Aluminum Paint

[4pyros]

Lets talk paint.
Here at the fireworks company we store the fire works in old aluminum tracter trailers.
Thay are spred out over the property and are out in all sorts of weather. Some of them leak when it rains. After filling and covering all known holes with aluminum flashing caulking some of them are still leaking. I think the water may be getting in the rivits that hold the roof on.
The rivits go all the way around the outside edge of the trailer thrue a lip about 1 inch wide.
It seems the constant expansion and contraction has effected the water tight seal around the rivets and letting the water in. I can not tell witch or how many rivets are leaking so I will need to reseal them all.
I dont what to caulk hundreds of rivets so I am hopping to paint over them to reseal them.
I looked at the local big box home improvement store and about the best I could come up with is enamel rust oleum.
The owner thinks latax may be better consitering the constant expansion and contraction.
I am finding some conflicting info on the web as to what mite be better but nothing that pertains to this situation.
Any thoughts as to the best way to seal these aluminum roofs?
Andy

 

[alec_t]

Duct tape?

 

[4pyros]

Duct tape?

How long do you think it will last?

 

[jpanhalt]

How about something like this: **broken link removed**

According to its MSDS, it is an ashplat-based emulsion in water (presumably) and has aluminum powder. Moreover, it is widely available. The solution for similar problems with metal sheds and Quonset huts used to be just tar. This does the same thing but doesn't look as bad, presumably.

John

 

[alec_t]

How long do you think it will last?

About the same as paint.

 

[4pyros]

I fould this;
https://www.henry.com/roofing/coolroofcoatings/whiteroofcoatings/287solarflex
Seems like it mite take the expansion and contraction better than the Gibson stuff.

 

[Reloadron]

I don't know Andy, I like jpanhalt's suggestion. He lives here in the Cleveland, Ohio area so I naturally agree. OK, seriously I believe his suggestion is thicker and designed for things like trailer roofs (a hot metal box in the sun) which continuously expand and contract as well as leak after a few years. Paints like this remain as a good sealant and also remain pliable. Good stuff isn't cheap but it gets the job done. Hell, I am no expert at this sort of thing but trailer roofing sealant paint sounds good to me.

<EDIT> On another note every fireworks distributor and manufacturer I know seems to love trailers for storage. A good friend of mine recently wanted storage and rather than a shed bought one of those large shipping containers you see piled high on ships. Apparently there is a surplus of the damn things here in the US because so much stuff comes in from China and nothing goes out. The thing is huge. Like a truck trailer less wheels and works great. Like a frigging bunker. </EDIT)

Ron

 

[4pyros]

Ron; Thanks for your input.

 

[jpanhalt]

There are several cautions mentioned in the application instructions, such as these:

1) [Use over] · Well drained surfaces which do not "pond" water
2) First seal leaks before coating with HE287SF - SOLARFLEX® 287SF BRILLIANT WHITE ELASTOMERIC COATING. Carefully
inspect area to be coated, including around pipes, chimneys, equipment, roof edges, and walls. Repair all cracks, breaks, splits,
and holes by embedding Henry #296 ElastoTape® polyester fabric between 2 heavy coats of Henry #289 White Roofing
Sealant applied over and at least 2 inches beyond repair. Henry #289 White Roofing Sealant can usually be coated within 24
hours. However, if you use solvent-based asphalt mastic (plastic roof cement) to seal leaks, it must cure for 30 days to avoid
bleed through.
3) Do not apply HE287SF - SOLARFLEX® 287SF BRILLIANT WHITE ELASTOMERIC COATING over surfaces which will be
subjected to ponded water conditions.

Taken together, I suspect the Henry material is not for flat roofs or at least not the first choice. I suggest asking the manufacturer first, since it makes both an asphalt-based coating and the non-asphalt coating.

John

 

[4pyros]

Thanks for pointing that out John.

 

[BrownOut]

I admit that I haven't read all the links. That said, I think before it's all said and done, you'll need some roofing tar. You can use either hot tar or cold. I would thing hot tar would be better. YOu could even just call a roofing company and have it done professionally.

 

[4pyros]

YOu could even just call a roofing company and have it done professionally.

The owners to cheep.

 

[BrownOut]

The owners to cheep.

How much is all that ruined fireworks costing?

 

[atferrari]

What I am used to see

When I saw the OP, my reaction was: buy discarded 20' containers inspecting them carefully at the roof and side panels in way of bottom rails. Also the doors' rubber gaskets should be checked.

I do, from time to time, inspections like that for people that need storage in isolated areas.

Maybe the next to consider is eventual handling: containers are just boxes so you need to provide wheels or trailers to shift them if needed.

If you decide to go that way, be aware that there are ventilated and not ventilated types.

And a word of caution: under the sun temperature inside can go quite HIGH.

Otherwise, roofing membrane seems appropriate for your request.

I am surveyor for a company that uses it to protect big boxes that have to stay in the open, exactly with that. It works.

 

[4pyros]

How much is all that ruined fireworks costing?

Havent ruined any fireworks. We just dont use the wet spots for storage.

 

[4pyros]

buy discarded 20' containers inspecting them carefully at the roof and side panels in way of bottom rails. Also the doors' rubber gaskets should be checked.

These are mostly the trailers, not the steel contaners, we cut wheels off and put them on stone.

 

[shortbus=]

Are you in New Castle? Zambelli ?

How about using regular house trailer roof coating? https://www.epdmcoatings.com/

 

[4pyros]

Are you in New Castle? Zambelli ?

How about using regular house trailer roof coating? https://www.epdmcoatings.com/

ShortBus; I will look at that stuff.
Not Zambelli. I looked into working for them yeas ago but thay whated to charge for there safty course. So I went to Atlas for a few years before I moved to Pa. Now I work for Celebration Fireworks in Kutztown. Pa. Right buy Allentown.
Andy

 

[Reloadron]

Andy

This is both Ironic as hell and sure as hell off topic but here goes:

Needless to say I am a pyrotechnic freak. Locally here in Cleveland, Ohio we have American Fireworks. My wife Kathy has been very good friends with a lady who has worked for the owning family for years. Every year we have a major 4th of July party and every year Kim has been kind enough to load Kathy's truck with great stuff at cost. Anyone familiar with this stuff knows the markup on fireworks. Literally for a few hundred bucks we get a few grand in sticker price of fireworks. Last year the owner passed away leaving the business to family and a somewhat psychotic wife. Last night (how ironic with this thread) Kim called Kathy to tell her the family is letting her go. The wife is bring up a Cuban friend from Florida to replace her. Kim wants Kathy to stop over this week and empty her garage of a ton of stuff, she just wants Kathy to have everything in her garage. All free!

As to storage? I have always stored in a dry place like my attic or shed. Temperatures of about 140 degrees F on a hot summer day have never effected what we stash. Dry is the key word as in low humidity. We pack the stuff in large rubbermaid containers sealed and have never had problems, even stuff stored a few years. I am looking forward to seeing what Kathy ends up with and can't thank Kim enough. Kim told her it may take several trips with Kathy's Denali truck to get it all moved.

I just saw this thread and what happened last night as ironic as all hell. Go figure?

Ron

 

[4pyros]

Ron; Enjoy your load or two, I hope you get some good stuff. We buy a lot of specialty stuff from them in fact we will be demoing some new stuff from them this weekend including 5-10" shells. YA
Andy