Had pretty much the same experience a couple years back—thought I nailed it with Eternabond, but nope, edges curled up by spring. A buddy of mine swears by cold-weather primer, says it made a huge difference on his shed roof. I haven't personally tried it yet, but considering aluminum's constant shifting, it might just buy you more time rather than being a permanent fix. Still, probably worth a shot before tearing everything apart again...
"...considering aluminum's constant shifting, it might just buy you more time rather than being a permanent fix."
Yeah, that's pretty much been my take as well. Aluminum flashing is tricky because it expands and contracts way more than you'd think, even with minor temp shifts. I've tried Eternabond myself, and while it held up better than regular tapes initially, it still eventually peeled at the edges after a season or two. Cold-weather primer sounds interesting, though—never heard of using that specifically for aluminum flashing. Wonder if it helps the tape bond better or just stays flexible enough to handle the shifting?
Personally, I've had better luck with a combo approach: primer plus mechanical fasteners (small screws or roofing nails) on the edges to hold things down. Not the prettiest solution, but it held up way longer. Still, aluminum flashing is always gonna be a bit of a pain, so anything that extends lifespan without a full redo is worth considering...
Never thought about using primer specifically for cold weather either, but it kinda makes sense if it stays flexible. I've mostly seen guys use roofing sealant along the edges—messy, but it seems to handle shifting better than tape alone. Might be worth a shot?
Roofing sealant can definitely do the trick, I've used it myself a couple of winters back—held up surprisingly well even when things got icy. The mess factor is real though, especially if you're not super careful applying it (learned that the hard way, ha). Wonder if there's some hybrid product out there that's flexible but less messy than traditional sealant? Could be a handy middle ground for quick fixes without going full redo...
I've had decent luck with some of those hybrid sealants—think they're polyurethane-based or something similar. Used one last fall on aluminum flashing around a chimney, and it was way less messy than the traditional tar-like stuff. Still flexible enough to handle temperature swings too. Only downside is they're usually pricier, but honestly worth it if you're trying to avoid a sticky disaster... learned that lesson after ruining a perfectly good pair of gloves, lol.