About 30% of the seam has separated between the extruded aluminum gutter and the flimsy fiberglass roof material on my 08 Itasca 30B.Last year, I recalked several feet of the same seam using Geocel ProFlexRV flexible sealant, recommended by CW, but it separated and peel within a year.Forum members have also recommended 3M 5100 and 4000, along with other sealants. But after reading of members who inspect their roof and recalk once or twice a year, I decided to try something more permanent. I've not heard any members having failures with Eternabond so I'm going that route. $116 for 2 50' rolls of 4" white via eBay.I'm thorough on prep but what has me worried is that the film has to bend 90 degrees twice as it goes over the rail edge -- that might be a challenge to keep it straight and not stretch it on these corners.Anyone tried this or have tips?Thank you.

Eternabond prep wrote:Cleaning Recommendations For EPDM and metal clean with a "hot" (fast evaporating) solvent like - lacquer thinner, acetone, automotive brake parts cleaner, or a commercial EPDM cleaner, or a good, non-residue leaving cleaner. For thermoplastic roofs like PVC, TPO, Hypalon, score the surface of with a Scotch-brite like pad (or equal), sand cloth a sanding sponge, etc. Wipe off dust. For rusty metal modified / granulated roofs, stucco, concrete, wood or other porous surfaces - blow or brush off loose or heavy dust / dirt. Coat surface with a light coat of EternaPrime®.Make sure all the loose sealer is cleaned off also. I use a small hand roller to squeeze it down for good adherence.Check out the Eternabond link for other tips.

I can't quite picture your roof but I would not bend around 90 degrees. I would just cut and overlap for the next section. I bought 36" stuff and cut into 9" wide sections and layered over all the existing- original was about 6". Sealed the edge with dicor. Worked great. Next time I will buy the same and cut into 12" wide. One day I will have a full eternabond roof.

There are a bunch of You Tube videos concerning Eternabond application. Might be one concerning your particular installation.The one trick I learned when rolling out long runs is to mark a reference line in some kind to keep the tape going in the direction you want. A few degrees or misalignment that you can't see at the start will grow pretty big in a few feet. As mentioned remove all the loose stuff and give the area the tape will cover a wipe with Acetone to remove any grease, oil, wax and such.

spotrot wrote:I'm thorough on prep but what has me worried is that the film has to bend 90 degrees twice as it goes over the rail edge -- that might be a challenge to keep it straight and not stretch it on these corners.Whatever you do, do NOT stretch Eternabond tape.

Advice on installing Eternabond 4" strips? | Good Sam Community

21 Replies

Jim
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
I know all I'd do is clean off the old caulking, put a thin bead of new caulking in the groove, and try not to spread it out to much. Wipe the upper edge of the gutter with a solvent. Let the caulking dry, then attach the 4" eternabond to the upper edge (what is that, 1/4" or so) of the gutter, hopefully with some help.

Then gently lay the EB over the new caulking. If it makes a gap on the front and rear, I'd figure that out later.

So what you'd end up with is a eternabond slope over the two 90° angles a bit. Like at 45°. That stuff sticks incredibly well and once it's stuck to the upper edge of the rain gutter (channeling water into it directly from the roof), and to the roof, no more leaks.

As I said, the only worry then would be the gap at the front of the roof and the rear. EB is strong enough to bridge a small gap without sagging to much.

Hmmm. Thinking about that. Maybe a small wedge of aluminum angle block stock cut like 1/2" long and stuck in there before you lay the tape...then the tape and caulking would hold it in place and prevent water intrusion. Wouldn't take much, all you'd worry about is wind driven rain getting in between the top of the gutter piece and under the EB. If you're not driving in the rain, and you're not in to many wind/rain storms, you'd be fine for years.

IMO.
mark5w
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
You might want to clean out the dead caulk and re caulk it. Then try to attach the Eternabond to the rail. That's a sharp turn for the Eternabond to make so make sure you roll it with and hand roller in the groove. BTW here's your pic:
spotrot
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
3rd
spotrot
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
OK, 2nd try.
spotrot
Explorer
Jul 25, 2013
Thank you for the pic posting tips.

Hopefully this will get through first try. The pic isn't great - it's getting dark in McCall ID now.

I'm planning on affixing the eternabond to the upper 1/4" wide vertical portion of the 'gutter' then folding it over the dead calk and up onto the roof.

http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/spotrot/media/DSCF4101_zpsb42bbfdb.jpg.html
magik235
Explorer
Jul 24, 2013
After many more repairs, I applied the three coats of Hengs Elastomeric roof coating to the roof.
mark5w
Explorer
Jul 24, 2013
Seams look great now. Maybe it's time for a coating on the rest of your roof. There are a lot of products out there to use.
magik235
Explorer
Jul 24, 2013
I covered my seam strips with no problems.
Jim
Explorer
Jul 24, 2013
spotrot wrote:
A photo is a great idea. I'll search to find out how to post a pic.

In the 'Quick Reply' box below, there is an 'Advanced...' link. Click on that and you'll see an icon in the header that looks like a mountain with a postage stamp above it. Click on that, and it'll ask for the URL of your foto.

If you don't already have a free account at one of the many free Photo hosting services, try Photobucket. Upload your picture there, copy the URL, and paste it in the URL box for images.
spotrot
Explorer
Jul 24, 2013
A photo is a great idea. I'll search to find out how to post a pic.