Polyurethane for Outdoor Use Top Selections, Buying Exterior Polyurethane Considerable Facts. Some names for specific fabrics using silicone coatings are, (referring to nylon that has been silicone coated) and. Polyurethane leather waterproof is a polyurethane type of coating applied to poly leather surfaces to make them resistant to water. Take precautions by keeping a bucket of water handy while working; as a rag becomes oil-saturated, drop it in the bucket while continuing with a clean rag. Introducing Sikalastic One Shot Innovations. Laminates are discussed more in-depth in our fabrics article, and arent often used in tents. It is a pitch-free PU based liquid applied single component elastomeric waterproofing membrane. Reducing exposure, sealing, varnishing, painting, and many DIY methods are used for their maximum protection against damage. Sanding Between Coats of Polyurethane Why Necessary? This combination provides some of the benefits of silicone (more hydrophobic, better long-term waterproofness, etc.) Sometimes youll see misleading things like fly and floor are silicone treated, coated in a durable silicone repellent, or silicone-treated ripstop nylon, when companies are actually using sil/PU or sil/PE fabrics, so make sure to get into the nitty-gritty tech specs to make sure you actually know what youre getting. The first issue we have with PU is that it decreases the tear strength of the fabric to which it is applied. Never shake or briskly stir sealants before application; doing so can cause air bubbles that can remain on the wood surface, even after the sealant dries. Like all living things, they need water to survive, and when they have a moisture-rich environment like a waterlogged PU-coated fabric the mold can destroy the coating, leading to a foul smelling tent with compromised waterproofness. Of the three coatings discussed here (PU, PE, and silicone), PU has the worst hydrolytic stability. However, if youre hoping to be using your tent a decade from now, then it would be a good idea to seek out tents without PU coatings. Yes, you can do that. . Storing your tent in a dry environment will also prolong the life of your tent. However, if youre hoping to be using your tent a decade from now, then it would be a good idea to seek out tents without PU coatings. Outdoor polyurethane is a particular form of varnish representing a correct combination of resin and oils, quite different from regular polyurethane. We use PE-coated fabrics on the 70D and 210D floors of our expedition series tents, because those fabrics start out with an extremely high tear strength, so the burliness of the fabric itself is more than enough to compensate for the reduction in tear strength by the PE coating. Without the proper knowledge of how to waterproof wood, however, most lumber will suffer from exposure to moisture and high humidity, resulting in swelling, warping, or even rotting. : Coatings affect the tear strength of the fabric to which theyre applied by enhancing or reducing the fabrics elasticity. In Stock at Store Today. Built-in foam brush makes application easy; clear, flexible, long-lasting finish is nearly invisible to keep gear looking like new. . 3. So, we consider letting them know what weve found to satisfy their thirst! As long as you store your tent properly, your sil/sil fabrics will outlast all other coatings and coating combinations. Later, hang the rags out to dry separately. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In our opinion, PE coatings are under-appreciated and underutilized. With time, weathering effects, the expansion and contraction of the . If it soaks in too far while its being applied, it can lead to coating adhesion failures when the PU is applied. This coating is typically applied to concrete, masonry, metal, and other building materials. REI and the REI Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. These holes are produced when bubbles become trapped in the paint while mixing, stirring, or shaking the paint. PE has similar characteristics to PU in that it can be combined with fire retardants and is applied in a similar manner, but with a few major differences that make it better for some applications and worse for others. After years of searching, we finally found a 20D lightweight PE-coated fabric that was strong enough to use on the floor of our Portal tent. Gretton et al. Long-term waterproofness is another area in which PU coatings have some drawbacks. So why aren't they ubiquitous? Different coatings have different properties that make them ideal for specific applications. It is recommended that you start with 100-grit sandpaper, followed by 150-grit, and finish with 220-grit sandpaper. Thats also a huge no-no. Despite its nostalgia, Old Tent Smell means that your beloved tent has entered its sunset years. This is accomplished by measuring how tall a column of water is before the weight of the water exerts enough pressure to start pushing it through the fabric. Although FR chemistry is no longer required, many tent companies still add toxic FR chemicals to their tents. The molecules bond together too tightly when the substance dries, creating a very tough and durable finish on exterior wood surfaces. The amount of silicone that can be applied to a fabric is limited by the thickness of the fabric. To differentiate pure-silicone coatings from sil/PU coatings, they are most commonly referred to as sil/sil fabrics, which indicates that silicone was applied to both sides of the fabric. If it soaks in too far while its being applied, it can lead to coating adhesion failures when the PU is applied. ire retardant chemicals are being used, they must be mixed in with the coating before it is applied to the fabric. Polyurethane can give both a clear finish with added natural hue or a rich amber tone. Under normal conditions, silicone is so hydrophobic (whens the last time you had to wring out a spatula?) hydrolysis). They are indeed a form of varnish (as said above) with other polyurethane features, for instance, spar polyurethane varnish for outdoor. After a couple minutes, take your damp cloth and wipe off any excess coating. All SlingFin tents are FR-free. Type. Silicone-coated fabrics last longer and have numerous advantages over PU and PE coatings. This technique determines how much water pressure must be exerted on a fabric before it begins to pass through. The polyurethane protective coating has a restricted pot life, the impermeable floor coating permits water to form below the floor coating. The most vital difference is the ratio of solids. Apply the mixed epoxy with a roller. Well go more in depth into Suter Testing in future articles. Get it May 1 - 15. A fabric is generally considered waterproof if its water column is around 1,000mm or more. Unfortunately, once hydrolysis has begun, theres no stopping it. Substrate and primer. Humidity alone can destroy coated fabrics and factory hot-taped seams. To stay secured it is essential for wood to expand or contract. Mold and mildew are some of the top tent killers out there. When I first encountered this on my dads 1970s North Face VE-24, I tried as many homespun cures as I could, to no avail. , nylon will sag when it gets wet, so PU-coated fly fabric has the tendency to sag. There are a few minor issues with silicone from a functional standpoint. This technique determines how much water pressure must be exerted on a fabric before it begins to pass through. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. People are more interested to know which polyurethane is the most effective than asking whether polyurethane is truly useful! INTRODUCTION. This doesnt factor in much to most companies decisions to coat their fabrics with PU, as its assumed that something else on the tent will break or youll upgrade before hydrolysis becomes a problem. On the other hand, oil-based polys are more resilient against outside adversaries, in addition to UV blocking capacity. Stain and sealer can have finishes that are transparent, opaque, or in between. In the case of fabrics with low slippage, adjacent yarns are not recruited to resist the stress, which then gets applied to only one yarn at a time. Its easiest to start with PEs greatest disadvantage, and work from there. One is that it cant be seamtaped effectively. It's easy to apply with standard water-based polyurethane application methods, and it features . It is India's only construction chemical manufacturing company to have ISO 9001:2015 accreditation for Research & Development. Unfortunately, once hydrolysis has begun, theres no stopping it. Water type is more susceptible to sunlight and exterior environment. Stain and sealer needs to be reapplied to exterior wood every year or so, according to your climate. Its a fairly specialized technique but most premium factories have this capability. Polyurethane Varnish (optional) Lacquer (optional) Polyester paint brush Paint sprayer (optional). This distributes the stress on the fabric over a larger area, thus reducing the force and making the fabric less likely to tear. Dip the applicator in the polyurethane. It is one of the most critical features required for a good exterior wood poly. choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. You have three ways to make your woods fully waterproof . bottle waterproofs up to 85 sq. The following is a complete guide to provide you insights on the selection and use of polyurethane to preserve exterior woods. It falls somewhere on the spectrum around vomit, smelly gym clothes and old raisins and permeates my early memories of camping with my parents. Set your tent up in a dry, sunny spot or brightly lit room so you can easily examine all of the seams. This makes it difficult to maintain a taught pitch in humid and wet conditions. While WPBs often have a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish, they dont get their waterproofness from the DWR. All our sil/sil flies are sewn with double needle lap-felled seams. The irony that the cause of the stench is PU is not lost on us. Sometimes you even have to call brands to get a straight answer. The other big advantage to PE coatings is their great hydrolytic stability. It has a distinctive microscopic formulation containing chains of resin molecules. Sealing with a polyurethane or epoxy sealant, followed by exterior wood polyurethane coating, is the best way to completely waterproof your wood. Polycoat Products has manufactured high-performance polyurethane and polyurea coatings for nearly four decades. Polyurethane is a rather popular choice for waterproof coatings due to its ease of installation. Brush or spray wood sealant onto clean, sanded wood in a well-ventilated space. Laminates are discussed more in-depth in our. You can purchase pre-blended Tung oil and linseed oil products, or you can mix your own for a custom finish. If you need a perfect outdoor clear coat reflecting the natural wood grain of your woods, you can not choose a polyurethane matte finish. The weight and composition of the fabric as well as the intended application are both important factors in coating choice. 2023 Recreational Equipment, Inc. All rights reserved. Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device, CrossBow Four-Season (CrossBow R/S) (2015-2020), One of the most important functions of a tent is (obviously) to keep you dry. On absorbent surfaces, a priming coat is recommended to seal pores and stabilise the surface before the application of a polyurethane waterproof coating. You are accessing "{currentSite}", it seems you are accessing it from "{currentCountry}". We use PE coated fabrics in most of our floors, which are seam taped and are not subjected to as much UV radiation. A seam style known as double needle lap-felledincreases seam waterproofness and can reduce or eliminatethe need to seal or tape the seam when you're using sil/sil fabrics. In addition to the polyurethane waterproofing product, you require a mixing device and a roller, brush or airless spray. This means one side of the fabric (usually the inside) is coated with PU and the other side is coated with silicone. Page - 1 Prep the seams by gently cleaning them with a rag and rubbing alcohol. Occasionally, you may come across tents made with fabrics that are waterproof without the use of a coating. Polyurethane liquid membranes in separate grades for trowel, roller, or spray are also available from various manufacturers. On lightweight fabrics, like the 10D we use in our Portal and 2Lite, we recommend using a silicone-based seam sealant to stop water from wicking through the seams. This reduces slippage and consequently reduces the tear strength, making PU-coated fabrics slightly weaker than the fabric before coating. If you find seam tape that is coming loose on the underside of the fly, gently remove any peeling sections, but leave intact sections in place. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. This happens because of the way the coating affects the slippage of the fabric. Polyurethanes are a broad class of polymers encompassing two of the three common fabric coatings: polyester urethane (PU) and polyether urethane (PE/PeU). What sheen you want is a critical consideration too. This makes PU ideal for applications when there will be a lot of pressure exerted on a fabric, like if youre using a cot in your tent. PU can achieve high hydrostatic head ratings, it can accept fire retardants to meet bygone fire retardancy standards, its inexpensive, and it doesnt reduce the fabrics tear strength as much as PE coatings do. But those forms of polyurethane that are mainly built for outdoor use (mostly made of oil) have a close relation, instead of differences, with varnish. You will seal seams on the underside of the fly and the inner side of the tent body. Long-term waterproofness is another area in which PU coatings have some drawbacks. . Drying Time. We use PE-coated fabrics on the 70D and 210D floors of our expedition series tents, because those fabrics start out with an extremely high tear strength, so the burliness of the fabric itself is more than enough to compensate for the reduction in tear strength by the PE coating. I know of onlya few companies that use them, and two of them (SlingFin and Mountain Hardwear) were founded by the same person. PUs water absorption causes a few additional problems. The laminates youll usually see used in shelters are Dyneema Composite Fabric (aka Cuben Fiber) and waterproof breathable fabrics (WPBs) that are used in most single-wall tents. Sometimes youll see misleading things like fly and floor are silicone treated, coated in a durable silicone repellent, or silicone-treated ripstop nylon, when companies are actually using sil/PU or sil/PE fabrics, so make sure to get into the nitty-gritty tech specs to make sure you actually know what youre getting. 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Permits water to form below the floor coating s only construction chemical manufacturing company to have ISO 9001:2015 accreditation Research... Easy ; clear, flexible, long-lasting finish is nearly invisible to keep gear looking like.! Premium factories have this capability guide to provide you insights on the other big advantage PE. } '', it can lead to coating adhesion failures when the dries... Waterproofing product, you may visit `` cookie Settings '' to provide you insights the. Rei Co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc a correct combination of resin molecules to have ISO accreditation! That it decreases the tear strength, making PU-coated fabrics slightly weaker than the fabric to. A larger area, thus reducing the force and making the fabric as well as the intended application are important... Or shaking the paint elastomeric waterproofing membrane water pressure must be mixed with... Fabric less likely to tear seam taped and are not subjected to much. ( whens the last time you had to wring out a spatula? and sealer have. Polyurethane liquid membranes in separate grades for trowel, roller, or spray are available... The thickness of the fabric application easy ; clear, flexible, long-lasting finish is nearly invisible to gear... Your wood into Suter Testing in future articles surfaces, a priming coat is to. The benefits of silicone that can be applied to the polyurethane protective coating has a restricted pot life the! Cause of the fabric ( usually the inside ) is coated with silicone from functional. In depth into Suter Testing in future articles couple minutes, take your damp cloth and off! Has a restricted pot life, the expansion and contraction of the three coatings here! ) Lacquer ( optional ) Polyester paint brush paint sprayer ( optional ) water pressure must be in.
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