Sealing a bathtub floor

[4runner]

I've got a dark brown bathtub floor that's weeping or seeping through various pinholes.

Any suggestions on how to locate all the pinholes so I can seal them up. I'd rather not reseal or coat the entire floor.

Thanks in advance!

[Franco]

Depends a lot on the size of those holes.
You could try suspending the floor in a dark area (works well at night...) and shine a light through it but most likely they are small enough to only let water through under pressure.
In that case I would just coat the whole floor with Tent Sure (McNett) or similar.

[Wise Old Owl]

How old is the tent and what does it weight and be honest.

[4runner]

Franco, that's a great idea. It's a freestanding tent so I easily could set it up and hang it from the garage ceiling with a bright light in it and then mark the pinholes with a marker and just seal them. I'd rather not recoat the entire floor.
I was originally thinking of setting it up and filling it with water up to the top of the bathtub, but I like ur idea much better. Thanks!

Wise Old Owl, the tent is about 8 years old and weighs about 3lbs~.
It's a Eureka Backcountry One.

[rocketsocks]

Depends a lot on the size of those holes.
You could try suspending the floor in a dark area (works well at night...) and shine a light through it but most likely they are small enough to only let water through under pressure.
In that case I would just coat the whole floor with Tent Sure (McNett) or similar.

...and if that don't get it, you might try laying it flat on the ground over some news papers splayed out, and pour in about a cup of water and squeegee it all around and see where the wet spots show up underneath on the news paper, mark and repair.

[4runner]

Thanks very much for all the suggestions!

I set up the tent (without the fly). On a bright sunny day, I opened the tent door and picked up the tent, put my head inside and wore the tent like a hat. I positioned the floor between my eyes and the sun and it was very easy to see where the pinholes were.

I marked them all with a fine point Sharpie and then went back later and sealed up the pinholes on both the inside and the outside with little dabs of flowable sunshield silicone.

thanks again for all the ideas.

4r

[Wise Old Owl]

Don't forget to test it in a bathtub before hitting the trail - 8 years? not bad.

[HeartFire]

patching it with silicone - what is the material of the floor, silicone may not be the appropriate sealant.

[HooKooDooKu]

Don't forget to test it in a bathtub before hitting the trail - 8 years? not bad.

8yo is still a young tent in my book. But then I always use a ground cloth and make sure it is bone dry before storing.
My Kelty Vortex 2 (predecessor to the Gunnisson) lasted almost 20 years before the water-proof layer just plain started to disintegrate. But even then, it was recently used as a loner on a trip where we had a good bit of rain.

[hikehunter]

3 pounds .....that is a heavy tent....if you got seal a lot that weight may go up....8 yrs old....how many miles does it have (nights used)
could it be time for an oil change....there are lighter tent options... do a pro/con of getting a new tent....yes $$$ is always a factor....

[CalebJ]

3 lb's is now considered a 'heavy' tent? I realize there are a few lighter options on the market these days, but that's easily on the -light- end of the spectrum.

[Havana]

I don't think 3lbs is heavy, but it's no longer lightweight. My BA is a hair over 2lbs and it almost seems luxurious compared to some of the thru hiker tarps/tents I saw go by this summer.

[CalebJ]

Absolutely - there are lighter options. Not questioning that. Still, if you want to go with a freestanding tent and you're out the door under 3 lb's you're doing pretty well. Plenty of heavier alternatives.

[squeezebox]

I've been working on my bathroom the past few weeks, so when I read how to seal a bathtub floor, I immediately thought " well geez a tube of white silicone against the tile and porcelain," Then realized Oh! different question, Then realized same answer.

[burger]

Just follow these instructions: http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Silnylon1/index.html

Cover the whole thing, on both sides (give the first side plenty of time to dry before you do the other). After this treatment, your tent floor should be bulletproof. We use ours without a ground cloth now.