Penthouse screen repair

[bigriver-SMB]

I know this is an issue with many that have older pop tops. The screens eventually start tearing at the points where they crease when top is down. Years of UV radiation make the screens brittle. To put off having to have it re-screened We've tried a few different ways of patching them - last was with clear Tenacious Tape which lasted a couple years but looked terrible and eventually started to peel off. We just tried this product and found it quite easy to apply. It's obvious there are patches but the bugs can't get thru and it looks better than the tape. Time will tell if it stays on but the reviews we've read have us hopeful. I'll report back if it fails in the Baja sun.

 

[larrie-SMB]

Thanks for posting this. Where did you find it, link? Hope you have a good time in Baja.

 

[bigriver-SMB]

Thanks Larrie - click on "this product" in post to see amazon page.

 

[Motorwerx]

Amazing, thanks for sharing!

 

[doublevan2]

Yes Joe -- safe travels to Baja and NO van issues - jealous I am !

 

[arctictraveller]

Baja sun will certainly give it a good test. Have fun down there.

 

[larrie-SMB]

A friend has been down in Baja for a few weeks and the weather has been nothing to write home about. Hope you have better weather.

 

[shenrie]

Appreciate the info/review! Our screens separated at the seam between canvas and screen. Basically full length of the window at the top. Having used this product, do you think it would adhere to the canvas as well as it does to the screen?

 

[bigriver-SMB]

Hmm... interesting question. I'll go out and see how it does and report back.

 

[bigriver-SMB]

The repair screen has a glue on it that melts under a heat gun. I tried it just on the edge of window canvas and it DOES stick to it so seems like it might be a great solution to your issue shenrie. Time will tell if it'll stay stuck but def worth a try. Looks like it is sold in rolls as well.

 

[edonohue]

Here's another way to repair an SMB screen...perhaps of interest:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gZDBuskWtmBcRuJF9

 

[Twoxentrix]

Here's another way to repair an SMB screen...perhaps of interest:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gZDBuskWtmBcRuJF9

Ha! that's a very utilitarian approach. :d3:
Have to appreciate the simplicity - 80+ percent of the time you wouldn't even notice (top down).

 

[moorefc]

Appreciate the info/review! Our screens separated at the seam between canvas and screen. Basically full length of the window at the top. Having used this product, do you think it would adhere to the canvas as well as it does to the screen?

For small screen tears I have successfully repaired with this..
Loctite-Plastic-Adhesive-1-Ounce-1360694


It should also attach well to canvas...worth a test! Clear and unobtrusive. Tape would not likely work well in that scenario. One could, after testing adhesion to cleaned canvas tack it at several points and finally draw a bead. Tape with clear adhesive on one side would likely help when setting. Lower top a bit as well....

 

[Steve C]

Shea, should you happen to try Moorefc's suggestion of Loctite-Plastic-Adhesive-1-Ounce-1360694 please report back. I've got a couple of sections of my screen where it is separating from the canvas seem as well. So far I've just left them as they are on the bottom and not causing issues... yet.

Cheers!

 

[Orv-SMB]

Here's another way to repair an SMB screen...perhaps of interest:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gZDBuskWtmBcRuJF9

I once made a similar repair using dental floss, on a trip.

The problem I'm having now is the clear vinyl windows have shrunk and are starting to pull away from the zipper stitching. That will be a lot harder to fix.

 

[shenrie]

The repair screen has a glue on it that melts under a heat gun. I tried it just on the edge of window canvas and it DOES stick to it so seems like it might be a great solution to your issue shenrie. Time will tell if it'll stay stuck but def worth a try. Looks like it is sold in rolls as well.

Thank you again for the recommendation and trying the product on canvas, really appreciate you taking the time to try it and reporting back!

Shea, should you happen to try Moorefc's suggestion of Loctite-Plastic-Adhesive-1-Ounce-1360694 please report back. I've got a couple of sections of my screen where it is separating from the canvas seem as well. So far I've just left them as they are on the bottom and not causing issues... yet.

We tried similar products (dabs of urethane, etc.) when it first started separating before it spread all the way across, but nothing really held more than one trip for the same reason. We need something to span the gap between the screen and the canvas. The screen has tore away so it doesn’t reach the canvas anymore. It could be repaired with tape on both sides, but that looks hokey and didn’t want the stickum mess after it stopped working. we’ve just dealt with it separated basically since we got the top installed (11 years now….dang). I think if the glue sticks good enough to the canvas with the screenmend it will do the trick. I was able to find the product in a 2”x80” roll, so that’s what I picked up. Hoping to try it this weekend. I’ll report back with my results.

Main reason we need to repair is because ours has separated at the top and it’s working its way down the sides. So it’s curling at the top from gravity which leaves a 2-3” gap �� If the bottom of ours was separating like yours, we likely wouldn’t worry about it unless bugs were finding their way in.

 

[Motorwerx]

Has anyone ever had SMB redo the canvas on their top? I've only ever seen posts on here where people had independent shops do it and to then had the shop say that they would never do it again because of how much of a pain it was.

 

[shenrie]

Had a chance to try the loctite product this weekend. I had planned on using the screenmend product that this thread was created for, but I ended up having more screen than I thought I had so I ran up the street to Fred Meyer and grabbed a tube of the loctite. Ended up working really well.

Used a bunch of masking tape to hold the sagging screen where I wanted it to adhere. You’ve got to have a way to keep the screen up against what you want it to stick to which was a challenge since I had a 3’+ span I needed to repair so I grabbed a heat gun and kinda held it in place while speed drying it in between the pieces of tape. Once it was tacky, I was able to remove the tape and take care of the areas that the tape was blocking.

Overall, I’m happy with the end result as it will allow us to leave the window down a lot more often now. Only thing that would make this product better is if it was a little less runny and more of a gel.

Time will tell how well the stuff works longevity wise. Either way, it’s a temp fix but we should know how well it works once it gets warm enough to roll the windows down.

 

[Steve C]

Thanks for the update Shea, I’ll probably give it a try to prevent my small tare from getting any bigger. Mine should be much easier.