Reviews Of A Washington Dc Rubber Roofing Contractor
I recently had my roof, gutters and siding replaced. Ryan and Juan were respectable and knowledgeable men. They paid close attention to detail and were very patient. Seth scheduled the delivery of material. It was on time and they took special care to not damage my lawn and flower beds. If you are looking for a company that is knowledgeable, patient, kind, experienced and provides excellent and high quality of work, look no further, Capitol Improvements is it. -Ninotchica A.
- Washington, D.C.
- Polyvinyl chloride
Eternabond Tape For Gouges And Tears
Eternabond tape is a long-lasting, easy repair for gouges or tears in an RV roof. Eternabond tape is made with resins and rubbers and infused with its own primer. Its easily applied with a small roller that removes any air bubbles and presses the sealant into tears or cracks.
Eternabond is a go-to for RV roof repairs. It lasts for years and can also be painted over. A 4-inch wide, 50-foot roll costs about $50-$60 but is a great investment for quick repairs while on the road.
Physical Damage To The Rvs Roof
Even though you do your best to make sure that your roof is cared for properly, there are certain types of physical damage that are nearly impossible to prevent. Having debris fall onto the roof, such as a falling branch, or even hail, can cause damage to the roof. You might not even notice that there is a problem with the roof unless you check it regularly. However, if a large branch has punctured even a small hole in the roof, it is going to cause some serious problems over time.
If you are carrying items on your roof on the rack, the added weight could also cause problems for the roof, particularly around the areas where the rack connects to the roof. When you are inspecting the roof, be sure to check those areas, and add more caulk as needed.
Read Also: How To Install Roof Flashing Against Siding
How To Reseal Or Recaulk An Rv Roof
When to seal your roof: self-leveling sealant no-sag sealant
- Remove old sealant. The cleanest solution is to remove old sealant with a plastic putty knife or trim remover tool . Tip: Using a heat gun or hairdryer can help you remove stubborn sealant. Note: You can apply new sealant over the old sealant without removing it first, as long as the old sealant is still adhering to the roof. If the old sealant is in good shape, clean it , dry it, then apply a layer of new sealant.
- Apply new sealant around roof accessories and trim pieces.Dont forget to also seal around your windows, latches, and any other potential entry point into your RV!
- Let the sealant dry 24-48 hours before you travel or get it wet.
How To Repair A Long Scratch Or Cracked Seal On An Rv Rubber Roof
You can also use EternaBond Roof Seal Tape for longer scratches or to reseal the molding and trims on the roof. It can even be used around vents and fans.
The repair steps are very similar to the ones used for small holes or scratches.
The only difference will be the tape will need to be cut longer and you will want to use a steel roller to make sure you get all of the air bubbles out.
If you are patching over old caulk you dont need to remove it. Just make sure its clean and you can put the EternaBond tape right over the top of it.
Also, make sure a few inches of tape are going past the edge of the old caulk to get a really good seal.
You can even overlap Eternabond tape to make a wider patch.
Its not required but I recommend using a steel brush or something abrasive to rough up the outer shell where you are going to be overlapping it. This will help the sealant part bond even stronger.
Its very common for the area of the rubber roof membrane along the sides of campers where its curved down will start to form cracks and peel back.
Many RVers use EternaBond to repair this kind of damage by starting the tape on top of the roof and curving it down and onto the drip rail.
It works well and Ive even seen RV repair shops do this since its much easier than replacing the entire roof membrane.
Don’t Miss: How To Clean Out Dryer Vent On Roof
What Do I Need To Repair My Rv Roof
When it comes to RV repairs, roof issues can cause some of the most detrimental long-term damage. But many of the problems that occur can be rectified by RV owners themselves.
Suppose you have holes or damaged roof material and are waiting to have a professional fix the problem. In that case, you may want to consider doing your own RV roof repair before the issue becomes an even more significant concern. Heres an overview to assist you with DIY RV roof repairs.
Rv Roof Repair Everything You Need To Know To Diy
Having a healthy RV roof is key to keeping your rig ready for the road. Regular cleaning and maintenance is necessary to ensure that everything stays in tip-top shape, but there may come a time when your roof needs a little more than a good scrub. Cracks, scratches, and holes in RV roofing arent uncommon problems, and youll likely come across them at one point or another. Fortunately, there is some RV roof repair you can do yourself.
Before you head off to the dealer for repairs, check to see if its something you can complete on your own. Many repairs are relatively simple and can be achieved with supplies purchased at an RV retailer or a home improvement store. If you have a DIY RV roof repair project, keep reading. We have some helpful RV repair tips on completing some of the most common RV roof fixes.
In this guide, we discuss how to:
- clean an RV roof
Lets get started!
Recommended Reading: What Wind Speed Causes Roof Damage
Locating The Leak For A Flat Roof Leak Repair
Discovering the source of a leak in a flat roof is usually easier than finding one on a sloped roof or a shingled roof. That said, roof leaks of any kind can be more complicated than they initially seem especially if youre an amateur trying to DIY roof repairs.
There are many reasons for this, starting with the fact that the spot where you initially notice water entering your interior rooms might not actually be where the leak itself is, since water that penetrates the membrane of your roof can travel across the roof until it reaches a seam in the sheathing/roof deck, skylight or electrical, HVAC or plumbing penetration and then manages to drip or seep through to the inside.
Nonetheless, there are steps you can definitely follow to determine the source of the leak , whether or not it is easy to find or readily evident when you first notice the water entering your interior.
You May Like: Roof Overhang Extension
Diy Rv Roof Repair Saves Time And Money
Most people whove been RVing for any amount of time have gotten used to the idea that theyll at least occasionally have to rely upon themselves for maintenance and repairs. Doing it yourself is certainly helpful when traveling through areas where RV services arent readily available.
Water damage, for example, is one of the worst things when it comes to delaying RV maintenance and repair. It happens fast when theres a problem with your roof.
Fixing the leak yourself can prevent or at least minimize water damage. Aside from that, theres a certain satisfaction in doing things yourself. Plus, saving money is certainly a bonus side effect. So, you see, learning these simple RV roof repair hacks can not only save you money but also keep you warm and dry out on the road.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is A Roof Replacement Per Square Foot
Prepare Your Rv Roof For Repair Or Replacement
The first step to any RV roof job is to clean the existing roof or repair area well. In order for the adhesive or catalyst material to bond with the roof material, all traces of oil, grease, grime, oxidation and silicone sealants must be removed.
If its just a small repair, feel free to use a rag and a solvent to scrub the area clean.
For larger repairs and full roof resealing jobs or replacements, it might be more effective to first power-wash, then scrub where necessary until the roof is completely clean.
With EPDM roofing, you will need to cut away any residual silicone caulking and remove any surface wax with a removing agent designed for this purpose.
Once the roof is dry after cleaning, you will likely need to apply an EPDM primer.
Even if you did a fantastic job cleaning the roof, its likely to still be dirty or stained in some areas, so using a EPDM primer will prepare the surface for a better bond between the roof and the tape.
Wrinkles In Different Types Of Rv Roof
Wrinkles in the EPDM rubber roof of a Class A RV.
Certain brands of RV roofs are plywood that is stapled down on the edges. With time the wood flexes, pops loose and you will see clear, defined lines on your RV roof with a slight bubble in the RV roof. If the membrane is intact, you do not need an RV roof replacement in this situation. This is totally cosmetic and is not hurting the membrane ability to keep your unit water tight. You do need to keep a close eye on these areas for staples though, they will puncture the membrane allowing water intrusion. These loose areas are easier for low hanging branches to snag so inspection is always your best protection against expensive RV roof repairs. If you see air pockets in wide open areas and the wood is solid and you see no holes, you do not need to worry. This spot just didnt receive enough glue and with time and temperature changes, the membrane has come loose from the wood. These areas bother owners but they are only cosmetic in nature and do not require the whole roof to be replaced.
You May Like: Does My Roof Need Replacing
Investing In A Rv Roof Cover For Durability
In addition to all of the maintenance you should do to maximize the lifetime of your RVs roof, you may want to consider a cover for your camper or just for the roof.
Its optimal to store your RV indoors, but this is often very expensive and might be out of budget for most RV owners.
An alternative is a waterproof and UV-resistant RV cover or an RV roof cover.
These come in a wide range of measurements, so the trick is to get one that is specifically designed to fit your camper or its roof.
However, even RV covers have their disadvantages. A good quality RV cover will allow moisture to evaporate, but it also prevents airflow from circulating around your RV underneath it, so mildew can grow.
So, its best to give your RV a break and only cover it during storage season.
Note: Tarps are even worse than RV covers at allowing mildew and mold to grow in a short period of time, so only use these as a short-term solution.
Why Do I Need To Recoat My Rv Roof
Recreational vehicles, or RVs, are notorious for leaks. Plus, the fact that these vehicles may often be sitting unused for weeks or even months at a time means that you may not realize that your RV leaks until its a big one that damages the interior of the structure.
If you own an RV, there are several things you need to know about inspecting the roof and ensuring that it can protect you, your family, and your belongings.
You May Like: What Does A Roof Dryer Vent Look Like
How Important Is Roofing Membrane
If you recall from our post on the different types of RV roofs, the roofing membrane is the final fail-safe on your RV roof. From top to bottom, you have the roof cover layer, the roof decking layer, and then the roof membrane.
The membrane is a final seal to keep water out of your RV, regardless of whether you decide to repair, or replace it yourself, or ask a professional to do it for you. Be sure to request a membrane layer on your new RV roof.
You May Like: What Is The Most Durable Type Of Roof
Different Types Of Rv Roofs
There are four types of materials used in RV roofs. The materials used are:
- Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Rubber
- Thermal Poly Olefin Rubber
Most people assume that any roof on the RV will do as long as it is well installed. However, when getting a roof on the RV, it is best to understand that various types offer different experiences. Each have their own pros and cons.
Understanding the pros and cons of each RV roof material will enable you to make an informative decision.
Choosing a wrong roof option will end up frustrating you in the long run.
Before seeing the advantages and disadvantages each of these roof materials have, lets address the other main question .
What type of Roof My RV has?
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Way To Clean Roof Shingles
Epdm Wrinkles Extend Into Roof Membrane Seams Aggravated By Gravel
Our photos below illustrate what happens when an EPDM wrinkle extends into a roof seam, and as you can see by the water stains, the gravel stop caused excessive ponding that gave frost extra time to work on and push open the seam tape near the roof edge. These seam failures began appearing in the rubber roof in less than five years. The photos below show the roof edge at 14 years of age.
Interim Roof Repairs Avoided a Leak Catastrophe in this EPDM Rubber Roof
We made some interim EPDM roof repairs by cutting out the worst wrinkles and gluing down new sections of EPDM roofing material over the cutout. But as more of the original work deteriorated, by the end of a decade and after discovering carpenter ant infestations traced to leaks near the roof edges, we just didnt trust this roof further.
We inspected this roof every year, sealing suspect seam edges by cleaning the plies and applying rubber roof seam sealer.
But as our photo at below left illustrates, it was an endless task, exacerbated by that damnable gravel stop. At below right shows another of the original roofers ideas for roof-wall flashing: run it up the wall and glue the top edge of the rubber to the wood siding not a reliable installation and one that required constant attention.
Pounding the gravel stop flat to allow the roof to drain provided emergency relief to slow the frost working away at seams near the roof edge, but it left a horrible, ugly, and equally stupid roof edge flashing installation.
Can You Put Vinyl Plank Flooring In An Rv
Yes, it is possible to do this, and putting in this floor will be similar to putting in a wood floor or adding carpet to your RV. The key to adding this material to your RV is the subflooring.
If it is in good shape, you should buy some polyurethane and coat the sub-flooring to protect it against water leaks. This is not mandatory but a good damage precaution. Then if the flooring is not in good shape, you will need to make repairs as described above and still do the polyurethane step.
Once that is done and dry, your next step is to add a layer of the vinyl plank. If you do not know what this flooring material is, it is similar to linoleum or vinyl sheets, just thicker. That extra thickness makes the material more durable.
You can install an underlayer for insulation and added water protection, but it is not necessary. Also, you can install this material over existing flooring material, except carpets, IF the original flooring is in top shape.
The planks usually come with the tongue and groove construction system, making installing the vinyl straightforward. The tricky part of this installation will be cutting all the corners and curves found in RVs.
Dont Miss: How To Waterproof Concrete Roof Deck
You May Like: How To Fix Clay Roof Tiles
Rv Roof Repair: Fix Your Epdm Rubber Roof The Easy Way
RV roof repair is vitally important. Neglecting it can compromise the integrity of your RV travel trailer or motorhome. And since fixing a tear in your rubber roof is so easy, there’s no reason to delay.
Perhaps you’ve discovered from experience that RV rubber roofs and tree branches don’t mix. Rough housing on your rubber roof won’t help matters either, and is just plain dangerous. Whatever the cause, accidents can rip your rubber, and that can lead to water leaks. Next thing you know you’ve got extensive water damage and your RV has turned to a pile of rubble.
But fear not, because repairing damage done to your RV’s roof is child’s play. And if you’re short on money or time, repairing a rubber roof will be much less costly and less time consuming than a complete RV roof replacement.
To help you stay dry I’ll talk a little bit about EPDM rubber roofs , then I’ll go over roof repair methods, patch kits, RV roof repair tape, and lastly, resealing roof seams.
Clean Roof To Remove Oil And Old Sealant
Before any RV roof repair, scrub the roof clean, then use a degreaser or solvent to remove any oil or grease. If you dont remove grease, the new sealant wont adhere.
Be careful in choosing the cleaning agents. Dont use petroleum or citrus-based cleaners or harsh abrasives. These will damage a rubber RV roof. A mild laundry detergent or dish soap in warm water is generally sufficient. Even if youre not prepping for a repair, and occasional cleaning can extend the life of your RV roof.
You May Like: Can I Build A Deck On My Flat Roof
