Painting FRP?????

[atahoekid]

I would think twice on those channels. I used them on my tear, and after the first summer they started to curl up and shrunk. I don't think they hold up well to summer heat. I would look into something more durable.

Thanks for that little bit of info. It'll probably save me a ton of headaches and frustration. Do you have any thoughts on what you might try. Have you had any other issues with the frp?

I'm pondering butting the sheets tightly against each other on a substrate of 1/4th ply using frp adhesive. The ply will be attached to the studs in the wall.

For now, that's what I'm thinking but it's subject to change based on any other info that I come across.

Sorry to hear of your extra work. That's gotta be a pain

[satch]

I would think twice on those channels. I used them on my tear, and after the first summer they started to curl up and shrunk. I don't think they hold up well to summer heat. I would look into something more durable.

Thanks for that little bit of info. It'll probably save me a ton of headaches and frustration. Do you have any thoughts on what you might try. Have you had any other issues with the frp?

I'm pondering butting the sheets tightly against each other on a substrate of 1/4th ply using frp adhesive. The ply will be attached to the studs in the wall.

For now, that's what I'm thinking but it's subject to change based on any other info that I come across.

Sorry to hear of your extra work. That's gotta be a pain

I didn't use frp, just the trim pieces. Looked like a cheap, clean material for moulding use, but you live'n learn. At $2 a strip, it's not a bank breaker and I figure I have a few months to figure what else to do. I'm not sure if it would work with your application, mine was painted and pretty much "floated" on some alum strips, if you glue it good enough, it might stay put, but some of mine shrank about 1/4".

[bobhenry]

Don't underestimate housewrap tape. This is the exact application it is designed for , keeping out water! Ice dam tape is probably too thick but tyvec tape or zip panel tape would be an excellent choice to not only provide a water barrier but would aid in reinforcing the joint to eliminate seperation and puckering. Simply clean the underside where the tape will be applied and dry fit the pieces then tape and apply your adhesive to the now joined pieces. From the outside the seam should all but disappear.

P.S. You only get one try at applying it flat and tight. An extra pair of hands would be a valuable asset.

[jsb1955]

The only joint I have at the moment is directly above and below the door hinge line. Its just a few inches above and below the hinge. I did that on purpose to keep the joint as small as possible. I got a piece of that channel you are talking about but probably won't use it since the join line is so small. If I decide to use the FRP on the roof then I plan to cover any joints with putty tape and flat aluminum trim from the hardware store. Should match up pretty well with the aluminum edge trim at the roof/wall line. I don't trust the plastic channel and figure it would go brittle in no time from the UV exposure.

In the picture below you can see what I am talking about. The only joint I have is at the door hinge line.

jsb, you are a genius!!! I'd been thinking about using the home depot stuff but was hesitant becuz I didn't want a white TD and painting it just doesn't sound like it will work all that well. I will definitely be using that idea. . One other question, though. Did you use the channels that HD sells to join your sheets? I'm thinking if you seam the sheets of frp closely enough and then put the vinyl over, you should be weather tight. I won't have to mess with the channels and it will provide a cleaner look, IMO. Any opinion?

[atahoekid]

Don't underestimate housewrap tape. This is the exact application it is designed for , keeping out water! Ice dam tape is probably too thick but tyvec tape of zip panel tape would be an excellent choice to not only provide a water barrier but would aid in reinforcing the joint to eliminate seperation and puckering. Simply clean the underside where the tape will be applied and dry fit the pieces then tape and apply your adhesive to the now joined pieces. From the outside the seam should all but disappear.

P.S. You only get one try at applying it flat and tight. An extra pair of hands would be a valuable asset.

That sounds like a great idea. I am familiar with ice dam tape and I know what TYVEK is but not sure what zip panel tape is. I am assuming that this is the tape they use to join the ends of the sheets of TYVEK housewrap. Please correct me if I'm incorrect. Thanks for the input. I'm feeling more and more confident about using frp panels all the time. I really like the great minds on this forum.

[atahoekid]

The only joint I have at the moment is directly above and below the door hinge line. Its just a few inches above and below the hinge. I did that on purpose to keep the joint as small as possible. I got a piece of that channel you are talking about but probably won't use it since the join line is so small. If I decide to use the FRP on the roof then I plan to cover any joints with putty tape and flat aluminum trim from the hardware store. Should match up pretty well with the aluminum edge trim at the roof/wall line. I don't trust the plastic channel and figure it would go brittle in no time from the UV exposure.

Sounds like another great idea. I'm glad everyone talked me out of using the plastic channels. Now it's a matter of finding the right aluminum trim. I'm sure I'll find a source somewhere on this forum.

Thanks Everyone! You're keeping a former engineering student from overthinking the problem. I can now sleep peacefully at night.

[bobhenry]

I picked up 10 sheets of 4x9 pebble faced light gray FRP to cover the chuckwagon and my 4x7 sleeper teardrop. I lucked onto it for $12.50 a sheet late last fall. They came with the divider strips thrown in. I will have a seam about 10" from the bottom on the chuckwagon. I had intended to use the divider strip at that point with silicone as a sealer. This thread has me convinced not to use the strips. I think I will back tape and then apply a nicely ripped and shaped piece of hardwood as a molding directly over the seam and it will be bedded into some 100% silicone pulled fast with screws from inside.

The sleeper 4x7 wound up about 4' 2 1/2" wide due to poor planning so I will probably piece the top as I did "Chubby" with a right and a left section and a center strip about 10" wide as a center splice cover.

[atahoekid]

This thread has me convinced not to use the strips. I think I will back tape and then apply a nicely ripped and shaped piece of hardwood as a molding directly over the seam and it will be bedded into some 100% silicone pulled fast with screws from inside.

I'm thinking similarly. I plan to go over the frp with the vinyl sheeting. I think aluminum might look better than hardwood for my tastes but I'll probably use the same method for securing the frp in place

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, bobhenry. It's minds like yours that keep me reading this site

[atahoekid]

So after leaning heavily toward using frp panels, I figured out a reason to scratch the idea off the list. Thermal expansion. One of the manufacturers of frp panels recommends a 1/8th to 1/4th of a gap and using a channel to allow for expansion. Since I was thinking of butting the sheets right next to each other to get a cleaner surface to put sign vinyl over, leaving a gap screws things up for me, at least on the sides. It's still a possibility for the roof where it won't be quite so visible.