Nail Pop

[TomCat]

Was up on my roof cleaning and inspecting and found this nail pop on a seam. It hasn’t breached the rubber roof yet, but seems inevitable. Thoughts on what I should do? Can this be repaired by peeling back the roof, fixing it, and laying it back down? It is near the front edge.

[rohrmann]

Either keep an eye on it, and repair if it comes through, or cut the smallest hole you can to remove the nail and just caulk it up with a dab of Dicor. The roof material should be glued down, so you might just cause bigger problems if you peel the roof membrane back for one nail.

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by rohrmann

Either keep an eye on it, and repair if it comes through, or cut the smallest hole you can to remove the nail and just caulk it up with a dab of Dicor. The roof material should be glued down, so you might just cause bigger problems if you peel the roof membrane back for one nail.

Thanks for the reply. Makes a lot of sense. I wouldn’t attempt to peel back the roof myself. I was just wondering if that’s how they might fix it if I took it in. It would be a very small hole, so the dicor fix would probably be fine. Heck, if anyone sees it they will probably think it’s a drip from sloppy manufacturing. I found one of those up there on a roof vent cover.

[mlh]

The best thing to do is nothing. It’s not though the roof so there is no hole. It may come through the roof or it may not. Until it does there is no problem so why make a hole in the roof when it’s exactly the same fix if it does.
Lynwood

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by mlh

The best thing to do is nothing. It’s not though the roof so there is no hole. It may come through the roof or it may not. Until it does there is no problem so why make a hole in the roof when it’s exactly the same fix if it does.
Lynwood

Thanks for the reply. That’s a reasonable option as well. I Don’t know how strong that membrane is, but it looks like it is stretched tight right where the nail is and ready to pop through. I just struggle with how often to check it, and if I forget about it it might pop through and leak for a period of time. I may be overly concerned about it because I have been helping my dad with leaky roof issues on his RV. A leak in the roof can do a lot of damage in a relatively short period of time. Either way, like you said, it’s the same fix.

[h2ojocky]

If you decide to fix it, I would recommend you use Eternabond Tape.

[Desert Rat]

Originally Posted by mlh

The best thing to do is nothing. It’s not though the roof so there is no hole. It may come through the roof or it may not. Until it does there is no problem so why make a hole in the roof when it’s exactly the same fix if it does.

If you don't do anything, you do know it won't pop through until the middle of a heavy three day rain storm.

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by h2ojocky

If you decide to fix it, I would recommend you use Eternabond Tape.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I thought about that, but I Like the idea of a small dab of lap sealant better I think for a pin hole. Less visible.

[jeffba]

Originally Posted by TomCat

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I thought about that, but I Like the idea of a small dab of lap sealant better I think for a pin hole. Less visible.

pinhole and eternabond plus lap sealant

[rohrmann]

Originally Posted by TomCat

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I thought about that, but I Like the idea of a small dab of lap sealant better I think for a pin hole. Less visible.

Unless you are really tall, the only time you are likely to see the repair is when on the roof, and no one else is likely to see it either unless they are tall too and you point it out to them.

[MARK A]

Originally Posted by mlh

The best thing to do is nothing. It’s not though the roof so there is no hole. It may come through the roof or it may not. Until it does there is no problem so why make a hole in the roof when it’s exactly the same fix if it does.
Lynwood

This 👍👍

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by rohrmann

Unless you are really tall, the only time you are likely to see the repair is when on the roof, and no one else is likely to see it either unless they are tall too and you point it out to them.

Yes, my hyper critical, 12'9" tall friends will have a field day!

I was actually thinking of resale down the road. I have purchased a number of used RVs in the past and the roof gets a thorough inspection every time. It's amazing how many weekenders own a unit for 10+ years and have never been on the roof or had it inspected. By the time you see a leak from the inside it has likely been leaking for a long time. Personally, if I were looking at an RV and saw a small spot of sealant like that it wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker, but I would want to know the story.

[JamesDean334]

It's been three years since there was activity on this thread. Now I find myself in a very similar situation. @TomCat, what, if anything, did you do to resolve this issue?

[Daryles]

I had one poke through.
I cut a slit and found it was a screw, not a nail. I backed it out, injected Dicor in the hole and put it back down flush. Then injected dicor under the slit, pressed it down and covered the slit with Eternabond tape.
I have several others I'm watching. I'll do the same with them when the time comes.
The downside is I'll have a roof like a checkerboard but at least I'll have no leaks.

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by JamesDean334

It's been three years since there was activity on this thread. Now I find myself in a very similar situation. @TomCat, what, if anything, did you do to resolve this issue?

Well, doing nothing wasn’t an option in my opinion. I popped the nail through and took it out, leaving a pin hole. I put a 2” x 2” piece of eterna bond over it, then used dicor around the edges of that. Probably overkill, but effective.

[Wisconsin Retiree]

I had a similar issue 14 months ago and did the same repair you did. You will rest much easier knowing it is sealed up verses continuing to have to wait for the potential poke date...eterna bond & dicor are some of the best supplies/insurance you can carry with you