Exterior rated/grade adhesive to add final touches for my shade fabric applied to EMT rods?

Question

all.

I was wondering if anyone had a sound suggestion or experience with my particular query. My original thread was started here: Inexpensive ideas to extend the height of my fence cinderblock wall outdoors

In that thread I started, user "ojait" provided a great answer and I took his advice and attached the fabric with pan-head screws. I installed the fabric myself and, so far, it has survived several mild wind storms with two of them having occasional gusts of up to 40-50 mph and it looks just as good as the day I put it up. So, naturally, I'm quite happy so far.

My question for this thread is involves a last refining step. The pan screws are holding up well but the fabric wants to curl away from the EMT rod. I thought applying some type of adhesive would. In fact, in one inconspicuous area I experimented and used "Fuse it" Liquid Nails but it's a dark gray in color and given that the fabric has a woven like rattan quality to it, the product sort of oozed through the strands of fabric and now it looks kinda nasty. Not to mention, I had to use a bunch of masking tape to hold it in place while it dried. Because otherwise I'd have to sit there and hold it down for hours. Which, of course, isn't feasible.

Could I use silicone sticks with a silicone heat gun and will this hold up over time? My concern is that it can get up to 121 degrees in the summer. I know that's still not hot enough to actually melt the glue but there is nothing on the packaging that says you canNOT use it for outdoor use. However I have doubts about using it. This is ideal because I can hold it down in place and in about twenty seconds it has cooled down enough that it won't budge. And secondly, the glue sticks are a clear like color so you really can't see it anywhere, which is another added plus.

If this isn't a good idea, what can I use that will dry and harden in a short time and that can allow me to work quickly? Keep in mind, this is just a cosmetic alteration. The pan-head screws are the ones doing the work of holding the fabric in place. This is just to keep the ends down nice and flat so that it looks more polished looking.

Including a couple photos to show what my project is looking like so far.

Answer 1

Consider using a double-sided clear mounting tape. 3M makes one with a clear but rubbery and flexible carrier that makes an extremely strong bond. Since it sticks immediately, you don't have to spend time holding it. Remember that tapes of this type have a bond strength that improves greatly over the first 24 hours, so if you do a small area as a test, give it a day before you test it for strength. Brands other than 3M are available, but I know the 3M is suitable for outdoor use and resistant to water and UV, and I've seen it in a big-box home improvement store as a small roll on a blister card. It looks red because of red release paper, but the tape itself is clear.

Answer 2

The hot melt glue might work but I think there's an easier alternative. I would try clear silicone adhesive / sealant caulk for this, it's cheap and you know it's weather proof.

I have extensive unintentional experience with silicone adhesive and fabric. I have noticed that when I get a spec of silicone on my clothes, it's pretty much permanent, you can wash those pants 100 times when the pants are ragged and ready to throw away, those silicone stains will still be in great shape.

If you run a generous bead of silicone between the pieces of fabric and sandwich the seam between a couple strips of wood or something to clamp them flat until the sealant sets, I think it will hold up very well.