Caulk Color Match to Desert Tan

[einspritzer]

What is an effective deck sealant or caulk that matches the Desert Tan color of the deck?
Most [caulk] available is white, which stands out too much for me on these old [Boston Whaler boats].

Cheers and thank you

[Phil T]

Swen--a sealant that was a color match to Desert Tan is no longer made.

Down a bit on my project list for re-sealing deck, gunwale cap, and rear cap is OSI's Quad MAX. I still have not tested which color will be best. There are [4,600] colors to choose from, and I am a bit color blind. I plan on one of the beige versions.

Product information:
http://www.ositough.com/en/products/view-all-products/window-sealant-window-caulking-quad-max.html

Sold at Home Depot. May need to order the color you select. Also on Amazon.

Are you out West or Downeast?

[jimh]

With 4,600 colors available in the product Phil mentions, surely one of them must be close to Desert Tan.

How are the 4,600 colors organized and presented? Are they described in PAN TONE color formulas?

[einspritzer]

{In this post I suggest that the word "chalking" is incorrect and the actual material being discussed in caulking--jimh]

Thanks Phil. I actually tried that brand [that is, OSI's Quad MAX] and found the color #450 Sage to be a dead ringer for the Desert Tan. I still have a few tubes of [OSI's Quad MAX caulk].

I didn't have great success with [OSI's Quad MAX].

Has anyone ever used other solutions [that is, brands of caulk]?

Although I cleaned the surfaces well with mineral spirits, I found that this chalking [caulking] didn't stick that well, and in several spots [I] have evidence of water and dirt passing by the chalking [caulkking] into the fuel [cavity] below.

I started to remove the chalking [caulking] by pulling it out of the crack like stretchy-st[r]ing. [The caulking] pulled right out all the way up the line. After about one year in the boat, this stuff has hardened (although some stretch) and is clay-like than a rubbery silicone that I had removed, which was more brittle but adhered well in that crack. Maybe [this change is] because [the caulking] originally used a silicone adhesive instead of a sealant.

The original deck chalking [caulking] I had to scrape out with a knife, which took hours. That stuff was glued right to the gel coat. This OSI material pulled right out clean.

Again, the [problem] was probably with my preparation. Maybe [the ambient temperature] was [too] hot out when I applied the chalking [caulking]. [I am] going to try a different [solvent or method] to clean the cracks this time. I have found [a product sold under the name] "Super Clean" to be a great surface cleaner for removing oils and grease.

[tlsch377]

i think the mineral spirits [may] have been the problem. [Mineral Spirits have an] oil base and may have left a film. Try acetone in an area and see if that evaporates better without leaving any film.

[biggiefl]

Mineral spirts is petroleum based, not good for adhesion. I would use Acetone or denatured alcohol.

[einspritzer]

I used the OSI Quad #450 Sage color. Great color match to desert tan and the adhesion came out much better this time around. Thanks for all your help.

IMG_20200703_200122.jpeg (24.55 KiB) Viewed 2848 times

[Phil T]

Excellent news, I am just about to put my fuel tank cover back down.