Butyl tape under flange, then rivets or screws, + sealant ??? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 06-17-2010, 10:06 AM   #1
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Trailer: Boler 1300 1980
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Hi every one.

Lurking here for a while, since we bought a 1980 Boler last fall.

I know, the "sealing things" topic is discussed often.... can be repetitive but wanna make it clear.

I'll give two different examples and we will confirm or correct me, right ?

OK, first one, I installed an awning rail, put the butyl tape under the rail and riveted trough the shell. I have put self leveling (RV shop stuff) sealant on the rivet head, do I need to put sealant around the perimeter of the rail, where I trimmed the excess butyl tape that squeezed out when pressed ? I believe the answer in No.

Second one, I am ready to replace the roof vent by a fantastic fan, I will do the same process with the butyl tape under the flange and trimming the squeeze out around both in and out. The fan will be screwed trough the shell and into the plywood spacer inside the trailer. Do I need any sealant around the outside perimeter of the fan on the roof and on the screw heads ? I believe the answer in No to both.

Thanks for all the usefull, interesting and entertaining content on this forum.

GuyBou
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Old 06-17-2010, 11:22 AM   #2
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My answer would be "no." When bedding similar items on boats, no sealant is put around the outside of the flange, or on top of the fasteners, and these items are often regularly doused by "solid" water.

If you think about it, what do people do when they don't want to bother removing a vent or window to re-seal it? They run caulk around the perimeter of the flange. It usually doesn't work and instead just attracts dirt and makes it harder to re-do the job right, in my opinion.

The one exception would be rivet tops in the typical rivets used (on campers; not boats). These have a hole that goes through, so I'd say to put a dollop of sealant on/in the hole.

Raya

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Old 06-17-2010, 01:09 PM   #3
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Have in the past year done both my awning and the fan and in both cases used butyl tape only nothing around the edges Both put to the big test in a very rainy camping recently and both passed.
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Old 06-22-2010, 07:48 AM   #4
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Thanks to both of you.

So, my understanding was rigth !!!!

GuyBou

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Old 06-22-2010, 09:03 AM   #5
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Don't have an answer but if your vent is the smaller one I know a member on here is looking for one......let me know if your selling I will try and dig up that post to see who it was.

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Old 06-28-2010, 11:32 PM   #6
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Quote:
Thanks to both of you.

So, my understanding was rigth !!!!

GuyBou
I would be tempted to cover the heads of the fasteners, unless they're stainless. A decade of weather can be unkind.

The Fantastic Vent installation guide has edge and fastener sealant shown, but it's probably aimed at rubber roofs, where silicone isn't as big a concern:

http://www.fantasticvent.com/faq/knowledge...to_install.html
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Old 06-29-2010, 12:14 AM   #7
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I would be tempted to cover the heads of the fasteners, unless they're stainless. A decade of weather can be unkind.
Do you mean to cover rivet heads? If the rivets used are the type with holes that go right through, then yes (as I think I mentioned), they would need to be filled/covered somehow.

If you are using bronze or galvanized fasteners (seems unlikely, on a camper), I still would not cover the heads, and if they're stainless, they actually use oxygen in order to remain "stainless."

Besides rivets, I can't think of any fasteners that would leak through the heads. The important thing is to get good coverage underneath the flange and under the fastener heads/alongside the fastener threads.

Professionally bedded boat hardware (hatches, cleats, portholes) does not get sealant placed on top of the fasteners (i.e. covering the heads) and it sees a lot of water - rain, spray, and "green" water (i.e. seawater, can come aboard with quite a bit of force).

In my experience, beads/globs of caulk along the edges of hardware and over the tops of fasteners is typically put on by people (owners) when the hardware is past due for re-bedding, and there is a leak, and they are looking for a quick "fix." Sooner or later (usually sooner) it continues to leak and then the item is pulled for proper re-bedding (re-sealing). I think it's easier to just pull and re-seal immediately (or prophylactically), because the beads don't really work and are a mess to clean off.

Raya
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Old 06-29-2010, 07:09 AM   #8
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Don't have an answer but if your vent is the smaller one I know a member on here is looking for one......let me know if your selling I will try and dig up that post to see who it was.
Hopefully for me, the old vent was a 14", so I did not had to "play" with enlarging the existing hole (I would have, just time consuming) but I had to build a new shim.

So I have to be disapointing for this other member researching the smaller vent.

GuyBou
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