method for installing frp siding...aluminum too?
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 9:42 amI used fiber reinforced plastic (flexible, tough, continuous, and cheap!) for my siding and roof. It was recommended to use contact cement to install. With the do or die nature of contact cement, we thought long and hard about how to install this accurately, and easily...this is an account of what we came up with.
Applying contact cement: mfg recommends roller or brush. Bad idea, if you ask me. We used a trowel with 1/16 x 1/16 notches, followed by brushing to fully distribute. Went on perfectly even with no globs/goobers, or other annoying things that will make the surface uneven.
SIDING:
1. Cut oversize, but not too much so.
2. Dry fit.
3. Contact cement the heck out of everything.
Take note of the photos: The strip at the bottom of the TD is a strip of scrap frp. It is clamped in place. Clamping this here allowed us to align/adjust the placement of the finished panel without fear. Also note the squares of plastic all over the side. These are bubble wrap insulation, that are sticking to the marginally tacky contact cement on the sides.
4. Approach the TD with frp, using one hand to align lower edge of frp to lower edge of TD (allowing a little slop). Adjust L/R to ensure full coverage. At this point, the FRP is flat along the bottom, and is rolled towards the worker folk, like a banana peel coming off from the top of the TD.
5. Roll the FRP onto the side, pressing in the middle of the frp where there are no bubble wrap squares. This one location will hold the panel in place.
6. Working from the initial point of contact, reach behind the frp to pull out the bubble squares, press as you go.
7. When all bubble squares are removed, unclamp the lower edge, remove, and the side is on.
8. Use a wall paper roller to apply pressure, as required for contact cement.
9. With a flush cutting bit, use a router to get an exact fit.
ROOF:
This was much scarier to do. It required a 15 foot roll, slightly oversized in width (a bit heavy, and everything was above the head.)
1. Dry fit, so that the front of the panel is EXACTLY where it needs to be.
2. Using tape, mark the exact location of where the panel is laying on the galley walls. Mark both the location on the wall, and on the panel. Use an "x" or arrows of some sort to mark both horizontal and vertical location.
3. Contact cement the heck out of everything.
4. Roll the panel so the glue is on the outside and the front of the panel is on the inside of the roll. This required that we flip the panel upside down. To avoid getting grass/dirt/dust/etc on the panel, be sure to put something clean where the panel is going to be flipped.
5. Again, put a piece of scrap (2 feet worth) on the roof, abutting the galley. Be sure to tape it…the roll will move it in the next step.
6. With a couple of feet of the panel unrolled, we placed the roll on the scrap. The scrap allowed the trailer to take the weight of the roll while we nudged it to align the markings on the frp with the galley walls.
7. When the alignment is “perfectâ€
Applying contact cement: mfg recommends roller or brush. Bad idea, if you ask me. We used a trowel with 1/16 x 1/16 notches, followed by brushing to fully distribute. Went on perfectly even with no globs/goobers, or other annoying things that will make the surface uneven.
SIDING:
1. Cut oversize, but not too much so.
2. Dry fit.
3. Contact cement the heck out of everything.
Take note of the photos: The strip at the bottom of the TD is a strip of scrap frp. It is clamped in place. Clamping this here allowed us to align/adjust the placement of the finished panel without fear. Also note the squares of plastic all over the side. These are bubble wrap insulation, that are sticking to the marginally tacky contact cement on the sides.
4. Approach the TD with frp, using one hand to align lower edge of frp to lower edge of TD (allowing a little slop). Adjust L/R to ensure full coverage. At this point, the FRP is flat along the bottom, and is rolled towards the worker folk, like a banana peel coming off from the top of the TD.
5. Roll the FRP onto the side, pressing in the middle of the frp where there are no bubble wrap squares. This one location will hold the panel in place.
6. Working from the initial point of contact, reach behind the frp to pull out the bubble squares, press as you go.
7. When all bubble squares are removed, unclamp the lower edge, remove, and the side is on.
8. Use a wall paper roller to apply pressure, as required for contact cement.
9. With a flush cutting bit, use a router to get an exact fit.
ROOF:
This was much scarier to do. It required a 15 foot roll, slightly oversized in width (a bit heavy, and everything was above the head.)
1. Dry fit, so that the front of the panel is EXACTLY where it needs to be.
2. Using tape, mark the exact location of where the panel is laying on the galley walls. Mark both the location on the wall, and on the panel. Use an "x" or arrows of some sort to mark both horizontal and vertical location.
3. Contact cement the heck out of everything.
4. Roll the panel so the glue is on the outside and the front of the panel is on the inside of the roll. This required that we flip the panel upside down. To avoid getting grass/dirt/dust/etc on the panel, be sure to put something clean where the panel is going to be flipped.
5. Again, put a piece of scrap (2 feet worth) on the roof, abutting the galley. Be sure to tape it…the roll will move it in the next step.
6. With a couple of feet of the panel unrolled, we placed the roll on the scrap. The scrap allowed the trailer to take the weight of the roll while we nudged it to align the markings on the frp with the galley walls.
7. When the alignment is “perfectâ€
...!