Rubber roof repair with limited supplies

[NanHenson]

I had to make a repair to the rubber on the roof which involved removing the front termination bar. I have one tube of dicor self leveling sealant and about 40 feet of 2" wide Eternabond tape. I have no butyl tape and no way to get any before the next rainfall. Is there a reason I couldn't/shouldn't use the eternabond to tape the metal edge of the front to the rubber roof, then put the termination bar over that?

[NanHenson]

Joe417 wrote:
I wouldn't put the Eternabond on first and then put the strip on top. You would be putting holes in the backing of the tape.

If I wanted to put it back the way it was, I would put Dicor across the joint temporarily. If you aren't pulling it around it will keep the water out until there was time to get the Butyl tape and re-seal it like it came from the factory. One tube should seal the rubber to the front cap temporarily.

I would call putting a bead of the Dicor across it, bedding the termination strip in it and screwing it down and then covering it with the eternabond tape a permanent fix. If you clean it "real good" where the eternabond can stick to both the front cap and the rubber it wont leak. You said you have 40 ft. of tape which should be enough to make overlapping runs across the termination joint.

As long as it is real clean it will seal it.

I don't want a quick fix ora temporary solution. I am going for a permanent repair with the supplies I have on hand, because I will have to move. I don't have butyl tape, so I was mainly looking for a substitute there. Since Eternabond seals around screws drilled through it, I didn't think it would be a problem to do that. Basically, instead of having butyl tape, I would have Eternabond. I wasn't wild about the bed of caulk/overlap tape idea because I'm not sure there is enough caulk to make a good bed and if I taped over the termination bar, I would prefer it to be with the 4 inch tape, not the 2. Which is when I thought of reversing the layers. I have plenty of tape to tape down the edge, and enough sealant for the edges and screws of the termination bar.

[MrWizard]

right on !

use alcohol or MEK or acetone to clean ALL surfaces for where the EB will be applied

the molding ?/termination bar and the front cap and the rubber roof

you can use a cheap wallpaper roller to press it down, which pops the tiny bubbles of adhesive to make a stronger Bond

[Joe417]

I wouldn't put the Eternabond on first and then put the strip on top. You would be putting holes in the backing of the tape.

If I wanted to put it back the way it was, I would put Dicor across the joint temporarily. If you aren't pulling it around it will keep the water out until there was time to get the Butyl tape and re-seal it like it came from the factory. One tube should seal the rubber to the front cap temporarily.

I would call putting a bead of the Dicor across it, bedding the termination strip in it and screwing it down and then covering it with the eternabond tape a permanent fix. If you clean it "real good" where the eternabond can stick to both the front cap and the rubber it wont leak. You said you have 40 ft. of tape which should be enough to make overlapping runs across the termination joint.

As long as it is real clean it will seal it.

[BFL13]

The OP doesn't have any Butyl tape, and wants a quick fix before it rains. I don't have any better ideas, so over to the rest of the forum for how to do it better than what I posted. (Anything might be better! 🙂 )

Maybe just tape the whole gap and forget the metal termination bar for now, I don't have a clear picture of what the OP is facing as it stands, or how long this fix is supposed to last.

[NanHenson]

BFL13 wrote:


I am not clear on the "termination bar" but if it is the moulding piece across the roof at the cap, usually that is Dicored down original, so a repair would be to cover the whole thing with wide Eternabond. (at least that is one way).

I have never seen anything but butyl tape under the termination bar or anything else on the roof.

[Lwiddis]

Regarding the roof, who cares if the tape s perfectly straight?

[NanHenson]

Good lord, I'd be lucky to keep six inches of that stuff from sticking to itself without backing.

[BFL13]

No, Mr Wiz, I am such a spaz I can't pull the clear plastic underlay off and lay out the Eternabond like you are supposed to as you go along and keep it straight. Not enough hands! So I would get the clear part off all the way from shorter lengths, but even the shorter lengths would get in the breeze.

With any luck the OP is not such a spaz as I am, and it will go better. 🙂

---OP, You can overlap Eternabond and it will stick. You still have to sort of "work it in" to activate the glue. There are rollers for that, but I just do it by hand. Probably not so good, but it seems to work Ok.

I am not clear on the "termination bar" but if it is the moulding piece across the roof at the cap, usually that is Dicored down original, so a repair would be to cover the whole thing with wide Eternabond. (at least that is one way).

So if that is all off now, I don't see any advantage in putting it down over tape and taping over it above that. Why not just put it down without the Butyl under it and the Dicor above it, and just go straight to the Eternabond over it all?

[NanHenson]

BFL13 wrote:
Normally you use 4 inch Eternabond over the whole thing between the roof and the cap. For a quick fix using what you have, you can put the "termination bar" back on and put your 2 inch Eternabond along it with 1 inch overlap, so with 40 feet and 8 ft to do, you could do two 8 ft, with one overlap making 3 inches. Or even three and get 4 inches.

It is hard to do all 8 ft with one length --it gets twisted up in the wind and turns into a nightmare, so shorter lengths overlapping end to end is more practical. Your 40 ft leaves enough for overlapping the end to end and for the lengths.

You might not need the Dicor at all. Purists put Dicor along the edges of the Eternabond, but how long is this for, before you get some 4 inch and do it over top of this one?

Idon't understand what you mean about overlapping shorter lengths. That seems like there would be more opportunity for leaks that way. Are you saying put the tape over the termination bar?

[MrWizard]

It is hard to do all 8 ft with one length --it gets twisted up in the wind and turns into a nightmare

sorry to ask
but how is 8ft across, hard to tape down
i've never found EB to get twisty, you must be putting it down during a windstorm/Gale

i've run full length front to back over 30ft using 4" , just smooth it down as i unroll it, my only hassle is keeping a straight line/edge and not wiggling back & forth
or is that what you meant ?

[Lwiddis]

You indicate trying to be economical in roof repair/maintenance...have 2 inch tape but not 4 inch tape. Not wise IMO.

[BFL13]

Normally you use 4 inch Eternabond over the whole thing between the roof and the cap. For a quick fix using what you have, you can put the "termination bar" back on and put your 2 inch Eternabond along it with 1 inch overlap, so with 40 feet and 8 ft to do, you could do two 8 ft, with one overlap making 3 inches. Or even three and get 4 inches.

It is hard to do all 8 ft with one length --it gets twisted up in the wind and turns into a nightmare, so shorter lengths overlapping end to end is more practical. Your 40 ft leaves enough for overlapping the end to end and for the lengths.

You might not need the Dicor at all. Purists put Dicor along the edges of the Eternabond, but how long is this for, before you get some 4 inch and do it over top of this one?