How To Deal With Cracking Lapseal Joints

[hikerjohn7]

My dealer is trying to get me to spend about a thousand dollars to remove an replace the lap seal joint applications on my Precept roof.

I probably will at some point but I am wondering how long I can go with the lap seal joints with craze-cracking that looks like the joint in this attached picture as long as I patch any obvious voids...

[Jagiven]

Crazy high price. Voids need to be patched at minimum.

It seems to vary how long the caulking will last. I have heard people say theirs was blistering and cracking with voids after a year. Mine lasted about 5 years, before I needed to address it.

Couple options. Easiest, clean it up and apply more over the top. Best option, apply eternabond, and you will never have to do it again. Two methods, use a plastic putty knife and scrap iff as much as you can first. The eternabond lays flatter, nice finished look. Or do as I did, buy a 6 inch wide roll and apply right over the existing dicor. That is what I did. Only I and those looking down on me from above know. I washed the roof one night. Next evening after work, I did the whole roof, including all the vents opening.

[RAurand]

Question with applying Eternabond over the lap seals on roof external fixtures.
I understans cleaning and applying Eternabond over top the lap sealant. And, I get using a plastic putty knife to remove the old lap sealant, then cleaning and putting Eternabond around the fixtures.

Herein lies my question, I understand the Eternabond is VERY STICKY and very hard to remove. So, what happens if for example the skylight cracks or the bathroom vent plastoc cracks and it needs to be replaced. How do you get the Eternabond off to replace the skylight or vent?

[Jagiven]

I have not had to remove it yet. I would start with Eternabond's website. I suspect a little heat will help. Worse case scenario, a sharp utility knife along the edge of the device that needs to be removed.

[RogerR]

To remove the tape is a two step process. Heat it up with a hair dryer to soften the glue. Pull off the white plastic layer, using a zip knife to cut the goo that sticks to the bottom of the tape. But not your fingers. At that point you can put new tape over the old adhesive. If you want to get some or most of the old stuff off use a plastic putty knife and carefully scrape it up while keeping it hot and soft. This will take time and patience.

Don't use a heat gun, you will melt your roof!