I've been researching this myself lately—just bought my first place and the flashing around my chimney is looking rough. From what I've gathered, polyurethane-based sealants like Sikaflex or Loctite PL seem to hold up better than silicone, especially outdoors. But even then, most pros I've talked to say sealants are more of a temporary fix. Maybe a proper redo is inevitable eventually...? Curious if anyone's tried aluminum-specific coatings instead of regular sealants.
Polyurethane sealants are decent short-term, but honestly, coatings specifically for aluminum flashing haven't impressed me much. If it's already looking rough, you're probably better off biting the bullet and redoing it properly—otherwise you'll just be patching it again next year...speaking from experience here.
- Totally agree on the polyurethane—been there, done that, didn't last.
- Redoing properly is usually worth it, even if it's a pain upfront.
- Curious though, has anyone tried aluminum tape as a temporary fix? Saw it at the hardware store and wondered if it'd hold up better than sealants...
I've actually seen aluminum tape used a few times on flashing issues—usually by homeowners trying to patch things up temporarily. Funny enough, I had a job last spring where the homeowner proudly showed me his "temporary fix" with aluminum tape. Honestly, it wasn't half bad at first glance. He'd cleaned the area properly, applied the tape carefully, and it held up surprisingly well for about six months or so. But eventually, the edges started peeling up from exposure to weather and temperature fluctuations.
The thing with aluminum tape is that it's decent for sealing ductwork indoors or patching minor holes temporarily, but when you're dealing with flashing that's exposed directly to rain, wind, and sun, it's just not designed for long-term outdoor use. The adhesive tends to degrade over time, especially under UV exposure and temperature swings. Once moisture starts creeping under the edges, you're pretty much back to square one.
If you're looking at a quick fix to get you through a rainy weekend or until you can schedule a proper repair, aluminum tape could buy you some time—just don't expect miracles. I usually recommend folks clean the surface thoroughly and press it down firmly to get the best possible seal. But honestly, if you're already climbing up there to tape things up, you're halfway to doing it right anyway. Might as well bite the bullet and replace or properly reseal with a quality product designed specifically for flashing.
A good-quality butyl-based flashing tape or even a specialized roofing sealant (not polyurethane—learned that lesson myself years ago) will give you a longer-lasting temporary fix if you're not ready for a full redo yet. But yeah, from experience, shortcuts on flashing rarely pay off in the long run... learned that the hard way more times than I'd like to admit!
- Tried aluminum tape myself last year on some flashing around a chimney.
- Looked decent initially, but after a few months, same issue—edges peeling, moisture sneaking in.
- Ended up using butyl flashing tape later, huge difference in durability.
- Honestly, quick fixes usually end up costing me more time and effort down the road... learned my lesson there.
