GE silicone or this?

mleads310

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Looking to seal the anchor locker as j just installed a new windlass on my 282. Since the windlass is installed over the locker and not on the pulpit any longer I'm trying to decide if I should use the commonly used GE silicone II almond or something else that I found on GE's website called max shield all weather. Comes in almond and from what I can read it's better than silicone II in every way possible.....am I missing something?
http://www.gesealants.com/Products/...tegory=Caulks+&+Sealants&isProductDetail=true
 
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SkunkBoat

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I haven't seen that in HD or Lowes. What is the price difference? Acrylic Latex is usually cheaper than Silicone.

A lot of the naming of that stuff is marketing bs....same stuff labelled for "windows", "Kitchen" , "All Purpose", "Gutters" so people think "hey THAT'S what I need"
When they add the label "Marine" they can double the price;)

Description says it will work perfectly for your purpose. Give it a try. Lets us know how it works out.
 
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DennisG01

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Since you're not going to open that locker any time soon, I'd go with a more robust product. BoatLife LifeSeal would be my personal choice. Not that the GE stuff is bad, I'm sure, but the BoatLife is a superior product when it comes to longevity.
 

mleads310

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I agree I prefer life seal products and trust the longevity and durability more. But considering that it's quite a large gap and will be very noticeable I prefer to try to match or get as close to possible as the almond color which life seal doesn't carry. My understanding the weathermax appears to be better than the GE silicone II. But again I could be wrong and I figured maybe somebody has come across this and used it before.
 

DennisG01

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LifeSeal does come in a 'cameo' color, but I've never seen it in person to say what the color actually looks like. Maybe call them to find out? They're good people - I'm sure they can help with that. But, in the end, it's not a huge area you're talking about so probably not that big of a deal to redo it. And I'm sure you'll get at least a few years out of the GE stuff.
 

mleads310

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Sounds good I'll give lifeseal a call, the cameo looks almost orange but you never know. Worst case I guess put the GE stuff on and in a few years redo it. I appreciate all the replies and help.
 

seasick

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The secret to long lasting caulk seals is to limit the thickness of the caulk. Wide widths are fine but the depth should not be more than 1/4 inch (check the produce instructions). If the depth of the gap is larger than that, a filler or backer rod type of material should be used. The logic is that a very thick caulk seal is more prone to pull away from the sides as it expands and contracts or as the gap expands and contracts since as it gets thicker it looses some of its ability to stretch
 

mleads310

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I ended up using the GE almond silicone they sell at Lowe's. I figured if it doesn't hold up I spent 6 bucks and I'll try something else next year. I called lifeseal and my assumptions we're correct. They said camo looks almost orange. Not sure why anyone would want that.

Jail- thank you for the link. I hadn't come across that product yet and if I had I think I might've been tempted to use that first. I looked up the UV properties just now and surprised to see that they categorize it as excellent UV protection. Very interesting. I'll be saving that link for next year Incase the other GE product fails.
 

leeccoll

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Used same GE almond silicone on both deck hatches 3 years ago when I redid the wood and fiberglass underneath. Had to pull them recently to replace my aluminum fuel tank and hoses. The silicon seemed really solid in the gap. Actually was a real PIA trying to get them out.
I think it will be fine for 10 years. I re sealed with same after job was completed.
"Life's not all its caulked up to be"
Also, my boat sits outside in full sun/wind/snow and rain uncovered all year round. Temps from 0-100 degrees during the year.
 

jail

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Yes, I was told GE SCS 1700 almond is what Grady used.