Zpacks tent floor leaking

[Dave Lame]

I have a Triplex which using the 1.0 oz/sqyd DCF material as the floor.  We used it for a PCT section hike and now the floor is leaking like a sieve.  There are no visible wholes or wear marks but we woke up one night during a storm in puddles. We did a water/paper test in multiple locations  and found leaks through out the entire floor.  Is there any way to seal the floor?  I was told by Zpacks that silicone or urethane will not stick to the DCF floor.

[Ken Larson]

All Zpacks gear has a one year warranty against defects in materials or workmanship. Please see our return / warranty policy.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Sounds like the DCF has pinholes. This can develop pretty easily if it gets pitched on any sort of abrasive ground. It’s kind of a mystery how it happens, but it does happen pretty often with DCF floors. I’m not sure they would cover this under warranty, as this vulnerability is simply a downside with DCF. I doubt there was anything particularly problematic with your DCF.

[James Marco]

Dan is correct. Unless you bring a separate ground cloth, DCF will abrade easily, often with pinhole leaks. Even pine needles can puncture 1oz DCF with fine pinholes. If you are within the time of the warranty, return it for replacement. If not you CAN try a light slurry of silicone caulk and mineral spirits. Often this will plug most pinholes even though it does not stick to plastics all that well. Doing both sides will allow the silicone to bond with itself forming small “plugs” in the fabric, around a 20 to 30 to 1 mix should work brushed thoroughly onto the fabric. DCF doesn’t stretch much, so it should stay for a few weeks of use. Otherwise, you will need to replace it. I would use a 1.1oz silnylon as replacement. Something that will allow recoating as needed.

[Dave Lame]

Thank for the help.

Its out of warranty.  We always used a ground cloth with the tent.  The needles in the CA dessert seem to be able to puncture anything and the lava+granite rocks in OR+WA are very abrasive.

Whats the advantage of using silicone caulk+mineral spirits mixture over a silicone spray?

[James Marco]

A slurry of silicone caulk and mineral spirits will leave a strong rubber compound in the pin holes. The spray will simply render them hydrophobic, not waterproof. It has no rubber to reinforce stuff (not quite true but close enough, it is a different silicone formulation.)

It sounds like you did everything right, it is just at the end of it’s life I guess. You will likely be better off simply replacing the floor.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

QUESTION:

Can Cuben/Dyneema cloth be coated with silicon? If so you can coat the outside of the floor with a mix of odorless mineral spirits and clear GE silicone caulk. (5:1 ratio respectively – by volume)

PM me for details if interested. This works great on silnylon if applied properly.

[James Marco]

Eric, well the actual adhesion of the silicone is effected by the thickness of the layer. More is NOT better. That was why I suggested a thin mix and well brushed in. No, silicone doesn’t really stick to cuben/DCF. But the small plugs will work OK for quite some time. At least on a small stuff sack, it sealed it up fine. I also do the same with Poly coated floors. I thought I had lost my tent but I recoated it on a whim and it worked fine, it hasn’t leaked in over two years. For cuben, what the hell. Shot is shot and it just might work.

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