Old Style Window Sealant

[DannyH]

I've taken the old aluminum windows apart and in the process of cleaning. I noticed that at the connection of the metal parts in the corner, there was some type of sealant put on the face of the window that faces to the inside, apparently to stop any water getting to the inside. It gray in color (to match aluminum) and very hard. Does anyone know a product like this or another way to seal the metal-to-metal connection? I was thinking of putting a clump of butyl putty in the corners and letting it squeeze out as I re-assemble the window. The corner also will have the glass and rubber seal in there, with just a little area left over, so I think the butyl putty might work. Thanks for any suggestions.

[Tom U]

I've taken the old aluminum windows apart and in the process of cleaning. I noticed that at the connection of the metal parts in the corner, there was some type of sealant put on the face of the window that faces to the inside, apparently to stop any water getting to the inside. It gray in color (to match aluminum) and very hard. Does anyone know a product like this or another way to seal the metal-to-metal connection? I was thinking of putting a clump of butyl putty in the corners and letting it squeeze out as I re-assemble the window. The corner also will have the glass and rubber seal in there, with just a little area left over, so I think the butyl putty might work. Thanks for any suggestions.

Danny,

It is butyl putty tape. You can buy it in rolls at RV repair/part shops. Camping World also sell it online. Runs about $7 a roll.

[K Slade]

Danny,

It is butyl putty tape. You can buy it in rolls at RV repair/part shops. Camping World also sell it online. Runs about $7 a roll.

Contact your local window installer I am sure he will have the product you are looking for
Ken

[JEAN-L]

Hi
I think ,it is " J B WELD" . you can find it at Home Depot
It works very good .I did my old windows and reseal them with this stuff
Work great Jean-L

[DannyH]

Thanks for the comments. I didn't think of using JD weld. It does look like what it is and I used it to attach a lawn mower blade, it worked so well I had to sharpen the blade with the mower upside down, as I could not remove the thing. I remember it being the same color too. I have seen the Butyl tape at the local RV dealer. Does all of it come in gray? On the restore projects I keep seeing it looks like they used a black butyl tape, but I have not seen any localy.

[Raya]

I have usually seen butyl tape in the grey color, just FYI.

[Loren G. Hedahl]

[Hi
I think ,it is " J B WELD" . you can find it at Home Depot
It works very good .I did my old windows and reseal them with this stuff
Work great Jean-L

Jean-L,

I'm sure J B Weld resealed your old windows -- but -- should you ever need to remove one, I think you might regret the day you decided to install them with the stuff, which is an iron filled epoxy.

You might be able to soften the epoxy with a heat gun but from my experience with the stuff I think the aluminum frame would end up extensively damaged in the process -- at least with someone of my skill level doing the job. Worse yet, I think I would also damage the fiberglass surrounding the window frame in the process.

I would advise, as was already advised, using the butyl tape sold at RV suppliers specifically for the purpose. In the event that is not convenient, a bathroom/bathtub caulk would probably be OK.

In my case I had a terrible time sealing the left-rear window which is the one that can be opened from inside in case of fire. The leaks were not from the frame-to-fiberglass joint, but from the opening part of the frame itself. Considering the size of the window compared to my body size, the fact that it is about four feet above the ground and the thickness/strength of the fiberglass body of the trailer, I decided that in case of a fire that was so advanced that I couldn't get out the regular door, I would quite easily be agitated enough to smash a hole through the side of the trailer. So assuming the risk, I sealed it shut.

Back to the original question -- I'm not saying it is wrong to use J B Weld to seal the windows, but I would strongly advise anyone to consider future window removal.

[Tom U]

I have seen the Butyl tape at the local RV dealer. Does all of it come in gray? On the restore projects I keep seeing it looks like they used a black butyl tape, but I have not seen any localy.

Butyl tape normally comes in two colors, dark and light grey. The dark is a denser, thinner roll. The light is softer, wider and lighter in color. [b]They both harden and darken with age - which is why you might mistake it for J.B. Weld.

J.B. Weld is an epoxy filler and glue, not a window sealant. It would bond the window to the trailer, as noted in a prior post.

[JEAN-L]

Good morning
My understanding for window sealer, is for the inside corner of the window itself
It’s a gray epoxy to seal the buttom piece of aluminum so the water will not seep inside from the "corner "where the two piece of aluminum meet.
I also use butyl tape to reinstall my window to the fiberglass .

[Ronnie Sonnier]

I've taken the old aluminum windows apart and in the process of cleaning. I noticed that at the connection of the metal parts in the corner, there was some type of sealant put on the face of the window that faces to the inside, apparently to stop any water getting to the inside. It gray in color (to match aluminum) and very hard. Does anyone know a product like this or another way to seal the metal-to-metal connection? I was thinking of putting a clump of butyl putty in the corners and letting it squeeze out as I re-assemble the window. The corner also will have the glass and rubber seal in there, with just a little area left over, so I think the butyl putty might work. Thanks for any suggestions.

It's Liquid Aluminum. I have seen window makers use it in an oil can for good placement, and it works great. Can be purchased in natural aluminum, bronze and white,

Folks, the post is not talking about sealing the windows to the shell of the camper, but the metal frame to itself in the corners where two pieces come together.