Camping is a whole lot of fun if you take the correct precautions, and make sure that you have covered everything including, making sure that your tent is waterproofed. The weather can change quite rapidly in a matter of minutes or even seconds, it could go from hot and sunny to damp and grey and rainy, depending on where you are camping. The last thing that you want to happen to yourself is getting caught up in a downpour of rain, and to have your tent dripping with water from the inside that can potentially wet everything in your tent, the best thing to do is to make sure your tent is waterproofed.
Do You Need To Waterproof A Tent
This is a good question to ask and know, Usually you wont need to waterproof your tent until after some number of years, this is due to wear and tear over time. You will usually find that when you pour some water over your tent it will begin to bead off, this basically means that the water should just trickle off the material of the tent, if there is some water left on the tent you can simply just run your hand over it and wipe off the water.
The only time that you will need to waterproof your tent is when the waterproof product has come off, then you will need to apply the proof product on. You will find that when you do pour water over the tent or the area, you will find that the water will begin to sink into the actual tents material and begin to drip through the tent onto the inside.
If you happen to have purchased a tent that is not waterproofed, and you find out only afterwards, you wont need to worry because you can actually waterproof it yourself. It will take some time out of your day, and it will cost you a little but nothing too expensive but it will certainly be worth it in the long run.
The last thing you want is to have purchased a tent and other equipment only to have them destroyed because you did not take some time out to research on tents that are waterproofed or even waterproofing your tent yourself. But you also need to know that, over time the waterproof protection on your tent does wear off due to wear and tear so, you will find that you will need to waterproof certain areas of the tent if it is required.
What is the best way to waterproof a tent
So there really is no right or wrong way or best way to waterproof a tent but there are certain steps that you will need to follow in order to really cover your tent well, and be able to use it without worrying about water dripping on the inside of the tent.
Different people tend to use different methods to waterproof their tent, some use a spray and others wipe the tent down with a cloth with a waterproof product on there, the main thing is that before applying any kind of sealant or waterproof protection, you need to make sure that the area is dry that your going to apply it to, unless you are using a product that allows you to use it on wet surfaces.
So I have put together some steps that will help you to waterproof a tent below;
Pitch Your Tent On A Dry Day
When your going to apply any kind of waterproof coating onto your tent the first thing that you will need to do is to make sure that you can pitch your tent fully so that you can use the coating product on your tent.
In order to carry this out you will need to be able to pitch your tent in your back garden or even in a local park if you don’t have access to a garden. You will basically need to have some space in order to pitch your tent. The main factor that will certainly work better for you aswell will be the weather conditions, the reason for this is because the last thing that you want to do is be applying the weather protection product on your tent while it is pouring down with rain or even when it is severely windy.
You need to make sure that you do pick a day when it is dry and preferably when the sun is out as that will certainly help dry your tent alot more quicker once you apply the waterproof product. The last thing that you want to do is set the tent up in the rain as this will certainly defiy the purpose of coating your tent with a waterproof product, so just make sure that you pick a dry day with some sun, so you can pitch the tent and cover whatever part of the tent you wish to waterproof, or the entire tent. So please remember dry and sunny day, or simply just a dry day.
Clean Down the Tent
Once you have pitched your tent make sure that your tent is stretched out enough so that you can clean it down. The best way to clean down the tent is by using a dry cloth, where you can run it over the material to clean off any dirt or grime
Another option is to wash down the tent itself in a washing machine this will clean out the material as much as it can.
Spray Water Around The Areas Of The Tent
A good way to determine where the leaks are occurring on the tent it would be best to spray the tent with some water and see where the water seems to be leaking through. You would usually find that they tend to come through the seams of the tent. The reason for this is because over time the seams will tend to lose the sealant again due to wear and tear and the amount of times you use the tent.
Once your spray some water over those areas you will be able to determine how much water is leaking through and it will tend to leak through the inside of the tent. Once you have found that out you can look at reproofing that area of the tent.
Where Water Drips In Clean Area Down
Once you have sprayed the water around the area that you see is dripping through, you want to clean that area down. The best thing to do is to dry down the area first and check for any sealants that has come off, and make sure that you clean off the old sealant, a simple scrubber will do to get rid of the old sealant.
Clean out any dust or mud or dirt if the drip is around the edge of the flooring of the tent, as you can get alot of dirt stuck within the threads of the seam or just simply wipe down the area that is leaking with a cloth.
Clean out the seams area for dirt and sand
With any tents you will get mud, dirt and sand grits in the tent, this can also sink into the seams of the tent. The simplest way to clean out the seams would be to use a simple brush and run it over the seam of the tent, make sure that the bristles of the brush are soft, if you use bristles that are hard you could pull out the threads of the seams, this will lossen up the seams itself and even break it apart eventually.
Using a softer bristle brush would be alot less harsh than using a hard wired bristle, the softer brush will still be able to get into the threads without damaging them either. And be able to clean out any grit or dust or mud that could be stuck within them. All it takes is some elbow grease and just simply brush away until alot of the grit is out.
Reseal The Seams
You can buy a product that helps reseal your seams for pretty cheap anywhere from $5 to $21. Amazon sell a few but a good one is the GEAR AID Seam Grip WP.
When it comes to applying the sealant the best way is to follow the instructions on the tube, you will get a brush and a head brush that you can screw on the tube. You will need to use rubbing alcohol and wipe that over the seams area this will help clean the area well.
Once it has cleaned up you simply use the glue with the little paintbrush if you wish to or simply screw on the brush at the end of the tube. You simply just begin spreading the sealant over the seams in an even way covering all the area and making sure you go over the threads with the sealant, use the paintbrush to push the waterproof product into the threads of the seam so it covers it well.
Make sure you do not use the sealant inside the house because the odor of the product can leave a bad smell as it does smell like a rubbery cement. That is why if your resealing the tent seams or flyover seams outside the smell will not be as bad.
Use The WaterProof Product On The Tent
Once you have resealed the seams and left it to dry, the next thing to do is clean down the rest of the tent. You can use a hose to pour water over your tent to see where on the tent the waterproof sealant has come off.
Once you begin to pour the water over the tent the water should bead off, this is where the water would simply trickle off the tent and you will see bubbles of water sitting on the tent’s material which you can simply just wipe off with a cloth or even your hand.
If however the water sinks into the tents material then it means that the tent will need to be waterproofed, all that has happened is the waterproofing product has come off and the water is now being absorbed into the tents material and will leak through the material.
You can use a waterproof product called ‘Starbrite waterproofing’, this comes in different size’s 128oz, 22oz and 64oz with a sprayer. The other two sizes you will need to buy a spray for them, you can pick one up for the dollar shop quite cheaply. The beauty about this product is that it also protects your tents material from UV rays so that it doesn’t get damaged from the sun.
All you simply do is spray the parts of your tent where the waterproofing has come off or you just simply spray the entire tent. When you do apply the waterproofing product make sure that you first let the tent dry up, then apply the product evenly across the tent making sure that you cover the area or the entire tent.
Leave The Tent To Dry
Once you have applied the waterproof product you will need to let it dry for at least 3-6 hours, ideally you want the sun to be out and make sure that it is a dry day that way, it wont take that long to dry. The warm air will help the product to sink into the material and begin to protect the material from any water seeping through.
Once it has dried you can simply test it out by pouring some water over the material and seeing if the water pours through or not. You will find that the water will simply bead off.
Does waterproof tent spray work
Whether you use a waterproof spray or simply a tin canned spray to waterproof your tent, will it make a difference? The simple answer is YES, it will make a difference depending on which one you use but the main thing is to seal the seams of your tent.
The reason for this is simply because you will get two types of waterproofing spray one is the water based proofing and the second is the silicon based proofing. The water based proofing will do a great job on waterproofing your tent, it also has an extra protection which is the UV rays, this waterproof spray will help your tent from losing its colour or having the material on the tent damaged due to the suns rays.
The silicon spray is just as good because silicon helps keep water out, silicon is also used to keep water out of the house so it would work well with your tent. There are a few downfalls with the product, one that it does smell, and second is that you will need to apply it on the tent alot more earlier in the day because it will take about 7 hours for it to dry if it’s sunny it will help the drying process alot quicker.
So either way whether you choose to use a silicone based waterproofing product or a water based product either will work, the main thing is making sure that the seams on your tent are sealed correctly using a sealant product without using that then your tent will allow water to come into your tent.
How long does it take to waterproof a tent
This will all depend on the kind of waterproofing product you plan on using, the main thing is to make sure that your tent is first set up, so that it makes it alot easier, make sure your tent is cleaned down thoroughly, and that you cover all the points.
I would say you should give it at least a complete day, you could always set the tent up at your camping site but you will have to turn up early during the day. Otherwise in your back garden is much better before you go on your trip. So you should give at least 8 hours to clean and waterproof your tent.