Forum Discussion

cumak's avatar
cumak
Explorer
Jun 07, 2016

Eternabond and skylight screws

Hello,

I just installed a new skylight and roof vent on my TT, and I used Eternabond tape to seal around the flanges. I also used Eternabond primer so the tape adheres very well, but I'm concerned about the screw heads. At each screw head there is a quarter-size air bubble because the screw prevents the Eternabond from laying flat on the flange. See photo below.

I'm wondering if this is something I should be concerned about, or if this is normal.

One thought I had was to make a small cut in the Eternabond around the screw heads so that the tape will lay flat. The screw heads would be exposed, and I could seal them with a little bit of Dicor.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or comments. Trying to get the roof repairs finished for our first trip of the season in 2 weeks.

Thank you.

  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Jun 07, 2016
    I'd suggest to leave the Eternabond as it is. I used Eternabond Roof Seal (the vinyl backed tape like yours) over many screw heads on my roof and it sealed everything perfectly. As long as you put a roller on it all will be fine.

    FWIW, I also used Eternabond Web Seal (matrix backing) and that tape conforms over any surface irregularity but you have to put a coating on it to make it last.

    Both tapes are making a perfect seal and sold me on the use of Eternabond. BTW, if you drive a fastener through the tape, it will encapsulate the fastener as you're driving it. The stuff is beyond great!
  • opnspaces's avatar
    opnspaces
    Navigator II
    Jun 07, 2016
    Your seals look good. I would no go the route of cutting and adding Dicor, that would be taking a step backwards. If you want to be really sure then cut out 2x2 squares out of eternabond and paste them on top of each screw head. Now the heads are double sealed and unless someone stands on and grinds their shoe on top of a screw the eternabond will hold.

    Also did you use a roller of some sort to really smash the eternabond onto the roof? Your edges don't seem to show any sealant squeezing out so I wonder if you pressed down hard enough. You want to make sure it is pressed down really firmly or it will leak.
  • LarryJM's avatar
    LarryJM
    Explorer II
    Jun 07, 2016
    camper19709 wrote:
    Leave it as is.


    I agree, you have plenty of Eternabond around the screws. In the future you can minimize this issue by putting a small piece of Eternabond with a hole cut out the size of the screw head over the screw before putting the final Eternabond over everything. This will give the top layer of Eternabond a smoother transition over the screw head.

    DO NOT CUT THE ETERNABOND ... if you do you could cause more problems such as a wicking screw over time.

    Larry
  • cumak's avatar
    cumak
    Explorer
    Jun 07, 2016
    Thanks everyone for your advice. This forum is great. I'm going to leave it as-is for now and I'll check on it from time to time.


    opnspaces wrote:
    Also did you use a roller of some sort to really smash the eternabond onto the roof? Your edges don't seem to show any sealant squeezing out so I wonder if you pressed down hard enough. You want to make sure it is pressed down really firmly or it will leak.


    Yes, I used a roller and pressed hard. I actually bit the bullet and purchased that "official" Eternabond roller, the heavy steel one. As I was rolling the edges I could see the sealant squeezing out ever so slightly, and I also heard a very faint "popping" sound. So I think the adhesion is good.

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