Stixall or PLS mastic tape for external fridge vent on van?

Wisewoman

Wisewoman

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Hi there - I'm hoping there's someone out there reading this now to give me some quick indicators on the following:

So i'm doing my external fridge vent on my VW T4. I have the old ones off and I have the old mastic/ silicon / whatever they used , stuff off. I have also cleaned the area with white spirit.

I discovered that I have enough PLS mastic tape left from when I did my skylight - my question:

Do I use this PLS mastic tape or do I run a bead of Stixall round the back of the vent before applying?

This is the vent I'm fitting.

I only want to do this once so i want to do as good a job as I can.

PS: there are also 8 screws going into it - im not relying on just the above to 'stick' it to the side

Cheers,
Melissa
 
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OK So i watched this good video with a cool dude and I'm going to go for the mastic tape I think !
 
This is a bloody nightmare! I just realised that the 'same as these screws' I asked for from Screwfix - are not! As such the new screws wont simply go into the existing holes! Agghhhhhh!!!
 
re ;your original question. Stixall is a glue , and as this vent might very well need removing in the future ,i would rather use the tape
 
n brown said:
re ;your original question. Stixall is a glue , and as this vent might very well need removing in the future ,i would rather use the tape
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I've had fun and games with the mastic tape as I couldnt get the screws in and thought it was because it was all getting gummed up by the mastic - now realised that the screws are wrong! I so hate doing this stuff - it always seems to be one step forward and then one back.

I do also have some PU but its in black and didn't know if the colour may run and streak down the side of the van as something like that has happened on one of my resealed windows that was done by someone in her previous lives.

Melissa (now grumpy)
 
ok.
clean area, offer up vent in position , draw round it with a sharpie or pencil.
stick tape neatly up to marked lines leaving on top protective cover
using a bradawl,or nail,whatever, push holes through tape above screw holes,if necessary , dip bradawl in water to prevent sticking
remove top bit of protective cover, line up 2 holes and start screws .
if happy , remove rest of protective cover tape and tighten screws
 
n brown said:
ok.
clean area, offer up vent in position , draw round it with a sharpie or pencil.
stick tape neatly up to marked lines leaving on top protective cover
using a bradawl,or nail,whatever, push holes through tape above screw holes,if necessary , dip bradawl in water to prevent sticking
remove top bit of protective cover, line up 2 holes and start screws .
if happy , remove rest of protective cover tape and tighten screws
Click to expand...

Thanks very much - I needed that step - by step guide and the water tip sounds like an excellent one!

You wouldn't believe how much mastic tape I've messed up today putting on and then pulling off vent, trying to find screw holes, getting mastic winding itself in the bloody screws and then discovering, I was sold the wrong sodding screws and they dont fit the holes (I am hopeful the screw issue is now rectified as think I sourced the right screws but not tried them yet) That said, I am now thinking that the mastic tape I thought I would 'just use up' is a bit too thick at 2.5mm and am again starting to like the idea of just beading something round the back and screwing it on! Honestly, at times today it felt like someone should be doing a youtube video of me bungling and bodging about - methinks it would have been quite humorous!

Tomorrow is another day and chance of another bdoge...

Cheers, :)
Melissa
 
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The thickness of the tape should be fine.

It will compress as the screws are tightened. You need to make allowance for that by setting the tape in a bit from the edge of the vent because it will squeeze out a bit ...
 
find a shiny surface,window ,old worktop. stick the tape to it . use a straightedge and sharp stanley knife to cut in half longitudinally. it's now 12.5mm
 
They are on! :) ✨

I awoke this morning more clear-headed and with the full realisation of how the wrong screws had got me all a fretting yesterday.

I tried the second lot of screws I acquired last night and all is well. I think there has been some mastic-winding on a couple of the screws but they seem to be in and holding! Yay!

Phew - that was whittling at me but now I feel its done!

BIG Thank you everyone!

Melissa
 
Well done you. Stick your chest out, put a smug smile on your face and pat yourself on the head. Always a feel good moment when you have slayed a dragon.
 
izwozral said:
Well done you. Stick your chest out, put a smug smile on your face and pat yourself on the head. Always a feel good moment when you have slayed a dragon.
Click to expand...
Shouldn't that be 'slewed'?
 
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