Repairing leaky seam seal tape

[Hunt_Jefferson]

I’ve got this pack which is canvas with a (rubber?) coated interior. The seams are taped inside but when I submerge the pack water starts to flow under the tape. Anything I can do to restore the waterproofness? Spray the whole inside with Flex Seal?

Once water gets in, it has nowhere to go due to the fabric coating and just soaks whatever is in the pack.

Water enters from under the tape, not out through the threads:

 

[WoodBow]

I would think a smear of silicone would help a lot.

I have also had great luck with clear gorilla brand gear repair tape. You can buy it at Wal-Mart and it is very cheap. For years I've had a piece covering the hole where the zipper used to be on my rain jacket. Bow string snagged the pull when I shot a small buck and it removed the entire zipper.



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[Jethro]

Maybe Gear Aid Aquaseal?

 

[*zap*]

I would imagine the edges of the tape are loose and the water enters the seam and comes out on the edges..... but really to stop water the best you would want to waterproof the outside of the seams...you could also remove all the seam seal, clean that area and re-seam seal it.

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

I would imagine the edges of the tape are loose and the water enters the seam and comes out on the edges..... but really to stop water the best you would want to waterproof the outside of the seams...you could also remove all the seam seal, clean that area and re-seam seal it.

This is the exterior of the pack in the leak area, not sure I could seal the outside without it looking like garbage.
I think a combination of these suggestions might work. Trim out the area that isn’t sealing and use tape or sealant over the area.

 

[*zap*]

You might do a few applications of silicone spray waterproof on that outside and then do the inside...clean it up well with some rubbing alcohol.

Gear aid guide for seam sealing:

Tips for Using Seam Grip WP

Learn how to use Seam Grip WP to repair tears and seam seal tents for waterproof and permanent protection.

www.gearaid.com

 

[zeroforhire]

Seamgrip


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[Hunt_Jefferson]

Well two items that don't work: Permatex silicone sealant (left over from sealing a silpoly tarp) and FlexSeal tape. Neither adhere to the rubber coating on the fabric, they just peel off cleanly.

FlexTape says in small letters "may not adhere to waterproof/water-resistant materials" so maybe that's why it didn't work. Any idea if Tenacious Tape would be better? Says "Ultra-strong adhesive permanently bonds to outdoor fabrics and materials including nylon, vinyl, rubber and plastic"

I sent an email and photo to GearAid to get their input on which product might be best (Aquaseal, Seamgrip, Tenacious Tape).

 

[Rich M]

They sell some liquid seam seal stuff for tents. You may be able to fill the outer seam with it. And do the inner seam?

Why are you putting it in water?

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

They sell some liquid seam seal stuff for tents. You may be able to fill the outer seam with it. And do the inner seam?

Why are you putting it in water?

It’s a fishing pack and supposed to keep my camera gear dry if I take an unexpected dunk in the water. I’ve found a few holes now that need to be patched otherwise water gets in and stays in due to the rubber interior coating.

 

[Rich M]

Gotcha. I've got one of those yellow bass pro shops water resistant duffles I use a lot. Works well but it has like a plastic boot on the bottom.

The rubber coating on the inside - they sell these clear tape-like tire patches that might work on smaller holes.

The whole seam thing screams tent seam sealant to me. Not sure how long it would last tho.

 

[Wrench]

Since it's had silicone on it, you'll need to clean it or scuff it in order for anything to stick.

I would clean it with alcohol/lacquer thinner....etc then apply aquaseal.

If the tape has just lifted, a clothes iron can reset the tape quite often.

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

Quick update if others try to waterproof a bag with coated material like this. The GearAid SeamGrip WP does adhere well to the rubber coated material, Tenacious Tape does not. Plan was to coat with SeamGrip then apply Tenacious tape over the cured SeamGrip but the tape just doesn't stick to the bag well enough.

Use a LOT of SeamGrip WP, even if it looks like the threads are well-coated but you can see some texture from the thread - it will leak. You need a thick coat of Seamgrip everywhere. I didn't put enough and have some pinhole leaks in spots.

The problem with this pack is the factory seam tape is really just to hold the standing seam down for a "cleaner" look, it covers one side of the standing seam but not the other. Water enters the pack through the stitching and gets trapped under the tape so it appears its waterproofed but in reality any hole or bad adherence spot of the tape is going to let water flood into the pack and it can't get out. The standing seam needs to be sealed in three spots: both sides of the seam as well as the middle. I goobered up the middle of the seam with SeamGrip and used binder clips to hold it closed but still missed a few areas.