Re: [VACList] Laying aluminum panel over damaged panel

["T Meeker" <tmeeker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rik,

Air carries moisture, the hotter the air the more moisture it is capable of
holding.  Cold air is dense and there isn't much room for moisture but hot
air is not dense and there is a lot of room to hold moisture.  Trapped
moisture will cause corrosion, you've seen that many times if you've been
around older Airstreams for any length of time.  I'm speaking of areas that
trap water that has no exit and this would still be the same case between 2
panels no matter how minute the gap is *unless* you take precautions to
disallow any and all air gaps between them.

If, and that's a big IF, you put 2 panels one on top of the other and apply
a separation application between the 2 panels then there is a chance that
you won't have much if any corrosion later on.  But how many repair places
are really going to do this??  The only way to stop moisture from condensing
between 2 panels is to apply a barrier such as PRC or the like.  Trap the
moisture which is in the air with no way out and you are just begging for
corrosion *unless* you have prepared this 'sandwich' with a barrier.

Personally I think doing this is the cheap way of doing things.  Why not
just remove the damaged section to begin with since you have to remove all
the underlying rivets anyway??  What about the extra weight?  When you say a
panel I'm guessing that you mean a large section of aluminum.  Scap patches
even have a sealer between them.  You could do a flush patch and make it
look good also, better looking that stepped sections of aluminum.

I'm guessing also that people would just put one section over aluminum
because it's quicker.  I think it's an ugly way of doing things and it
certainly will not look like new again.  How can it?  The original design
has been altered, hasn't it??

Tom