What Is Flex Seal Tape
Flex Seal Tape is a brand of thick adhesive tape with rubberized backing. Stores and infomercials promote it for its strong bond and waterproofing abilities.
It is said to adhere to any surface, even when applied underwater. With that kind of reputation, its no wonder RVers everywhere are taking notice.
Does Roof Coating Stop Leaks
Does roof coating stop leaks? Yes, a silicone flat roof coating will seal up and stop existing roof leaks and there is no need to locate and identify each leak. A roofing contractor that knows How to apply flat roof coating can cover the entire roof which will protect the entire roof while stopping leaks.
Quick Answer: Can You Use Flex Seal On A Camper Roof
The short answer is yes, you can use flex seal on your RV Roof! However, you do need to go into this with your eyes open. A leaky roof will quickly lead to other water damage problems and significantly decrease the resale value of your RV should you ever decide to sell it or trade it in.
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Is Flex Seal Tape As Good As Advertised
Is Flex Seal Tape as good as they say? If so, this tape would be perfect for sealing up cracks and gaps on an RV.
This tape works well for making minor RV repairs and for waterproofing and sealing for some time. However, its not a perfect long-term fix and doesnt work as well as alternatives, like Eternabond tape.
What Is The Best Trailer Roof Sealant
Best Overall: Dicor 95D40-35 Epdm Rubber Roof coating. Best For Metal or Fiberglass Roof: Dicor RP-MRC-1 Elastomeric Coating. Best For Spot Sealing: Hengs Rubber Roof coating for rV. Best For Leak Repair and Seam Sealing: EternaBond RSW white RoofSeal Sealant Tape. Best Budget-Friendly: Geocel GC24201 Pro Flex rV coating.
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How To Use Flex Seal To Repair Rv Roof
The cost of repairing your RVs roof is not as much as a house roof would cost. But it is still up there and may set you further back than you wanted to be. That is why you need to find those roof leaks and patch them as quickly as possible.
The damage to your RV may not be just to the roof but to other interior parts of your vehicle. Here is how to apply Flex Seal to spare you this agony:
- Dont cover the whole roof- spend the time and find the leak. Patching a small portion of your roof is a lot cheaper than recovering the whole roof.
- Clean the leaky area- you should clean it very thoroughly. Your cleaning should be better than hospital clean. Get rid of all the dirt, debris, old sealant and more.
- Shake a lot- Flex Seal come sin its own spray can. To get it to work right, you need to shake it up and shake it up well
- Spray the contents- After shaking, make sure to completely cover the leaky area. By the time you are done the contents of the can will be on your RVs roof. Use more then one can if you have more leaks or a big one to seal
- Let it dry
Flex Tape Tfswhtr0405 Rubberized Waterproof White Tape
Flex Seals Flex Tape can also be useful for certain RV roof applications. It is best for resealing roof seams or for larger repair jobs.
It can be used in conjunction with other Flex Seal products for a more sturdy fix.
For example, lets say a falling branch caused a tear in your RV roof. Flex Tape would be the logical first place to start in order to repair the initial structure of your roof.
From there, you would need to use liquid rubber to complete your fix.
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Roll Or Brush Liquid Rubber Onto Your Rv Roof
It is time to apply a generous amount of liquid rubber to the leak area and the surrounding surface.
As a rule of thumb, it is best to apply liquid rubber over a surface area that extends at least six inches in each direction away from the primary location of the leak.
If your leak is on a flat part of your roof, this should not be a problem. But if the leak is right next to a roof vent, air conditioning unit, or the edge of your roof, it may not always be possible. In these cases, you will need to use your brush to apply liquid rubber.
For leaks on an especially hard-to-reach location, you should also consider switching to Flex Seal Spray or Flex Shot for an alternative application method.
Regardless of the product you wind up using, however, the intent, is to apply a thick enough layer to completely seal the leak from future water ingress.
Reasons Not To Use Flex Seal For Your Rv Roof
This post may contain affiliate links.
As RVers, were all aware of the threats to the RV roof that can result in water leaking into various crevices of the rig, further threatening its structure and integrity, while potentially introducing mold into the RV environment. While weve used a few different products over the years to keep the roof of our 2005 Newmar Mountain Aire well sealed, weve heard about, but never used, Flex Seal for our RV roof.
There are a number of reasons for this, and in todays post, were going to share them with you in hopes of bringing a bit of awareness to what this product may be good for and what it isnt good for, including your RVs roof.
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Flex Seal On Pop Up Camper
The rules of use for Flex Seal that apply to regular RVs will apply to your pop up camper. Proper cleaning, proper application and proper following of the instructions are vital to have Flex Seal successfully work for you.
When repairing any fabric tears or holes, just follow the tip given in the awning section. That will prevent Flex Seal from bleeding through and sticking to itself. Also, if you use your pop up camper a lot and expose those patches to the sun for along time, you may find that Flex Seal doe snot last as long as you would hope.
The results may vary and there are always mitigating factors that have Flex Seal working well for some RV users and not so well for others.
What Is The Best Roof Repair Product
- BEST OVERALL: Liquid Rubber Waterproof Sealant Indoor & Outdoor.
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal Tape.
- BEST FOR LEAKS: Liquid Rubber Seam Tape Peel and Stick.
- BEST FOR SHINGLES: Sashco 14004 Gallon Clear Roof Sealant.
- BEST FOR RV ROOFS: Liquid Rubber RV Roof Coating Solar Reflective.
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Flex Seal Is Not Uv Stabilized
Flex Seal is not UV-stabilized, which means that its protection is highly unlikely to last in the harshly sunny environments that most RVs experience.
UV protection is a very important part of any product used to seal any part of your RVs roof. Without UV protection, the product will dry out and crack, and the protection you think youve established will be gone, leaving your rig susceptible to leaks that you may not even be aware of until significant damage has occurred.
There are hundreds of complaints online about Flex Seal cracking and failing, and its lack of reliable UV stabilization is likely partly to blame.
Remember that RV manufacturers are well aware of the importance of UV protection and are unlikely to recommend the use of any product that doesnt offer it, particularly for an RV roof.
What Is The Best Sealant For Rv Roofs
Best Overall: Dicor 95D40-35 Epdm Rubber Roof coating. Best For Metal or Fiberglass Roof: Dicor RP-MRC-1 Elastomeric Coating. Best For Spot Sealing: Hengs Rubber Roof coating for rV. Best For Leak Repair and Seam Sealing: EternaBond RSW white RoofSeal Sealant Tape. Best Budget-Friendly: Geocel GC24201 Pro Flex rV coating.
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There Are Better Products On The Market For Your Rvs Roof
Perhaps the clearest reason we see not to use Flex Seal on your RV is the fact that there are plenty of better, more appropriate, tried-and-true products on the market to entrust with the critical responsibility of protecting your RV.
These products are regularly recommended by RV manufacturers and RV technicians alike, and have been proven to effectively protect RVs over many miles and decades.
Best Types Of Flex Seal To Use For Rv Roofs
If youd like to keep some Flex Seal products on hand for emergency roof repair, thats a good idea. There are different forms of Flex Seal, and some might be better than others for your situation. There are 4 main products that are useful for RV roof repair. These include Flex Seal Liquid, Flex Seal Spray, Flex Shot, and Flex Seal Tape. Each form has its own pros and cons, so lets explore each of them a bit!
Flex Seal Liquid
This product is a thick, dark liquid that can be easily spread over an RV roof. Once it sets, it will form a waterproof rubbery seal. If you need a stop-gap product that can be used over larger areas, Flex Seal Liquid is your best bet. Its easy to apply and comes in large quantities.
Flex Seal Spray
The Flex Seal Spray is essentially Flex Seal Liquid in an aerosol can. Its easy to apply to hard-to-reach surfaces and forms a similar seal. It can be a bit harder to get a thick seal with this format, but its an easy way to make a surface much more water-resistant.
Flex Shot
Flex Shot is essentially Flex Seals version of caulk. It comes out in a thick, easy-to-control flow that you can guide along cracks, edges, and corners. This product might be best for interior fixes or clearly-defined roof cracks. It doesnt spread quite as easily as the liquid or spray, so you should only use Flex Shot on small areas.
Flex Seal Tape
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Can You Repair Tpo Roofing
TPO roofing membrane repairs can be made by several methods, depending on the type of repair needed: Scoring surface with a kitchen scrubber, priming with TPO primer and using M1 sealant. Scoring surface with a kitchen scrubber, clean with Eternaclean, and sealing with Eternabond RoofSeal roof repair tape.
Does Flex Seal Work As Well As Dicor Lap Sealant
Dicor Lap Sealant is another often recommended option to repair RV roof leaks. Dicor Lap Sealant is a self-leveling compound which is applied in a bead that will then spread and seal the leak. By most accounts, Dicor Lap Sealant works well and is an excellent product. The drawbacks are that Dicor Lap Sealant requires careful prep work and the proper temperature conditions to level and seal properly. This prep work and ideal temperature condition may not always be possible or available during an emergency repair while touring the Alaskan wilderness or a desert in the Southwest.
You can find various opinions on both Flex Seal and Dicor Lap Sealant as to these products performance and reliability. When you have the time and right tools to properly prepare the leaking area for repair and the right temperature to allow Dicor Lap Sealant to level and seal the leak, it is indeed the better product. However, when you are pulled off on the shoulder of the Trans-Canada Highway with a leaky RV roof, and the storm clouds are brewing, having a few cans of Flex Seal Spray in one of your storage compartments might be just the thing you need.
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Types Of Rv Roof Repairs
It is important to remember that there are different kinds of repairs you may need to consider depending on the situation in which you find yourself. Are you home from a recent trip and have discovered a possible problem with a roof seam. Or, are you miles from anywhere with a severe leak during a monsoon season. The situation you find yourself in my also determine what RV roof repair or sealer products are best, or even appropriate.
First, there is the permanent repair. Often this repair will be performed by an RV repair service or a dealer. It will take a reasonably long time to complete and will be quite expensive. However, if you are a do-it-yourself kind of person, there are products available to completely and permanently repair your RVs leaking roof. Second, you have the roadside repair emergency. For example, you are staying in a remote campground in the wilds of Nevada, and a tree limb falls on your RV roof, creating a leak. A leak like this is something you need to repair right away. And, often this kind of repair will be temporary.
It is important to note that this second type of repair should not be considered permanent. It is a repair designed to fix the leak and buy you time to plan and schedule a permanent roof repair.
Can You Rhino Line A Camper Roof
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. Furthermore, can you rhino line a roof?
Rhino Eco-Coat is a fire retardant, plural component, aluminized polyurea spray applied lining for commercial and industrial roofs. It contains UV stabilizers and leafing aluminum pigment to enhance UV stability. It can be used as a top coat over SPF or as a coating for metal roofs.
Likewise, what should I use to seal my camper roof? Use a self-leveling sealant, such as Dyco Flow Seal Caulk, to seal roof joints. Inspect all seams yearly and touch up any cracks with the sealer, to ensure you never suffer water damage. Everguard TPO rubber roofing looks more like plastic than rubber. It is more rigid than EPDM, and has a shiny appearance.
Herein, can You Use Flex Seal on a camper roof?
Metal RV RoofsFlex Seal will adhere to almost any surface including wood, metal, aluminum, plastic, fiberglass, rubber, or vinyl or just about any dry surface. It does work best on dry surfaces, but if you are dealing with a leak during rainy weather, you can still stop the leak.
How long does a camper roof last?
20 years
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What Kind Of Rv Roofs Can Be Repaired With Flex Seal
There are two primary materials designed and used specifically for RV rubber roofs. They are EPDM and TPO. Both TPO and EPDM are classified as rubber roofs, but they are a bit different in form and appearance.
TPO
TPO RV roofing is the most popular option for RV roofs in use today. It is a popular choice because it is inexpensive to buy and its white. The TPO membrane has a shiny, laminate appearance with the outer layer having a plastic look and feel to it. It can either be fitted with screws or otherwise mechanically attached. It can also be glued down. When it comes to detailed work and seams, both glue and heat can be used to create a seal.
EPDM Rubber Roofs
EPDM is a second popular option for RV roofing. It differs from TPO in several ways. EPDM is a synthetic rubber material which can be vulcanized. This means it can be dried and cured to form sheets. Alternatively, you can also use EPDM in its un-vulcanized form. In this form, itll never completely solidify. Its relatively common to use both EDPM types together for an RV roof. Vulcanized EPDM would be used for the roof membrane, while non-vulcanized EPDM can be used for any flashing or detail work. EPDM rubber roofs are usually maintenance-free for about ten years, but they will oxidize over time.
Fiberglass Roofs
Metal RV Roofs
Flex Seal For Roof: Is It Working Effectively
Flex seal for roof seems to be the right product to handle roof leakage. It can be added when your roof is leaking or has leaking problems. This product is a form of liquid so that you can use it easily. Some reasons cause the use of this product because it is an amazing product. Is it working efficiently?
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Flex Seal On Rv Roof Seams
It is also possible to apply Flex Seal on your RVs roof seams. The key to a proper application and a successful one is to make sure your roof seams are extremely clean. You can try the brush on version of Flex Seal but it is a black color and may not complement your roof coloring very well.
The spray version comes in a white color and should blend in with your roof color without causing any wild distractions. Flex Seal should seal up your roof seams if you follow the directions on the can and take your time.
You may need to use more than one can to make sure you have all the seams nice and sealed. This product may work even better on an old RV where the older seals are getting to the point of breaking down, cracking or falling off.
How Long Does Flex Seal Last On A Roof
If Flex Seal is applied properly and allowed to cure adequately, it can last on a roof for years without cracking or flaking away.
That being said, it is a good rule of thumb to check on any sections of your roof where you have applied Flex Seal regularly.
Head up there at least every six months to make sure your repair is still solid and there is no chance of water leaking into your RV.
The environment where your RV is stored can also have an impact on the longevity of your Flex Seal roof repairs.
Things are inevitably more likely to crack or melt if they are exposed to extreme temperatures, excessive rain or snow loads, and other harsh environmental factors.
When it is not on your roof, Flex Seal products have a 24-month shelf life. So if your can of liquid rubber has been sitting around unused for more than two years, it probably isnt the best choice for your RV roof repairs.
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