Can you repair a leak with a handy can of miracle "spray?"
Of course you know the answer.
You've seen the 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.
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.
Office (703) 330-6388 Cell (703) 585-7560
Thank you for the information. It sounds too good to be true so we should be careful. I agree.
But, but, but... I saw with my own eyes! They can spray that stuff on a water tank with a hole in it, and the spray SEALS THE HOLE! I saw it!
Yea...always some gimick for the last person to call back on
Good morning, Jay Markanich it's human nature to try to be a "do-it yourselfer" and save a buck....it usually ends up costing more than it would have had you just called the professional to begin with....
I come along right behind Kat Palmiotti and read her comments and think - that is what I was going to say! So ditto to Kat!
You're welcome Gita, not much to disagree with here.
Yes, it does, Kat. Forever. And rabbits that weren't in the hat to begin with suddenly show up! It truly is a miracle.
Barnum said something about a sucker being born every minute, William. Too true.
I am a do it yourselfer, Barbara. But a man's got to know his limitations. And the limitations of a spray can. You will LOOOOVE this one! Read here. A previous blog of mine.
Lise - and remember the same rabbit that I mentioned to her too!
I must agree with you, Jay Markanich and the rule we live by is if you have the time to do it wrong, then you sure have the same time to do it right.
But easier and quicker is better, S&N!
Dontchaknow...
Good morning Jay. The words "emergency temporary" come to mind as a prefix to "repair"! Spray away! Enjoy your day and call the plumber!
Awww man, you burst my bubble! I have this jon boat that leaks see.....
Thank you for covering this topic! I've seen the commericals, and I've wondered about the effectiveness on small jobs, but not anything like the one pictured! That job needs a good professional!
Home buyers will wonder if the seller used a miracle spray approach to other repairs around the house.
In an emergency, and as a temporary thing, this spray is probably fine, Wayne. But more than that, well...
Fred - I didn't know what a Jon Boat was until I looked it up! And, by the way, my legal name is Jon.
There were lots of interesting "repairs" in this house, Mryl! This was one I could not resist writing about!
I wish their was a miracle fix but as you point at temnporary fixes are never as good as real solutions.
Hence the word "temporary," Joe. I am always amazed by people who think things like this will work, short or long term.