Roof Needs Attention

[RussellT]

I have a 99 Eagle 263RKS. I've been full time for about 8 months. I just got up on the roof. It looks like it needs attention. It looks like the previous owner put some kind of seam tape on all of the edges. I don't have any leaks that I know if but the tape has seen better days as well. I guess there is a water proof paint I can get from Home Depot to coat the roof with. My question is should I go right over the seam tape or should I put new tape down and then paint over it?

[Kevin Cooper]

The tape is Eternabond or similar. It is a plastic cover over butyl. Some people swear by it and put on everything like yours. Some say never use it as it is a bandaid and a complete total pain to remove it.
So, unless you have lots of time to spend sitting on your roof, it’s there. The plastic on it wrinkles normally.
I would doubt any paint will stick to that smooth plastic covering on the tape.
I would inspect closely along the edges of all the tape for raised or lifted wrinkles. That can be a failure point.
The problem is, you have no idea if it was put on to prevent leaks, or to stop leaks.
It might be worth paying for an expert inspection.Best wishes!

[RussellT]

Originally Posted by Kevin Cooper

The tape is Eternabond or similar. It is a plastic cover over butyl. Some people swear by it and put on everything like yours. Some say never use it as it is a bandaid and a complete total pain to remove it.
So, unless you have lots of time to spend sitting on your roof, it’s there. The plastic on it wrinkles normally.
I would doubt any paint will stick to that smooth plastic covering on the tape.
I would inspect closely along the edges of all the tape for raised or lifted wrinkles. That can be a failure point.
The problem is, you have no idea if it was put on to prevent leaks, or to stop leaks.
It might be worth paying for an expert inspection.Best wishes!

The edges of the Eternabond are fairly beat up. There are no leaks at this point. Can I paint the roof and add another layer of tape on top of the existing tape?

[Kevin Cooper]

Sorry, I have no experience to answer. I have not seen it either. So, my opinion would not matter.

[norty1]

I painted over some Eternabond sealant on my roof last year. Lots of Eternabond on my seals. I cleaned the roof with simple green then scuffed the top of the tape with scotch brite cleaner and simple green. Then rinsed and coated with a EPDM primer coat, then 2 coats of Dicor topcoat using a brush and roller.
It turned out very good and still looks goo

[JKyle]

Eternabond can look ugly while still doing the job of sealing. But, it does clean up pretty nicely. Leave it to Norty to have experience painting Eternabond. I think he's done everything, at least once. He is a rich fountain of useful information!