I'm very impressed with the tiny bead of sealant that the builders of my Barth applied to all the exterior joints. However, a few need touching up, like the door latch, and compartment frames:




What is the right material to use?

What is the easiest way to remove the old stuff? Is there a chemical way to do it?

Quinn

Most sealants cure resistant to solvents. However, mechanical scraping to remove the loose stuff is fairly easy. The gaps can then be resealed with a product formulated for that application. I'm not a fan of silicone sealers for this type of repair.

OK, Rusty, I'll take the bait. What ARE you a fan of for this type of repair?

I use Dicor lap sealant (non-sag, non-self-leveling) for these joints. However, from the photos, it appears that the seam also needs to be re-riveted.

I use acetone to clean any spot I'm resealing, applied with an old toothbrush.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
I use Dicor lap sealant (non-sag, non-self-leveling) for these joints.

Yup. Great stuff

quote:

I use acetone to clean any spot I'm resealing, applied with an old toothbrush.

After that, I rough up the area a little. Usually mildly scoring with the tip of a pocket knife.

And if I'm going to re-rivet these seams (and others) is it worthwhile to run a thin line of the sealant in the joint before setting the rivets? Or will that make the joint more prone to leaking?

Seal the joint before riveting - it can be seen by your pix that the sealant developed a crack due to the seam having separated.

Drill out the old rivets, insert the new ones, seal, then expand the rivets.