We've done a few small things on our
Boler (yet to be named) and a few days ago we decided to tackle the roof vents. It's a pretty basic project and I've seen a few threads about it which gave us the confidence to try it ourselves! We decided to post the work as we do it for others to see and comment on. Any input would be appreciated!
So far we erected a make-shift shelter out of tarp poles and one of the large tarps we used to use while tenting. We've got decent clearance all the way around and can work in a nice dry environment. It started raining as we were putting it up!
Once I got on top, I was surprised to find
32 screws on the old vent! We pulled off the vent cover and inside trim and 32 screws later, we removed the exterior base and a plywood/metal spacer inside.
I used a plastic scraper to get off the old butyl tape. I think it was butyl as it was grey and very sticky. After that I used a metal scraper to get the silicone off which had been painted over. I didn't want to leave any odd lumps or bumps and figured I can touch up the
paint later since we won't really be seeing this area anyways.
After a rough cleaning, it was painfully obvious that this was at
least the 2nd vent in this location. There are more than 60 holes in the
fiberglass, plus a few small cracks and deep chips.
We ran out of time so we cleaned up and sealed it up with some plastic for the day.
We are grabbing some acetone today to clean up the rest of the butyl tape and old silicone. I am considering filling these holes since there are so many of them. Adding a new vent will just create another 20 or 30 and I am sure this will start to get pretty weak.
After watching the
fiberglass repair demo at the NorWest Glass Egg meet last week, I am considering going the full matt and resin method to add some strength and plug it all up from the inside. Hopefully it will work well enough to fill the holes.
There is also the liquid product that already has fibers in it and I am thinking that may be my best route. I just can't remember what that is called and can't find it at Home Depot. Can anyone refresh my memory?
We will update as we go!