Silicon or Epoxy for leak proofing hydro systems?
- Thread starter pontiac
- Start date
Epoxy sounds so damn permanent. What if you have to break it down? Silicon works for aquariums up to hundreds of gallons and, I'd think, would be easier to deal with if you have to take things apart later.
Philosophelon
Member
Definitely silicone. I always use it when I build drainage tables out of OSB, 2x4s, and pond liner to make sure the E&F fittings don't leak. Never had any leakage problems. Epoxy would probably work just as well, but as Freezer said, it is much more permanent.
GE Silicone II caulk is the SH!T when it comes to caulk. Water proof, air proof, fool proof
Under $6 a tube...
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purpledomgoddes
epoxy is doable w/ adequate prep. stronger than silicone. just measure twice, have cleaning materials close, and do it fast. once set is going nowhere. water will penetrate thru several layers of materials. depends on application.
kaljukajakas
Active member
Silicone if the joint will flex (fitting in a thin plastic wall), epoxy if it's rigid (fitting in plywood).
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o0th3d4nk0o
i would go with silicon after using many products it fixed all my leaks yesterday
as well it speed cures when in contact with water, so no shutting down the system and drying stuff up
that is if its not a pressurized leak. but yea black silicon its a mess but it sure works
as well it speed cures when in contact with water, so no shutting down the system and drying stuff up
that is if its not a pressurized leak. but yea black silicon its a mess but it sure works
Use "Aquarium" silicone. It should be non-toxic to plants and animals. I learned the hard way why it's bad to buy regular silicone when I put it in my bubble cloner to hold down the airstones. It poisoned my cuttings. They ended up looking like they'd been in a toxic grow tent. Very nasty. Regular silicone has lead, mercury and all sorts of other nasty things in it.
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purpledomgoddes
epoxy is far stronger than silicone. since already have, use. just have bucket of water to wash off excess. should be relatively easy to apply.
dries in ~15-20 minutes, so window is small. plan accordingly.
for extra water-proofing, use fiberglass cloth or tape in joints/corners. brush epoxy under neath+over tape/cloth.
a shower can have as many as 10-12 layers of material protection between plywood floor and polywall/covering of shower wall. would not use silicone in a shower, but would epoxy. silicone used more for glass than bonding wood surfaces.
if bonding to wood, would place layer on bonding material onto wood. simply wood w/ adhesives and nothing else is quicker to leak than w/ an underlayment of some sort to bond the 2 materials together.
believe there is fiberglass e+f tutorial here that is pretty good.
edit: for max water-proofing...
use dense shield instead of plywood. fiberglass coated sheet rock-type 4x8 boards. cut carefully/cleanly. no rough edges. merge all joints w/ sidewinder, gray (comes in clear too).
make all nails/screwheads flush, then cover w/ sidewinder.
place fiberglass tape over all joints and in corners. sidewinder underneath and brushed over tape.
use putty knife/utility knife to remove excess adhesives, etc. smooth out. want smooth/flush finishes in joints/corners. water will find non-flush/warped areas and eventually get through, especially if container is moved, shifted, etc., over time.
can use epoxy instead of sidewinder, if wanted.
then plastic underlayment, then polywall. then maybe seal polywall joints w/ silicone/epoxy. since not for visual appeal, can apply much more adhesives, etc.
then seal w/ water sealant. must wipe off water sealant immediately or will leave residue.
let set for 24-48 hrs.
pour in water for 24 hours next. if passes, use accordingly.
hope this helps!
dries in ~15-20 minutes, so window is small. plan accordingly.
for extra water-proofing, use fiberglass cloth or tape in joints/corners. brush epoxy under neath+over tape/cloth.
a shower can have as many as 10-12 layers of material protection between plywood floor and polywall/covering of shower wall. would not use silicone in a shower, but would epoxy. silicone used more for glass than bonding wood surfaces.
if bonding to wood, would place layer on bonding material onto wood. simply wood w/ adhesives and nothing else is quicker to leak than w/ an underlayment of some sort to bond the 2 materials together.
believe there is fiberglass e+f tutorial here that is pretty good.
edit: for max water-proofing...
use dense shield instead of plywood. fiberglass coated sheet rock-type 4x8 boards. cut carefully/cleanly. no rough edges. merge all joints w/ sidewinder, gray (comes in clear too).
make all nails/screwheads flush, then cover w/ sidewinder.
place fiberglass tape over all joints and in corners. sidewinder underneath and brushed over tape.
use putty knife/utility knife to remove excess adhesives, etc. smooth out. want smooth/flush finishes in joints/corners. water will find non-flush/warped areas and eventually get through, especially if container is moved, shifted, etc., over time.
can use epoxy instead of sidewinder, if wanted.
then plastic underlayment, then polywall. then maybe seal polywall joints w/ silicone/epoxy. since not for visual appeal, can apply much more adhesives, etc.
then seal w/ water sealant. must wipe off water sealant immediately or will leave residue.
let set for 24-48 hrs.
pour in water for 24 hours next. if passes, use accordingly.
hope this helps!
Peanut butter. Definitely peanut butter.
Peter Pan. I'd choose creamy over crunchy but, only for gluing, not for eating.
I use a silicone that is used for Lexan plexiglass. Its called "Lexan Glue" and sticks to hydro equipment as strong as epoxy yet remains flexible and can be scraped off if need be. I've use a shit load below the water line and never had plant problems from toxicity and never losses its bond when submerged for months.
Lexan Glue / Silicone. Found in the window repair section of your hardware store. Comes in caulking gun or squeeze tube sizes. $5.00 to $8.00.
You can thank me later !! :smile:
Lexan Glue / Silicone. Found in the window repair section of your hardware store. Comes in caulking gun or squeeze tube sizes. $5.00 to $8.00.
You can thank me later !! :smile:
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purpledomgoddes
probably is the safest/easiest method. epoxy is difficult to work w/, +silicon is flexible.
am simply aware of the greater strength of epoxy. pirate has given an economical and effective method. epoxy can get messy/hard to work w/ if not used to it.
for this app, silicone will probably work. if constructing a sealed room type situation, would probably use epoxy, and the other materials mentioned^.
silicone wins!
enjoy your garden!
