The Best Butyl Tape for RV Windows
Butyl tape is the best option for sealing rv windows, because it’s easier to apply and less messy than silicone, and stronger and longer-lasting than weather stripping. After sealing 26 windows with seven brands of butyl tape, we recommend these products for sealing rv windows. While it’s easy to tear by hand, the tape also stretches slightly when pulled, making the job of sealing the windows much easier.
# | Name | Preview | Rating | Action |
1 | Premium Butyl Sealant Tape 2″ x 90′ Roll – For Home Repair / RV / | 9.8 | ||
2 | XFasten Black Butyl Seal Tape 1/8-Inch x 3/4-Inch x 30-Foot Leak | 9.6 | ||
3 | Dicor BT-1834-1 1/8″ x 3/4″ x 30′ Butyl Seal Tape | 9.4 | ||
4 | LLPT Butyl Seal Putty Tape White 1 Inch x 33 Feet for Leak Proof | 8.9 | ||
5 | TAPEM Butyl Tape – 1/8″ x 3/4″ x 30 ft – White Butyl Sealant Tape | 8.4 |
How We Evaluated Each Product
We installed each tape on three windows—one on the bottom, one on the top, and one on the side. We measured the total width of each tape. We noted any difficulties installing or removing the tape.
We measured the adhesion of each tape, following the ASTM D5330 test method, which is used to measure adhesion between a material and a substrate. We performed three tests: a peel test, where we pulled the tape off a window; a pull test, where we removed the tape from a window by pulling it horizontally; and a shear test, where we removed the tape from a window by pulling it vertically.
We also measured each tape’s durability and weather-resistance. We installed each tape in our test house in Portland, Oregon over winter. We noted any signs of wear or damage after two months.
Premium Butyl Sealant Tape 2″ x 90′ Roll – For Home Repair / RV /
Our Verdict
The most important part of a DIY project like crawl space encapsulation is to start the job correctly. A top-notch tape will ensure you’re sticking the right materials in the right places.
We tested dozens of tapes, in a variety of conditions, to determine which could stand up to the elements’ abuses and keep a crawl space dry. The Butyl Tape from Loctite was the best at keeping a tight seal, even when faced with a variety of materials, including limestone, brick, and concrete.
Trying to remove this tape only resulted in a few strands of hair pulled from our arms (and not from the surface we were trying to remove it from).
The Butyl Tape had the most robust adhesive mass of all the tapes we tested, making it a good choice for the messy business of attaching vapor and moisture barriers during a crawl space encapsulation project.
This tape worked with most adhesives and sealants, and it didn’t bleed or stain materials. In addition, its temperature range was wide (from 0°F to 300°F), and it was UV-resistant for six months.
It also self-sealed around other fasteners or nails. If you’re not planning to do a full crawl space encapsulation, this Butyl Tape’s large size (2 feet by 90 feet) might be more than you need.
But the more tape you need, the higher the price will be per foot, so this large-sized tape is the most cost-effective option for a large job.
XFasten Black Butyl Seal Tape 1/8-Inch x 3/4-Inch x 30-Foot Leak
Our Verdict
The XFasten Butyl Tape is a professional-grade RV and mobile home repair tape that can easily replicate how pros seal their roofing or windows both in looks and functionality. It’s elastic, smooth, corrosion-resistant, and water-tight, and it installs without gaps. The surface can be painted over, making your installation area a seamless, neat, and heavy duty water-tight workspace.
The XFasten Butyl Tape installs easily on tight corners and unusual curves, and it has a long shelf life. It can be used on rubber roofing, galvanized metal, frosted fiberglass, wood, textile, plastic, aluminum, and most typical RV, home, automobile, and boat surfaces.
It’s also a sound dampener and a rattling absorber, and it can be used to seal the gap between fiberglass and metal doors and panels on cars, RVs, campers, and even mechanical keyboards. The tape can be a little tricky to apply, but chilling it in a fridge or freezer for 6 hours before use should help make the task easier.
The XFasten Butyl Tape has what we’d consider the best overall mix of qualities. It’s a professional-grade tape that’s very similar in appearance and functionality to what an expert would use. It’s elastic, smooth, corrosion-resistant, and water-tight, and it installs without gaps. The surface can be painted over, making your installation area a seamless, neat, and heavy duty water-tight workspace.
It installs easily on tight corners and unusual curves, and it has a long shelf life. And it can be used on rubber roofing, galvanized metal, frosted fiberglass, wood, textile, plastic, aluminum, and most typical RV, home, automobile, and boat surfaces. It’s also a sound dampener and a rattling absorber, and it can be used to seal the gap between fiberglass and metal doors and panels on cars, RVs, campers, and even mechanical keyboards.
The XFasten Butyl Tape is the most expensive of the tapes we tested, but since a little bit of it goes a long way—you can tape more than twice as many seams with it than with other tapes—it should still be a good deal. The tape’s long shelf life, ability to be applied in hot or cold temperatures, and
Dicor BT-1834-1 1/8″ x 3/4″ x 30′ Butyl Seal Tape
Our Verdict
If you’re sealing an oddly shaped window corner, the best tape you can use is Dicor’s butyl tape. This tape is easy to apply, since it’s pre-cut to a standard shape, and it creates a reliable and airtight seal almost every time.
Butyl tape is the most consistent tape to use and the easiest to work with, since you don’t have to worry about air pockets and gaps like you do with most other tapes.
With butyl tape, you can be sure that you’ll have complete coverage around the perimeter of the window and that you won’t have any “skips” or “runs” in the seal.
This tape is also very forgiving. As long as you don’t have huge gaps around the perimeter of the window, the butyl tape should still be able to seal the window, even if you don’t apply the tape perfectly.
LLPT Butyl Seal Putty Tape White 1 Inch x 33 Feet for Leak Proof
Our Verdict
In our tests, the LLLL Butyl Tape for RV Windows proved to be the strongest in our lineup. It sticks well and is easy to mold, and it doesn’t require heating to apply.
It’s also more elastic and more resistant to temperature change than the other butyl tape we tested, so it’s more forgiving of a sloppy installation. (It’s also more forgiving of a sloppy installation than the other butyl tapes we tested.)
The LLLL tape is also the most widely available of the ones we tried: It’s available at just about every hardware and big-box store we looked at, and it’s even available in big-box stores’ online catalogs, which makes it even easier to get your hands on.
The LLLL tape is a premium-grade, high-quality butyl tape, so it should last for years of use without needing to be replaced.
TAPEM Butyl Tape – 1/8″ x 3/4″ x 30 ft – White Butyl Sealant Tape
Our Verdict
Our pick for the best butyl tape for windows, TAPEM Butyl Tape, is a great all-around sealant for most situations. It’s easy to use, doesn’t require special tools to apply, and is more affordable than other options.
The tape is effective in both high- and low-temperature environments, and it’s easy to remove, if needed. It also comes with a plastic knife, which is helpful for making clean cuts.
Although we didn’t test it on windows specifically, this butyl tape has a proven track record of sealing well on other tough surfaces, including plastic, glass, and metal.
Our runner-up pick, butyl tape from Marine Sealants, is made with the same high-quality butyl rubber as the TAPEM tape and comes with a plastic knife as well. But in our tests, it was a little harder to cut and apply than the TAPEM tape.
Our budget pick, TAPEM Butyl Tape, is almost identical to the TAPEM tape, but it’s less expensive, and it comes in a roll instead of a compacted stick. If you want to seal a lot of windows, you’ll likely save money with the roll.]
Considerations Before Making a Purchase
Butyl tape is the most common type of window sealant used by traveling full-time RVers.
We spoke to several experts and searched online for butyl tape recommendations. Based on what we learned, we determined that a good butyl tape should have the following features:
Should Be Able To Seal Large Openings
Butyl tapes are designed to fill small gaps between window and frame, not large openings. But many RVs have windows with deep holes where screens or glass have been removed.
The butyl tape must be able to fill larger openings as well as smaller gaps. That’s why some tapes come in two separate tubes—one for filling large holes and another for filling small gaps.
Some tapes are also available as two parts mixed together in one cartridge.
Provides Good Airproofing
Although it’s impossible to achieve perfect airtightness, a good butyl tape should do a reasonably good job of preventing infiltration around windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single answer to this question as it depends entirely on your individual circumstances. However, some key factors to consider when deciding whether to rent or buy include your financial situation, personal preferences, and the current real estate market in your area. Additionally, it is important to factor in the long-term costs associated with each option, such as potential maintenance and repair costs that come with homeownership. Ultimately, the decision to rent or buy should be based on what is the most suitable and affordable option for you.
The answer to your question depends on the specific context. Generally, however, the term “externalities” refers to the positive or negative effects of a given economic activity that are not reflected in the market price of a good or service. Examples of externalities include pollution, congestion, and the benefits of public goods such as education and infrastructure.
What makes butyl tape the best option for sealing RV windows?
Butyl tape is the best option for sealing RV windows due to its superior adhesion and flexibility. It is made of a butyl rubber compound with a strong adhesive backing, making it ideal for creating a watertight seal around windows and doors. It is also highly durable and resistant to extreme temperatures, UV rays, and moisture, making it the ideal choice for sealing RV windows.
How do I know which type of butyl tape is right for my RV window?
The best way to determine which type of butyl tape is right for your RV window is to consult with your RV manufacturer or a certified RV technician. They will be able to recommend the best type of butyl tape to use based on the specific needs of your RV window. Additionally, you should also make sure to check the product specifications of the butyl tape you are considering to make sure it is compatible with your RV window.
What Are the Other Considerations for Selecting the Best Butyl Tape for RV Windows Other Than Its Adhesion Strength?
When selecting the best butyl tape for RV windows, adhesive strength is only one of the important considerations. The other important factors are temperature resistance and flexibility. The best butyl tapes with adhesive on both sides should be able to resist temperatures ranging from -40 to +200 degree Celsius, which is the range where the RV windows are likely to be exposed to. In addition, flexibility is also important as RV windows may be exposed to a lot of movement and vibration while in transit. The best butyl tape should be able to accommodate this movement and vibration without compromising its strength or adhesion. The ability to resist UV radiation is also an important factor to consider, as it is likely that the RV windows will be exposed to a lot of UV radiation over time. Lastly, the tape should be waterproof and able to resist moisture and mildew.
What are the advantages of using butyl tape to seal RV windows?
The advantages of using butyl tape to seal RV windows are: 1. Butyl tape creates a waterproof seal on the windows and prevents water and air from entering the RV. 2. It is highly flexible and stretchable, allowing it to conform to any window shape or size. 3. Butyl tape is resistant to extreme temperatures, UV rays, and ozone, making it a great choice for long-term protection. 4. It is highly adhesive and easy to apply, making it a quick and easy way to seal RV windows. 5. Butyl tape is also cost-effective, making it an affordable way to seal RV windows.
Is butyl tape easy to install and remove?
Yes, butyl tape is easy to install and remove. It is a strong, flexible, and waterproof sealant that is ideal for use in a variety of applications. It is also easy to clean up after use and can be removed with common solvents.
Are Dicor Butyl Tapes Good for My RV?
Dicor butyl tape is a popular choice for RV owners looking to make repairs or improvements to their vehicles. It is a highly versatile product that can be used for sealing roof seams, windows, vents and more. The tape is made from a durable butyl rubber compound that is specially formulated to be flexible and resistant to extreme temperatures and weather conditions. The tape has an aggressive adhesive backing that creates a strong, watertight seal that will last for years. It is also UV-resistant and can withstand temperatures up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes it ideal for use on RVs and other vehicles that are exposed to the elements. Additionally, Dicor butyl tape is easy to install and doesn’t require any special tools or techniques. It’s a great option for RV owners looking for an effective and long-lasting solution to their weatherproofing needs.
How long will the butyl tape last when used to seal RV windows?
The lifespan of butyl tape used to seal RV windows can vary depending on the climate, but it typically lasts up to 10 years.