The old seam tape-vs-caulk question

[Legacy Posts]

I have read on many other threads about seam tape and the alternative - caulking. I understand that the main problems with caulking have been:
1. not using the right type of caulk so it's paintable and
2. leaving old caulk behind, then later finding out it's the wrong type

I am thinking of going the paintable caulk rather than seam tape, is there any reason that I should really be looking at doing seam tape?

Thanks in advance!

[Legacy Posts]

Hi Lainey
This Boler I am working on now has had all the seam tape removed and caulk put in.The caulking job by the last owner is not to bad and it was the paintable kind.Overall i think if done with care is better than seam tape.
Look up (Mike Watters)mods.He did a whole pile of mods in his and it looks good to me.

[Legacy Posts]

Just to muddy the waters, when I replace the roof vent in a camper, and
asked the RV place where I got the vent whether I should use silicon seal
or something similar around the vent, they said to use the putty tape.
According to them, over time the silicon does not last as well - that is
it sticks to itself ok, but not to whatever it is on.
Of course this doesn't answer your question, it just adds confusion.
Possibly the tape is less messy to work with.:o

[Legacy Posts]

My caulked seams have been there for a bit over a year now and look exactly the same as when I did it. I can't speak for true long-term durability - anyone have older caulked seams???

What I -can- say is that I'm VERY pleased with how it turned out. Part of the reason I went with caulk is that many of my seams were really wide. So wide it would have been hard to cover them with tape. The old tape was all REALLY shot so something had to be done.

mkw