Butyl Tape As Caulk

[rideandslide]

Hello
Was in the process of putting my repaired awning back on and had used butyl tape as a temporary sealer to cover the open screw hole while the awning was off. As i was putting it back up, i was wondering, why could't i use it as a permanent seal/caulk ? It's easy to just put a ball of it over the screw holes and let it ozz out as i tighten the screws/bracked.

Any Thought ????
Jim

[mel s]

Originally Posted by rideandslide

Hello
Was in the process of putting my repaired awning back on and had used butyl tape as a temporary sealer to cover the open screw hole while the awning was off. As i was putting it back up, i was wondering, why could't i use it as a permanent seal/caulk ? It's easy to just put a ball of it over the screw holes and let it ozz out as i tighten the screws/bracked.

Any Thought ????
Jim

rideandslide;
IMO if it's a quality butyl tape there is no reason not to use it as you describe.
Mel
'96 Safari

[chief02]

Put some under the bracket as well. Tighten and trim off what oozed out. Done. But. Silicone in the screw hole will help keep the screws tight.

[franknj]

I agree with Mel a it's fine to use as a seal. I used it often on sailboats to seal deck fittings. Only suggestion is don't use black or it may streak if exposed. That is the drawback to me. Butyl doesn't harden or cure like other caulk a \ sealants which is a benefit at times. When I used black butyl to seat ports in a boat the instructions said I needed to use a bead of poly to seal the butyl so it didn't run. I switched to gray and didn't have that problem. Just my 2 cents - good luck