Roof seams in the aluminum

[David Beckett]

I can't get a single sheet of aluminum to cover my tear. How do you handle the seams?

[toypusher]

David,

You might try doing a seach for 'aluminum supplier' or something of that nature. I am sure that you could be able to get 5' wide or wider aluminum for your tear. Try contacting a tractor-trailer trailer repair place. The usually have aluminum about 104" wide and any length that you might want. I called a place locally and it was only $9.00 a linear foot for the 104" stuff.

Kerry

[David Beckett]

Kerry,

I just did call our local trailer place, but I know more about aluminum than they do! I asked about thickness, .032 or .040 and the guy said he didn't know, but that it's really thin, about 3 pieces of paper! Anyway, it's only 4x10 so I'd have to work with seams.

If you have to overlap seams, it seems (pun intended) to me that the overlap would go in different directions depending on the flow of gravity and wind direction.

Surely someone has done this before.

[mikeschn]

Maxitear had to overlap the aluminum... check out Jerry's build journal here...

http://www.maxitear.com/maxitear/MaxiTear.html

Mike...

[madjack]

...cut your 4x10 aluminum in half, you now have 2 4x5's, put them across the body and overlap, (front over back) 1in, over a rib and screw em down using something like automotive urethane adhesive/sealant(windshield) otherwise known as EVIL BLACK STUFF to seal between them....have lacquer thinner and rags ready to clean-up sealant
madjack

[David Beckett]

Madjack,

That's exactly what I had in mind if I'm forced. Thanks for the confirmation.

[D. Tillery]

A sheet metal shop with a press break may be able to form your two pieces together with a locking crimp. A shop doing duct work for HVAC would be your best bet. They may even be able to resistance weld it. But you will still see a seam that you may need to cover.

D. Tillery

[David Beckett]

A local metal shop is going to bend my 4 foot sheets at both ends with a one inch U. Then I will lay them flat on a hard surface, caulk, and hammer them down.

How does this sound?

[ceebe]

Aircraft Spruce and Specialty in Fullerton CA has aluminum up to 4' x 12' in many alloys and thicknesses. The priced are not out of line and you know zackly what alloy you are getting.