What Is Butyl Tape

If you’re building a new deck, butyl flashing tape can add years of safety and usefulness to your home improvement. Butyl tape provides a protective barrier against the moisture and condensation that seeps through the decking boards when it rains or snows, keeping your wood stronger for the long run.

Let’s get down to the sticky details!

What Is Butyl Tape: Introduction

Adhesives come in three main varieties: silicon-based, rubber-based, or acrylic-based. You can find both natural and synthetic rubber adhesives.

In this article, we focus on butyl adhesives, part of the rubber-based category. Butyl was developed to augment traditional rubber adhesives. Butyl tapes are less temperature-sensitive and maintain their stickiness at much lower temperatures than natural rubber.   

With butyl rubber tape, you find a tape that instantly adheres to most surfaces and has a high adhesion level. Due to its flexibility, it bonds well in applications where moisture is a factor, such as with decks. Homeowners and builders appreciate how quickly they can make a repair with butyl seal tape.

Uses Of Butyl Tape

Butyl tape is used in a variety of situations:

RV butyl putty tape (for a camper)

Small home repairs

With glass or metal, including ductwork

On a wide range of surfaces, including wood.

What  Difference Does Butyl Tape Make for a Deck?

A deck’s substructure, its beams, and joists can start to rot around 8 to 10 years, even with treated lumber. Ensure your deck’s substructure lasts as long as the deck boards it supports with butyl tape.

Water leakage through your decking boards can cause hidden damage unless your beams and joists are covered. Even tiny cracks around screws and can lead to wood rot. For a small cost, you can protect your deck substructure by applying flashing tape.  SAN-GOBUILDt can waterproof the tops of the deck joists, rim joists, beams, and the ledger board. It will hold water out and help seal around screw holes and metal fasteners to prevent corrosion.

Pros & Cons Of Butyl Tape

Of course, with any tool, there are advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start with the pros:

Securely bonds to even resistant surfaces

Is less temperature-sensitive and oozes less in high temperatures

Can be applied in a wide range of weather conditions — very flexible

Is more affordable than acrylic or silicone in most instances

Provides an effective barrier that is airtight and watertight

Flows better around decking screws and deck fasteners, creating a tighter seal.  

However, no adhesive is perfect. Butyl tape and butyl sealant also have cons:

Because it is solvent-based, it can dissolve if exposed to strong solvents such as gasoline, turpentine, or mineral oil 

Does not adhere well if the surface is very rough

Though it has improved, it can be affected by extreme temperatures

Butyl tape is best used during construction. If a sealant is needed after construction, such as around a window frame, you may need caulk or other material that works like caulking.

Surface Compatibility: Choosing The Right Butyl Tape

Butyl tapes are often considered an all-in-one solution due to their many application uses. It is compatible with these surfaces: 

Glass

Rubber roofing

Metal roofing

Wood

Galvanized 

Aluminum

Metal

Plastic

The flexibility, strong adhesion, and weatherproof nature of butyl tape make it the perfect choice to be deck flashing tape. When considering which butyl tape to purchase, consider these factors:

What is easier to install? Purchase a self-adhesive butyl tape that is easy to install. Because of its strong adhesion, you want to put the tape down once on a dry surface. Pick one that installs directly on the boards and requires minimum cuts and overlap. Additionally, go for a tape that’s not too thick (which will be difficult to install) and not too thin (which won’t be as durable).

What about durability? Choose heavy-duty adhesive tape with an excellent warranty.

Look at the total cost to protect your deck and the value of the warranty — and peace of mind — when choosing a quality product