Well, this stupid New England storm with winds gusting over 50 just caused a tree limb to fall and puncture right through my clamshell cover.
Got a nice ol' hole about 2 inches in diameter.
What is the best way to fix these type of holes? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
Got a nice ol' hole about 2 inches in diameter.
What is the best way to fix these type of holes? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
rupprider
Expert
fiberglass or aluminum?
Sorry, I should have stated....It's Aluminum
Get some replacement aluminum from any sheet metal shop, a bunch of alumninum rivets, maybe some kind of sealant for under the patch, and rivet the heck out of it.... should be ok. You may want to check, a proper repair could be covered under your auto or homeowners policy.
LazyBastard
TY 4 Stroke God
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Yep, most common way is sheet metal and pop rivets. BUT, when you are sealing it, sandwich the sealant between them, i.e., drill your first pop rivet hole through both, remove patch, run a bead of silicon around the hole, place patch over silicon, squeeze in first pop rivet. Then drill and insert one pop rivet on opposite side of patch to keep everything aligned. Now you can go nuts. Reason you don't just put the silicon on after is that if you do, it WILL peel off.
There are two alternatives though;
1) its only 2" diameter, you could just grab a couple of washers with a 2" diameter and a bolt - sandwich the hole with the washers (apply silicon as described above).
2) BEST way (if the metal is thick enough) is to weld it, but this is probably excessive given the application.
There are two alternatives though;
1) its only 2" diameter, you could just grab a couple of washers with a 2" diameter and a bolt - sandwich the hole with the washers (apply silicon as described above).
2) BEST way (if the metal is thick enough) is to weld it, but this is probably excessive given the application.
vice108
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
might sound silly but I've used JB Weld to fill hole that size quit succefully
ahicks
TY 4 Stroke Master
Temp. patch, just to keep the weather out could be about anything. The right way would be to replace the metal panel itself if you are concerned about the way it's going to look afterward and resale value. Take a look at it. Conventional construction you'll see it's not that big a deal. Metal panels will seperate at seams. Matching material should be available from any good travel trailer dealership, usually in the correct color. They do this type repair all the time, would be a good sorce of info/materials or just have them do it. Should be pretty reasonable depending on type of construction and size of panel being replaced. FWIW
Had the same issue - well actually closed the shell with a cd rack standing up in there and blew a hole out. Used some aluminum and about 30 rivets w/ silicone. 4 years later it is still water tight and looks OK from the outside.
Well, after doing some research, this is what I've come up with...
OSI® Pro-Series®
10 Oz. Clear Window, Siding, Gutter and Roof Sealant
I ended up picking up a tube at Lowes for under $6.00 and then applied it. It's all fixed.
I applied it to the exterior and covered a 3 square inch area, feathering it to the surface, as to make it as little noticeable as possible. I then applied it the interior to ensure it's completely weather-proof. All in all, I must say, it dried clear and you can barely even tell anything happened!
Definitely recommend this stuff if you've got a puncture in anything. It says it's recommended for applications on windows & doors, fiber-cement siding, vinyl siding, roofing & gutters, cedar, fiberglass & aluminum, masonry & concrete.
Worked for me!
OSI® Pro-Series®
10 Oz. Clear Window, Siding, Gutter and Roof Sealant
I ended up picking up a tube at Lowes for under $6.00 and then applied it. It's all fixed.
I applied it to the exterior and covered a 3 square inch area, feathering it to the surface, as to make it as little noticeable as possible. I then applied it the interior to ensure it's completely weather-proof. All in all, I must say, it dried clear and you can barely even tell anything happened!
Definitely recommend this stuff if you've got a puncture in anything. It says it's recommended for applications on windows & doors, fiber-cement siding, vinyl siding, roofing & gutters, cedar, fiberglass & aluminum, masonry & concrete.
Worked for me!
