles and usually they will understand what you are looking for if you call it something like "mastic for kitchen sinks". Indeed the most common use for butyl tape is for sealing the edges of modern metal kitchen sinks at the contact with their supporting shelf (usually in wood or plastic material).

Daniel

 

[skipmac]

Take care because all butyl tape is NOT created equal. I purchased three rolls from the local RV dealer (camper, caravan,??? but you know the one with it's own engine) one each white, black and gray. I figured the different colors would be appropriate depending on what I was bedding and the color. So a white fitting on a white deck use white tape. Well a couple of years later the white tape dried up, the black was hard and inflexible and the gray was sticky and flexible like new. The camper people say in general the gray stuff is the best but even in gray I see different qualities. You can mail order high quality, marine grade butyl tape from this guy and know it's the right stuff.

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/butyl_tape

 

[danielefua]

Yes indeed, Skipmac is perfectly right. Not all the stuff sold as "butyl tape" or whatever is indeed reliable. Apparently the truly grey tape seems more reliable but I would avoid cheap bargains. High prices are not always a guarantee but unusually low prices can be pretty often "lemons".

Daniel