Myths, Facts, And The Truth About Silicone And Elastomeric Roof Coatings

Sorry but, with all elastomeric coverings, it boils down to scraping. Excellent ol RVs need good ol effort. Utilize a chemical paint stripper for around roofing fixtures and locations you can't get it all off. You could utilize it over the entire roof but, the question is ... would you wish to? The things is just nasty to work with and really unhealthy to breathe and do not let it get in contact with your skin.

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If (like me) you are the kind of person who uses caulk with the objective of getting professional-looking, smooth joints, then the application and appearance of lap sealant on a camper roof will toss you for a loop. Lap sealant looks more like somebody was trying to put icing on a cupcake.

And if someone has recaulked a location, there are even more blobs on top of the older blobs. It seems counter-intuitive to the objective of avoiding water invasion since the application does not necessarily motivate water to drain away. Even an expertly used application of lap sealant around an air vent looks more like a small retention pond after a rain.

If you require to recaulk on area on your camper's roofing system, you first need to clean up all those dirty mounds and, per the producer, use more mounds of caulk on top of the old caulk instead of eliminating it. You are supposed to check your roofing a minimum of once a year and use caulk as needed.

The previous owner may not have actually cleaned up the old caulk before plopping more mounds of brand-new caulk on top. We've removed old caulk that peeled off quickly due to the dirt and grime underneath. We've discovered air pockets in between layers of caulk. We have actually even discovered caulk mounds that seeped out tiny water beads when pressed, probably due to pinholes.

When you're all set to examine your roofing system, start by offering the roofing and the caulk an excellent cleaning. Here's a link to our Do It Yourself roofing cleaner. After rinsing whatever off, focus on where water may be pooling; specifically around the caulk. Once it's dry, use chalk to draw a circle around any locations that have poor drainage.

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Look for indications of brittleness, cracks, pinholes, small cratering, or edges that easily lift up. Again, utilize the chalk to draw circles around those areas that require attention. Air pockets, cracks and crevices within a number of layers of old lap sealantI prefer to get rid of old caulk rather than blob more on top.

To prevent tearing a rubber roofing system membrane or scratching an aluminum roofing, shimmy the tool around the edge of the caulk till it begins to raise. It's most convenient to do this when outdoor temperatures are above 80 degrees, otherwise you might utilize a hot air gun or blow dryer to thoroughly warm the caulk.

The is to get the old caulk as flush to the rubber surface as possible. Have a little tub, denatured alcohol, and rags close by to clean up as you go. Store the can and rags in the little tub. Prevent letting the denatured alcohol reach the rubber roofing system for too long.

Have a tub handy for all the old sealantOnce the majority of the old caulk has actually been removed and the surface has actually been cleaned and dried, use painter's tape to define the border of the area to be caulked. All the old sealant has been removedSelf-leveling lap sealant really does not level itself out to a great surface.

Being specific about how caulk looks, which it promotes appropriate drainage, I use a modified application process. It's good to understand beforehand how the caulk will behave. A tube of caulk that is more than one year old can be more difficult to feed using a caulk weapon and may not self-level as efficiently as a freshly produced tube of caulk.

Less than 6 months is good. If there's no date, simply avoid the tubes that have dust on them or used bottom edges. Use a piece of cardboard and lay a small object like a screw or bolt in the middle of the cardboard to test out your caulk. Use a 3/8 inch bead of sealant in a straight line down the length of the cardboard, ensuring to also cover the screw or bolt.

How To Apply Elastomeric Paint (With Pictures)

The sealant must start skinning over in 5 minutes. Older tubes of sealant may not self-level as perfectly or they may skin over much more rapidly. Repeat this test for each tube of sealant as you are all set to use it. When you know the how your tube of sealant will perform after application and how quickly it will establish a skim coat, you can start applying beads of sealant.

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Keep the sealant beads approximately 1/2 inch away from the painter's tape (or whatever range your tube test spread suggested). Within 5 minutes of application, dip your fingers or a plastic putty knife into the water/Dawn mix, then "help" direct the sealant leveling by utilizing light pressure to press the bead flow into the preferred slope or shape.

Use the very same technique to develop a feathered edge towards the painter's tape. As quickly as the sealant develops a skin coat, remove the painter's tape. Lap Sealant Remedy Time5 Minutes Skins over4 Hours Waterproof48 Hours 80% Cure30 Days 100% CureAnother alternative is to skip utilizing lap sealant entirely and utilize roofing system sealant tape rather.

The price of the tape is similar to utilizing lap sealant (and maybe a little less costly). We used Beech Lane tape, which we got at Amazon for under $35 (here's the link if interested). Rubber Sealant Applied To Camper Roofing CleanedAnd here's an image after using a fresh coat of rubber roofing finish.