(Re)sealing tent seams

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 Sam W 30 Dec 2021

We've decided to make the most of the mild weather at New Year and take the kids sold camping. This means sorting out our family sized mountain tent which is quite old, all the seam tape is falling off 

I've got some Seam Seal and have started off by running it along the seams and sticking the original tape back in place.  I feel like I may be overcomplicating the job.

Question for the good people of UKC. Is there any benefit in sticking the old tape back in place, or should I just ditch it and trust the Seam Seal on its own?

In reply to Sam W:

I say ditch the tape 

I have a ME Torex 3 with porch All tapes have failed anyone want it ? Had little use but kept in a hot loft in a rolled up free pickup ol3. North East Manchester 

 Jon Read 30 Dec 2021
In reply to Sam W:

I would just use the seam seal only.

 JimbotheScot 30 Dec 2021

I used silicone like this on the outside of my Terra nova quasar

youtube.com/watch?v=BDLVCXRTHKU&

Needs to be silnylon though

On the inside I used seam grip, water tight now for sure

You can't put the tape back on as its put on with heat

Post edited at 17:54
OP Sam W 30 Dec 2021
In reply to Sam W:

Cheers. I'll give up on the tape for the rest of the tent, should speed things up.

 pec 31 Dec 2021
In reply to Sam W:

In the days before taped seams the seams were double folded/stitched lap seams (or something like that), i.e. each end of the fabric being sewn was folded and interlocked with the other before being sewn with two rows of stitching.

This is an inherantly very strong seam and is still used on silnylon tents because you can't tape the seams.

Once seam tape came along, manufacturers ditched the expensive/fiddly seams and just did a single straight line of running stitch. This is inherantly quite weak but they get away with it because the tape glues the two sides of fabric together (as well as waterproofing the stitch holes).

If you just stick sealant on this type of seam after the tape has peeled off you have a very weak seam with stitch holes which will gape under stress and still let some water in.

You may get away with this on a happy camping tent used in benign conditions but not on anything used when the weather gets properly bad. You would need to use some kind of self adhesive tape on the seams for this, like spinnaker nylon tape.

 Moacs 31 Dec 2021
In reply to pec:

> In the days before taped seams the seams were double folded/stitched lap seams (or something like that), i.e. each end of the fabric being sewn was folded and interlocked with the other before being sewn with two rows of stitching.

> This is an inherantly very strong seam and is still used on silnylon tents because you can't tape the seams.

> Once seam tape came along, manufacturers ditched the expensive/fiddly seams and just did a single straight line of running stitch. This is inherantly quite weak but they get away with it because the tape glues the two sides of fabric together (as well as waterproofing the stitch holes).

> If you just stick sealant on this type of seam after the tape has peeled off you have a very weak seam with stitch holes which will gape under stress and still let some water in.

> You may get away with this on a happy camping tent used in benign conditions but not on anything used when the weather gets properly bad. You would need to use some kind of self adhesive tape on the seams for this, like spinnaker nylon tape.

This.  I tried using just the SeamGrip - didn't work.  I then ironed on replacement tape, which was a faff but works perfectly


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