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Step 14Waterproofing
For the seams, I mixed up mineral spirits with silicone 50/50, on the advice of someone somewhere on the internet. It seems to work okay, though it's peeling off in places. I mixed up a 4:1 solution of the same with better results, so I recommend that, or even a 5:1 mixture.
For the cloth, I first mixed 100% silicone and mineral spirits together in more of a 3:1 ratio, put it in a spray bottle, and sprayed it on while the tent was set up. Then I spread it around with a paint brush. It seems to work so far, but it was a pain in the ass to mess with.
Later, i found a commercially available product that's 10% silicone. SO I mixed up the 100% silicone with the mineral spirits in a 10:1 ratio, put it in a windex bottle and sprayed it on with good results.
Word to the wise: test that fly out before taking it camping!
One of my neighbor kids-turned-projects assistant gladly soaked the tent under a shower from the hose while I sat inside watching for leaks. He also put the hose on jet and tried to penetrate beneath and through the fly w/blasts of water--exposing a couple of leaky seams and unsealed patches of cloth, and warranting a retributive soaking of his own.
Anywhere I missed with the waterproofing leaked like a seive, requiring a couple more applications.
USE A RESPIRATOR 'AND CORROSION-PROOF GLOVES when you're painting or spraying the stuff on so you can be patient and thorough. ***I'm not talking about a dust mask and latex gloves, please use the right gear and dispose of things propoerly.***
After an initial trial trip, I decided to fully waterproof the floor of the tent. I used a 5:1 ratio just for overkill.
For a different tent I bought a WAY overpriced product--by "nickwax" or something like that--that sprays on, to see if it was worth it. It works okay so far, but so does the silicone, which was free (aside from the mineral spirits) since there were bunches of it in a friend's garage when he moved in.
For the cloth, I first mixed 100% silicone and mineral spirits together in more of a 3:1 ratio, put it in a spray bottle, and sprayed it on while the tent was set up. Then I spread it around with a paint brush. It seems to work so far, but it was a pain in the ass to mess with.
Later, i found a commercially available product that's 10% silicone. SO I mixed up the 100% silicone with the mineral spirits in a 10:1 ratio, put it in a windex bottle and sprayed it on with good results.
Word to the wise: test that fly out before taking it camping!
One of my neighbor kids-turned-projects assistant gladly soaked the tent under a shower from the hose while I sat inside watching for leaks. He also put the hose on jet and tried to penetrate beneath and through the fly w/blasts of water--exposing a couple of leaky seams and unsealed patches of cloth, and warranting a retributive soaking of his own.
Anywhere I missed with the waterproofing leaked like a seive, requiring a couple more applications.
USE A RESPIRATOR 'AND CORROSION-PROOF GLOVES when you're painting or spraying the stuff on so you can be patient and thorough. ***I'm not talking about a dust mask and latex gloves, please use the right gear and dispose of things propoerly.***
After an initial trial trip, I decided to fully waterproof the floor of the tent. I used a 5:1 ratio just for overkill.
For a different tent I bought a WAY overpriced product--by "nickwax" or something like that--that sprays on, to see if it was worth it. It works okay so far, but so does the silicone, which was free (aside from the mineral spirits) since there were bunches of it in a friend's garage when he moved in.
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