Fantastic Fan Install Questions

[csevel]

We've decided to install a Fantastic Fan to replace the current vent on our Casita. We've found the power leads in the roof so we're good there..but we have a couple of questions:

1. How difficult is it to remove the factory sealant from the original vent? Use a solvent or just a putty knife?
2. How specifically should the rivets be removed? drilled out? or only the rivet heads? How do you get the remaining shafts out?
3. Is buying stainless screws prudent for securing the fan or should we use rivets? If rivets, aluminum or steel?
4. We are considering Eternabond tape for caulking the perimeter. Is this something I should reconsider and just stick with a Dicor self-leveling caulk/sealant?

Any help here would be greatly appreciated. We will be doing this in the coming few days of nice weather

[Carol H]

1) Defends on what they used. If its Silicone based then a product form Dap called Silicone-be-gone works well with a plastic scraper.

2) I drilled out the rivets on my old vent - once you get the heads off the shafts should just fall out.

3) I used standard aluminum rivets on my Fantastic fan and used the cap holder/washer and snap cap to cover the heads on the top side of the fan.

4) Most folks here only use butyl tape for mounting the fan - no caulk needed. Thats all thats on mine and its been leak free for 4 years so far. Do a search of this forum and you will find lots of info on how to install the fantastic fan as well as the use of butyl tape only.

You might also want to pick up some epoxy putty for filling the holes left by the rivets of the original fan as its a good bet the new vent holes will not all line up.

[Raz]

Welcone to the forum. To add to what Carol said, I have used heat from a hair dryer and a dull putty knife to loosen caulk. Also I have found that screws do not work well in fiberglass alone. They require some sort of backing. Usually wood is used. Rivets or bolts work better if there is no backing. Good luck, Raz

[dylanear]

Drilling out my rivets was the hard part, but got easier as I figured out what I was doing.

I did get stainless bolts for mine, but rivets do work and are pretty easy.

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

Welcone to the forum. To add to what Carol said, I have used heat from a hair dryer and a dull putty knife to loosen caulk. Also I have found that screws do not work well in fiberglass alone. They require some sort of backing. Usually wood is used. Rivets or bolts work better if there is no backing. Good luck, Raz

I used stainless steel 6-32 machine screws with stainless nylok nuts and washers. I needed one of my daughters on the roof to tighten the screws while I held the nuts below.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

I used stainless steel 6-32 machine screws with stainless nylok nuts and washers. I needed one of my daughters on the roof to tighten the screws while I held the nuts below.

Daughter on the roof instead of you. Good move. She'll bounce, you won't

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

Daughter on the roof instead of you. Good move. She'll bounce, you won't

No, I would go through. Even with her small size the roof flexed quite a bit.

[dylanear]

Yeah, not sure how I'm going to tighten those screws, I have no small child.

And rivets won't work for me with my 2"+ extension.