Butyl Tape...but this is different...no really

[Craig D. Thompson]

Its not just for sealing out rain any more.

I have a large granite rock at the end of my driveway next to the street with a nearly vertical face. I dragged it out of the woods and put it there so I could put brass street address numbers on it.

The problem is that I am hesitant to drill any holes in it. Might it crack the rock? What if I want different numbers with a different hole pattern? I would have ruined a very nice rock.

So I glued the brass numbers on with various adhesives. They all failed in a short time. Hot glue worked the best but still does not hold for more than about 6 months. I think the hot/cold cycles works it loose. Most certainly the news paper delivery person aims for those numbers to try an knock them off!

A few months ago it had fallen off and I we had a family gathering approaching so I had to get it back on. I was running out of time and was going into my shop to get the hot glue gun once again when I spied a roll of butyl tape that I use on my U-Haul.

Could it be? Could this sticky stuff actually hold the brass number onto a rock? I cleaned off all the old hot glue, cleaned it with lighter fluid and stuck it onto the rock with a strip of butyl tape. It stuck very nicely.

It got me through the family gathering. But surely when it got hot it would slump off. Well, today it hit about 98 air temp plus direct sun. Still sticking securely. We will see how it holds up this coming winter. But no hurry...really...

Craig T.

[Rene]

Here's hoping it holds up for you! I just tried a roll of the stuff last night on my boler. Pretty impressive stuff compared to putty.

[Thomas G.]

Oh sure, but did you try silicone?

[Craig D. Thompson]

Thomas, Thomas, Thomas...

[Robert Detrick]

Butyl tape is wonderful stuff! I have stuck motorcycle side covers, Interior trim pieces with broken tabs and set windshields. But.. it only compresses so far with ease, you may break stuff. I use putty Flat or Rope on rivets and Rivnuts and have been using it for close to 38 years with good results, Silisone type sealants don't stay And if I am worried about the rivet center a little automotive drip check adhesive.

[Darwin Maring]

Purchase some Brass Numbers with double sided tape on the back already applied then peal off the paper and apply.

Be sure to CLEAN the area where you want the numbers with rubbing alcohol first.

[Craig D. Thompson]

92 deg F + direct sun today.

Still holding on securely.

I am not that curious so can we skip the 100 deg F test?

Craig T.

[rabbit]

Butyl tape for bedding vents windows thruhulls is versatile. Many of us have rubber gasketing on the fixed glazing which tends to shrink with time and exposure. An open mitre in this stuff allows rain water to wash down the glass in quantity and add to the water in the drain channel for sliding sash, sometimes enuf to overwhelm the drainage capability of weep holes in the window frame. New gasket is the ideal solution. Butyl tape pressed into the gaps blocks this drainage; an acceptable interim solution. Debris should be removed from the area (compressed air or a toothbrush and Windex of other cleaning solution) first. A bit of touchup with a black MagicMarker turns the butyl from gray to black to match most black finishes on aluminum window frames.

jack

[cpaharley2008]

Jack,
My kind of man, I'm always using magic markers around the house for marks on shoes, furniture, etc. An old military trick I learned. I always but a nice new set with various colors to match my needs.

[rabbit]

Yeh, I was always the realist; shoe polish for gunstocks and furniture, patination by dirt, getting the dogs to show a little concern for tasteful patterns when going in the house. The only trick I learned in the military was body in drive, mind in neutral.

jack

[cpaharley2008]

Have you tried pouring some latex paint on a tile floor, letting it dry and then wiping down the tiles, viola, new looking grout? Or, during your final house walk thru you see a hole in the wall that you missed, stick some toothpaste in the hole to hide the hole.
Sounds like Hints from Heloise?