I need to waterproof the caravan awning which seems to be good old-school canvas and is now leaking where you touch it when it's raining outside. Any recommendations (for or against) particular products, techniques for application etc and sources of (cheap!) supply?
tre the stuff thats used on Barbours - think its wax in white spirit essentially
I would have thought that Barbour wax would be stupidly expensive and a lot of hard work on an awning sized article. When we used to reproof the old 6 man tents for the Scouts we used Fabsil. This is easily painted on with a large brush and left to dry - nice and easy.
I didnt necessarily MEAN 'Barbour brand 80000% profit wax'
I mean a generic form of that sort of formulation..
which you seem to have found!
Except that Fabsil is a silicon based liquid rather than an oily wax paste. Quite different in the amount it takes to proof a square metre of fabric between the two (and having rewaxed my coat this month it's a job I'm happy to avoid for another year)
decent canvas doesn't need waterproofing. It only drips if you touch it while wet and you aren't supposed to do that.
Oh dear. And what pray is this canvas minted on? so it isn't touching anything?
On a prat scale of 1 to 10, you really go up to 11.
...
Rather difficult in a small tent after a few days in the rain, even with a fly sheet fitted.
Colin Bignell
Its not minted on anything.
Why, because I don't know what its minted on?
Decent canvas is not water proofed, it doesn't need to be. The usual way to stop people touching it is an inner tent or to use a fly sheet. AIUI its the oils on your skin that cause the leaks and they go away when the canvas dries.
Love the nick. That challenges "pingfuckit".
I don't understand the term "minted on" but do know that touching the inside of a traditional canvas tent does break the surface tension and create a leak point. Also touching the inside of a single skin nylon tent can cause the existing condensation to drip from that point. This is why modern tents all have a fly sheet that helps reduce the condensation and prevents the outer skin being touched. Older canvas tents mostly relied on internal rigid poles (which only touch the canvas at a very mall point) and guy ropes to hold them up therefore minimising the contact between frame and canvas.
I was taught to never touch or place anything touching the canvas of a tent on either side for these very reasons.
One trick cadets used to play was to touch the canvas immediately above the head of a sleeping colleague, with entertaining results!
Mike
s/minted/mounted/g
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