Never had a kit where everything just fit, either—always some weird gap or misaligned hole. I’ve used butyl tape a few times and yeah, way less cleanup if you ever need to pull the fan off. Still, those cheap screws... I just swap ‘em out for stainless now.
That’s been my experience too—never had a kit where everything lines up just right. I always end up having to drill out at least one hole or fudge a bracket to get it to sit flush. I’ve started dry-fitting everything before even thinking about sealant, just to see where the gaps are gonna be. Sometimes you can tweak the flashing a bit, but other times you’re just stuck with a weird gap and have to make it work.
Butyl tape’s a lifesaver for that kind of stuff. I used to use silicone or roofing cement for everything, but cleaning that off later is a nightmare if you ever need to swap out the fan or fix something underneath. With butyl, it peels up pretty clean and you don’t end up gouging your shingles trying to scrape off old goop.
Totally agree on the screws. The ones that come in the box are usually soft as butter—strip out if you even look at ‘em wrong. Stainless is the way to go, especially if you’re in a wet climate or anywhere near salt air. I’ve seen regular screws rust out in under two years on some jobs, and then you’re dealing with leaks around every fastener.
One thing I’d add: check the pitch of your roof against the fan base before you start cutting anything. Some of those kits are made for low-slope roofs and don’t sit right on steeper pitches, so you end up with a big gap at the top or bottom edge. I had to shim one with extra flashing once just to keep water from running straight under it.
If you’re working with asphalt shingles, I always try to tuck the top edge of the flashing under at least two courses, even if it means loosening up more shingles than I want. Makes a huge difference when it rains sideways.
Anyway, seems like every install teaches me something new... usually what not to do next time.
Dry-fitting is such a game changer, seriously. I learned that the hard way after slapping on sealant too soon and realizing half my holes were off by an inch. Butyl tape’s been my go-to for a while now—way easier cleanup if you ever need to redo something, and it doesn’t turn into that cement-like mess. I’ve also run into those “universal” kits that somehow fit nothing right out of the box. Had to bend more than a few brackets just to make things sit flat. Stainless screws are definitely worth the extra couple bucks—nothing like crawling up there two years later just to find a bunch of rusty streaks down your shingles.
- Had the same universal kit headache—nothing’s ever really “universal,” is it?
- I cheaped out on screws once…regretted it when rust stains started showing up after the first winter.
- Butyl tape for sure, way less mess than that sticky goop that never comes off your hands or roof.
- Learned to dry-fit after having to fill in some accidental “bonus” holes—my patch job is still visible if you squint.
- Next time, I’m spending a few bucks more for better brackets and hardware. Way less cursing involved.
Butyl tape for sure, way less mess than that sticky goop that never comes off your hands or roof.
Can’t agree more about butyl tape—saves a ton of cleanup. I’ve seen too many folks try to “make do” with whatever sealant’s in the garage and end up with leaks or a sticky mess. Also, those “universal” kits? Never actually fit right out of the box, especially on older shingles. I always dry-fit everything now, even if it feels like overkill. Learned that lesson after drilling into a rafter once... patching that was not fun.