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Old 07-03-2019, 05:29 PM   #1
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Roof sealant question

I'll be replacing my rooftop solar panels soon-ish. What is the best sealant to permanently plug the old mounting screw holes? Butyl will remain tacky, yes? Should I used something like Dicor 501LSW-1 Lap Sealant instead?

Suggestions much appreciated.

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Old 07-04-2019, 07:27 AM   #2
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I would be helpful to know if your roof is metal or fiberglass.

Mine is fiberglass. In 2005 I used E6800 to seal the holes around the stainless steel machine screws in my roof which hold the Thule rails and and they have not leaked. I used the same product at the same time to glue down the actual rail to the roof.

https://www.amazon.com/UV6800-260011...gateway&sr=8-9

You could also use some of the "bondo" products made by Evercoat.

There is an excellent West Marine product called Marine RX which I would not hesitate to use.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-...4-oz--13967450

If your roof is sheet metal, if it were me, I would probably pop down the headliner and gently weld the holes closed. But welding sheet metal requires a level of proficiency which I only kind of have, so it would requires practice on a piece of scrap the same thickness to make sure that I didn't just blow the holes bigger.

The leading edge of my top where it meets the metal van roof leaks. Sportsmobile was going to fix it under warranty but I live in CA and had it installed in TX and although I likely could have had it repaired in Fresno, the three hour drive and the complications were such that I never got it done. I will likely use some left over butyl "rope" which I used to replace a broken side window on the van to seal the leading edge by unbolting the front of the roof, raising it, and dropping the roof down into a "bed" of that butyl. Butyl is uncured rubber, so it never hardens. You asked about it.
Personally, I would not use it to seal holes in the roof.
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Old 07-04-2019, 09:52 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by E350 View Post
I would be helpful to know if your roof is metal or fiberglass.

Mine is fiberglass. In 2005 I used E6800 to seal the holes around the stainless steel machine screws in my roof which hold the Thule rails and and they have not leaked. I used the same product at the same time to glue down the actual rail to the roof.

https://www.amazon.com/UV6800-260011...gateway&sr=8-9

You could also use some of the "bondo" products made by Evercoat.

There is an excellent West Marine product called Marine RX which I would not hesitate to use.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-...4-oz--13967450

If your roof is sheet metal, if it were me, I would probably pop down the headliner and gently weld the holes closed. But welding sheet metal requires a level of proficiency which I only kind of have, so it would requires practice on a piece of scrap the same thickness to make sure that I didn't just blow the holes bigger.

The leading edge of my top where it meets the metal van roof leaks. Sportsmobile was going to fix it under warranty but I live in CA and had it installed in TX and although I likely could have had it repaired in Fresno, the three hour drive and the complications were such that I never got it done. I will likely use some left over butyl "rope" which I used to replace a broken side window on the van to seal the leading edge by unbolting the front of the roof, raising it, and dropping the roof down into a "bed" of that butyl. Butyl is uncured rubber, so it never hardens. You asked about it.
Personally, I would not use it to seal holes in the roof.
Fiberglass roof. That E6800 sounds like good stuff, thanks.
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Old 07-04-2019, 01:30 PM   #4
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Hmmm... If I wanted to permanently positively seal those holes, I would use the West Marine "Marine Rx" epoxy putty. It will dry white. I would get to the underside and fair/feather a little around the hole from the inside too.
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Old 07-07-2019, 07:59 PM   #5
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Thank you for the suggestion!
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Old 07-14-2019, 01:49 PM   #6
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Order some PARR. It is a sealant that comes in a tube. It can be used on metal or fiberglass. I use it on my van and 1976 Airstream to seal seams and laps. If you are filling a hole, run a bolt through it with PARR generously applied to the surfaces. It takes several hours to dry but is fully cured in a week. Once cured it is bonded to the surfaces and is difficult to remove. Some of my patches are 12 years old and show no sign of breaking down.
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Old 10-05-2019, 10:05 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by E350 View Post
Hmmm... If I wanted to permanently positively seal those holes, I would use the West Marine "Marine Rx" epoxy putty. It will dry white. I would get to the underside and fair/feather a little around the hole from the inside too.
Thanks for this, I recently found that one of cracks had been caused by to long of a screw attaching the canvas, had popped a chip out and created a small hole. While small the amount of water that came through was amazing. I used the Marine TX epoxy and all things are good.

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Old 10-19-2019, 09:32 PM   #8
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You could also use Marine-Tex (same thing referenced above?)....Works quite well, is white, feathers nicely, and less expensive in small quantities...Available a lot of places...2oz is plenty for holes...
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Old 10-20-2019, 08:01 AM   #9
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If the roof is fiberglass, why not just use fiberglass? Cheap and effective.
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Old 10-20-2019, 08:21 AM   #10
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If the roof is fiberglass, why not just use fiberglass? Cheap and effective.

Certainly could; filling holes one would use chop strand, maybe white tint, and resin,,,with some sanding...Personally, I don't like sanding fiberglass. If there were cracks/fractures, different story. On the other hand, if you have the materials....Maybe one could use a non glass filler/thickener material with the resin to get away from the glass?
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