Eternabond on roof seams.

[Wrenchtraveller]

This link shows how to make your roof seams maintenance free.
I am going to do it for preventive maintenance because leaks are not always found until they have done a fair bit of damage.
Any of you guys done this on your seams?
There are some good video links on this site too.
http://www.eternabond.com/articles/m...aintenance.htm

[VanMan]

I've done it !!

[Fire5er]

Thanks!! That's a great site.

[Cat320]

That's fine for the roof seams. However, our big leak last month during the storm that got Enterprise, AL, was in the seam farthest to the outside on top of the large slide on the right side. The dealer in Robertsdale, AL, who repaired the leak did so with a bead of silicone...and, to be safe, put silicone in the same seam on the other three slides. I have a roll of Eternabond and was planning to put it over these seams...until I read the fine print. Eternabond does not stick to silicone.

[Wrenchtraveller]

Bert, I always thought silicone was a no no on rubber roofs and there is a video on this site that shows eternabond being used on a slide out.

[Wrenchtraveller]

Using and Maintaining Your RV

EPDM: Where the Rubber Meets the Roof
Russ and Tiña De Maris

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So you've gone and done it: You bought a rig with a rubber roof. No more annual seam sealing! No more worries about leaks! A life of ease and comfort! Right? Well,--almost right. EPDM rubber roofs on RVs are like butter on sliced bread. But even then, there's still a little bit of maintenance to be done--and a lot of hype on how to do it. We hope to give you the low-down on what's high-up.


Clean It Up

Considered by the industry to be a "most versatile and long lasting" material, EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) has become quite fashionable for a roofing material on RVs. And they may have something. EPDM has been used in the building industry for nigh unto three decades, and has proved itself a worthy contender in the race to keep the rain out. And put over the top of a plywood deck, an EPDM roof has strength, and the ability to resist delamination, pitting, or seam splitting, which has been one of the banes of RV maintenance.

One thing that rubber roofs aren't however, is maintenance free. True, there's no need to coat seems, or the entire roof, in the annual fight against sunlight or leaks. But EPDM does want a little of your attention, and in doing so, you'll pay yourself dividends.

The simplest rule for a rubber roof owner: Keep it clean. Count on rubber roof cleaning as a quarterly affair: Four times a year bring out the bucket of soapy water, a hose, and a medium bristle brush.

"Soap," you ask--perhaps incredulously. Yep, simple soap and water are all that you'll really need for the typical quarterly cleaning. To avoid voiding your warranty, make sure it's not an abrasive soap--keep the Comet in the closet. Rinse down your roof with a garden hose, then scrub down with that medium brush and plenty of suds. Now a good thorough rinse down with the garden hose and you're done with the wash-down.

"Ah, but I've got tree sap on my roof! Soap and water'll never handle that!" Okay, maybe there are a couple of stains. Here's where caution--and mineral spirits--come in. Pour mineral spirits on a rag--NOT DIRECTLY ON THE ROOF--and carefully scrub the affected area. Scrub only enough to get the stains out. Don't use any other type of citrus cleaners or other petroleum distillate products.


Check It Out

After a good dry-down, CAREFULLY ascend and check all caulking, looking for surface cracks, or any areas where the caulk is pulling away from the roofing material. If you find any areas that need attention, you'll need the appropriate caulking material. What's appropriate? Self-leveling butyl rubber caulk, NEVER SILICONE sealants of any sort.

"What's wrong with silicone?" After "apparently" curing, silicone rubber sealants have an awful falling out with EPDM roofs. They simply peel away in strips, leaving the owner with a false sense of security, and a place for water to find its way in. Butyl rubber sealants, on the other hand, have the stick-to-itiveness required for the job.

Should you find your caulking is "cracking up" literally, then apply a thin layer of butyl rubber caulk over the cracked sealants. Here is where the "more is better" philosophy is dead. Use the least amount of sealant as you can, and remember that a 1/4" bead of sealant will level out to a 1/2" wide patch.

If the caulking is actually pulling away, resist the temptation to take a handy putty knife after it. Instead, lift the loose end of the sealant with your fingernail and pull away until you can't pull any more away. Now clean up the area with mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol (once again, applied only ON a rag). After thoroughly drying, reseal the area with butyl caulk.

I could not get this page to copy and paste so I just copied the part about silicone not being the right material for EPDM.

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by Cat320

That's fine for the roof seams. However, our big leak last month during the storm that got Enterprise, AL, was in the seam farthest to the outside on top of the large slide on the right side. The dealer in Robertsdale, AL, who repaired the leak did so with a bead of silicone...and, to be safe, put silicone in the same seam on the other three slides. I have a roll of Eternabond and was planning to put it over these seams...until I read the fine print. Eternabond does not stick to silicone.

I am really perplexed that a dealer would use silicone sealant rather than the proper caulking material on your rubber roof. Unless he knows that you'll be back to have your roof replaced. This kind of dealer gives others a bad name. Obviously the technician who did this does not know how to properly care for rubber roof. No silicone, no petroleum products or products containing any type of petroleum.

Orv

[Sunnyside]

quote:Originally posted by Wrenchtraveller


Any of you guys done this on your seams?

I used the 8" Eternabond tape on the front cap/seam of our previous Colman Caravan to try to repair a leak that we could not find. worked like a charm. I did clean the area with acetone prior to the application.

Jim

[Thunderman]

quote:Originally posted by Cat320

That's fine for the roof seams. However, our big leak last month during the storm that got Enterprise, AL, was in the seam farthest to the outside on top of the large slide on the right side. The dealer in Robertsdale, AL, who repaired the leak did so with a bead of silicone...and, to be safe, put silicone in the same seam on the other three slides. I have a roll of Eternabond and was planning to put it over these seams...until I read the fine print. Eternabond does not stick to silicone.

Perhaps it was not silicone caulk. Dicor self leveling caulk comes in a similar container. I used it on my slides over a year ago and it worked great. It took longer to dry than was indicated on the container but has done the job. I would have used eternabond but did not have it at the time and did have the Dicor.

[Cat320]

quote:Originally posted by ols1932

I am really perplexed that a dealer would use silicone sealant rather than the proper caulking material on your rubber roof. Unless he knows that you'll be back to have your roof replaced. This kind of dealer gives others a bad name. Obviously the technician who did this does not know how to properly care for rubber roof. No silicone, no petroleum products or products containing any type of petroleum.

Orv

Note my original post...the silicone was not on the roof, but on the outboard edge on top of the slide. Are the tops of the slides the same stuff that is on the roof, could be, but I didn't think so?

[ols1932]

[quote]quote:Originally posted by Cat320

Note my original post...the silicone was not on the roof, but on the outboard edge on top of the slide. Are the tops of the slides the same stuff that is on the roof, could be, but I didn't think so?

When I had the roof replaced on my living room slide, it was replaced with the same material as the roof on the rig. So, it must be taken care of just like the roof. No silicone.

Orv

[Cat320]

Think I call the dealer that put that 'silicone' on (we were on the road) and see if that's what it really was.

[Wrenchtraveller]

Bert , I already sent you a PM but I wanted to post that I did my seams today with Eternabond and it is a great product to use. When I did the edge of the slides, the tape that covers the screws looks like Eternabond but thinner. The vertical part of the slideout is aluminum so if your dealer put a bead of silicone on this outside corner, it would not be touching the EPDM but bonding to the aluminum and the white shiny surface of the tape so it is possible that you are OK.