jay's blog

Can you repair a leak with a handy can of miracle "spray?"

Of course you know the answer.

You've seen the TV commercials!

They are incessant! 

A handy can of spray which will repair everything from your pipes, your roof and gutters, a kitchen counter top, and, well, you can seal a window screen so well you can use it on the bottom of your boat!

Imagine!  With the miracle "spray" you can float on a window screen!

Best of all, it "lasts a lifetime!"

And it's so cheap! 

Of course calling right away will get you two cans!

IT'S A MIRACLE PRODUCT!

Why are the commercials so frequent, seen on every channel, and why are new commercials are made all the time each with a new, similar whatever or new colors?

BECAUSE ZILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE BUYING A PRODUCT THEY THINK WILL BE AN EASY FIX, AND CHEAPER THAN CALLING A PROFESSIONAL!

And that's that.  There is lots of money available to sell a new whatever in new colors!

There is nothing new about liquid, latex sealants.  And they work, in certain applications and for certain periods of time.

And there is nothing new about a liquid, flexible sealant with a huckster who has a very wide smile.

Simply put, marketing those products in ways that make it SEEM LIKE THINGS ARE WHAT THEY ARE NOT is what sells the product and encourages more of it!

The same marketing techniques are used to sell life insurance, medical devices, legal recompense for particular ailments, household products, weight loss, food, exercise mechanisms, and you name it.

There will always, always, always be the market for those who want something quick and easy, be it repairs, feeling better, good health, muscle tone, weight loss, or monetary "justice."

My recommendation:  very little lasts a lifetime.  Easy fixes are exceptionally rare.  Almost never is something in a can better than having a professional fix for something, especially a plumbing leak!  The "repair" in the photo above began leaking again after a couple of months, according to the homeowner who does not have the money to get that problem fixed properly.  Are flexible sealants in a can a scam?  Partly, when they are made to look like, key words - look like,  they will do what is portrayed they can do for a lifetime.  Remember, no new mouse trap was invented here!  Liquid, latex sealants have been around for a long, long time.  But they should be used with prudence, and in the right places.