Roof maintenance

[Steelworker]

Hey everyone,
Looking for advice on resealing my roof,tips/tricks. I have a 2006 Designer 5'ver. The roof needs resealed. The guy I bought it from said it's a one piece roof system? Is there anything special I should do? I want to recaulk all the areas needed as well up there,so should I caulk first then reseal or opposite? Pressure wash the whole roof first? Or light water and a scrub brush?
Thanks
Adam

 

[RogerR]

Lots of threads on coating roof material, re-caulking seams around openings, etc. Also lots of youtubes on how to do it.
Be cautious in cleaning the roof if there is a chance you are getting water inside. Best to learn more before you start doing anything.

 

[mrmom]

As above, lots of info on cleaning/sealing roofs. One thing I would NEVER do is use a pressure washer on a membrane roof! Too easy to cause major damage and water infiltration. I just use Simple Green and a soft scrub brush.

 

[Grumpy]

One thing I would NEVER do is use a pressure washer on a membrane roof! Too easy to cause major damage and water infiltration.

X-2

 

[spoon059]

so should I caulk first then reseal or opposite?

I think there is some confusion. All that is NEEDED to "reseal" the roof is to caulk the protusions and where it meets the walls. That is what the Jayco manual tells you to do. Anything else doesn't prolong the life of the roof, nor does it make it more waterproof.

The rubber roof will last longer than the RV will, it is the same rubber that is installed on commercial buildings.

What goes bad, or dries out, is the caulk where you meet the front/back or sidewalls and the caulk around roof vents, ladder, skylights. Dicor self leveling sealant is the standard for seams on the roof (like the front wall, ladders, tank vents, etc). I can't remember what I used for the side and back walls, where the seam is on the horizontal, but not a self leveling.

Once you've recaulked (or eternabond taped) those seams, your roof is sealed. Extra coatings, UV protectants, "sealers", or anything else doesn't prolong the life of anything. Keep your roof clean, keep your gutters clean, keep up with your caulk.

 

[Steelworker]

That's what I needed sir! Thank you! I'll clean all the old off best as possible and recalls then.

 

[Jagiven]

You don't need any "sealer" to the roof. All the caulking needs to be checked twice a year and touched up.

If you plan to keep this 5ver, I would strongly recommend applying eternabond over the caulking
You van remove the caulking, but it's more work. Wash the roof good
Make sure it is dry and apply. Do NOT stretch eternabond or it will release in a few days.

 

[spoon059]

That's what I needed sir! Thank you! I'll clean all the old off best as possible and recalls then.

I use a nylon bristle brush and a little bucket of warm water and dish soap. Gently scrub the roof and caulk area with the bristle brush, then lots of water to rinse. Let it air dry and then caulk.

As Jagiven stated, Eternabond tape is a great alternative. I'm not a fan of how it looks on my Jayco, where the roofing extends about an inch down the side of camper wall, so I didn't put it on this camper. My old camper I had Eternabond tape around the 4 edges and never had a problem. Caulk just requires more attention. I inspect the caulk once a year, but I park under a carport 320ish days a year.

My camper is a 2015, this is only the second time I've recaulked. It's been fine when I inspect it.

 

[norty1]

You don't need to do anything to a rubber EPDM roof except keep it clean and watertight. My rig is close to 14 years old and I had some of the black color showing through where the top layer was wearing off. It did not leak but it was getting thin. I did apply a EPDM primer and 2 coats of topcoat by brush and roller to the roof a year or so ago and it looks great but unless you see the black under layer getting really visible, it needs nothing.

 

[Steelworker]

I will definatley inspect the roof well and see if I see any black showing through. I found one spot right at the rear corner where the membrane was starting to peel off so I put some tape over it. I'll have to check out this eternabond caulk and tape everyone is mentioning! Thanks for the replies.

 

[CHERV]

2019 class c roof

when it was a yr old I taped all the roof protrusions with Extreme Quick roof tape found on Amazon. same as Eternal Bond. also added a bead of caulk to the tape edges. in 5 yrs zero issues/leaks. tape still looks good. re; the roof material, no need to treat it per the material mfgr with anything, stay off the roof. if you choose to wash it ok, I do not. ever see anyone wash their mobile home roof?

 

[COCJ]

I used to work for a major membrane manufacturer. We recommended Spic N Span for cleaning the membrane. I agree with others that "resealing" is not needed. Just re-caulk around penetrations if needed. Do not use silicone!