Roof Re-seal Question November 19, 2019, 03:47:56 pm I know this topic has been discussed at length in the past. But I wanted to get some fresh opinions considering my specific circumstances. I recently purchased a 2002 26.5MB. The roof has never been resealed. There are no signs of leaking at all. The coach is in great shape for its age. Considering the age of the coach I would like to reseal the roof. I know Eternabond is the way to go from what I have already read.My question is whether or not it would be best to remove the old sealant before applying the Eternabond. Is it necessary?Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!Joel W
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #1 – November 19, 2019, 05:17:15 pm "My question is whether or not it would be best to remove the old sealant before applying the Eternabond. Is it necessary?"---It's impossible to answer this question without actually seeing the condition of the sealant; at the least, can you provide close-up photos of several sections of the sealant on the seams? Just as an FYI, I did not remove the old sealant on my 2003 when I sealed with E-bond, but I did the job at least 5 years ago. I'm skeptical that the original sealant on a 17-year-old rig would still be in good enough shape not to require removal before a re-seal, but, as I said, this is not 'guess-able'. Multiple, clear photos are the first step to get input/advice. 1 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #2 – November 19, 2019, 05:33:10 pm I went through this last winter. The two side seams were in good shape so I covered them with E bond. The front seam I removed the sealant completely and resealed with 3M 5200 and then E bond. I was hesitant but Larry said almost all will have some leakage and he was right. All the rest of the penetrations got cleaned and then Dicor self leveling lap sealant. I can tell you, it isn't an hours job, takes a ton of prep but I think it is going to hold up a while.Jon
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #3 – November 20, 2019, 07:36:08 am Thanks for the responses thus far. I will definitely add some pics of the existing seams.
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #4 – November 22, 2019, 05:34:29 pm Quote from: Joan - November 19, 2019, 05:17:15 pm"My question is whether or not it would be best to remove the old sealant before applying the Eternabond. Is it necessary?"---It's impossible to answer this question without actually seeing the condition of the sealant; at the least, can you provide close-up photos of several sections of the sealant on the seams? Just as an FYI, I did not remove the old sealant on my 2003 when I sealed with E-bond, but I did the job at least 5 years ago. I'm skeptical that the original sealant on a 17-year-old rig would still be in good enough shape not to require removal before a re-seal, but, as I said, this is not 'guess-able'. Multiple, clear photos are the first step to get input/advice. Here are some pics of the existing seams and sealant.
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #5 – November 23, 2019, 06:43:10 pm Hi Joel,Since none of the experts have given you advice, I'll give you my opinion. And I base this on your comment that there are no current leaks. I would not attempt to remove the old sealant. Knowing my skill level, I think trying to remove the factory sealant would cause potential problems instead of preventing future issues.If that was my rig, I would give that roof a good cleaning and then clean the old sealant as good as you can. Read the directions on Eternabond for suggested cleaning products. I would use Eternabond on all the seems and perhaps the wider version of it on the front side to side seam. When I did my 2003 LD, i used the 3m5200 quick cure on the front edge of the side to side seam to try to prevent it from coming loose. To sum up, I would not see a benefit from removing the old sealant. Take your time and good luck!Steve K 1 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #6 – November 23, 2019, 07:06:48 pm Hmmmm....Certainly not an expert, but I would have commented had the photos displayed on my laptop. They do on the iPhone; just now looked at the thread on that device. No idea why the display issue. *Going only by the photos*, I also think that the E-bond re-seal can be done without removing the original sealant *if* the surface is thoroughly cleaned and prepped, and, from the general appearance of the roof, this will take a lot of scrubbing!
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #7 – November 23, 2019, 07:39:05 pm In my case, we resealed an original roof on a 98MB when it was 15 years old. There were no leaks. There were no protruding screws. A couple of thoughts:We used the 4 inch wide Eternabond.The Lazy Daze Companion offers great comments on how to do it right. Read up on it carefully.Clean the roof thoroughly. Clean it one more time. Allow to completely dry for a least a day.When it comes to applying the tape, we wiped the roof with acetone right before applying the tape. And we snapped a chalk line to help us keep it straight. There's little margin for error and its easy to get off track.One person worked from on the roof, the other off a step ladder.Be sure to tape across the front last and cover the starts of your long runs with the tape that runs across the front. 3 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #8 – November 23, 2019, 08:33:05 pm I can go with the above, you have some serious prep to do. Down both sides I calked and smoothed all the screw heads with 3M5200 fast cure. If there were any bubbles in the origional seams calk, I removed the section and resealed with 5200. I did the eterna bond by myself but a helper could be useful. I didn't snap a line and I did get off course on occasion, just work you way back into alignment. DO NOT stretch the ebond tape. Take the side with the fewest obstacles and do it first for practice. Look at that front seam real real close for leaks, I removed mine and Larry was right water had gotten under the calk. Everything needs to be clean, by far the hardest part of the job.Jon
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #9 – December 01, 2019, 02:01:40 pm Jon,For the front seam, did you remove all of the old sealant? Did the leak cause any damage?I don’t see any evidence of damage, but I do see a few small holes on the old sealant. How would I go about determining if there is any leaking/water damage?I’m trying to determine if I should remove the old front sealant or just eternabond over it.Thanks in advance for any insights.Joel
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #10 – December 01, 2019, 03:07:21 pm Shortly after my 2003 was delivered, I noticed that the seam sealant between the ‘nose’ cap and the body was bubbled. Digging out the sealant revealed pockets of dirt snd water in the seam; it was a sloppy, careless job. I cleaned out the seam, dried it, and packed it with polyurethane sealant. After I learned about Eternabond and 5200, I re-sealed and covered the seam (it was still solid, but ....) .In my experience, the joint between the cap and the body is a potential trouble spot and warrants careful checking for leaks.YMMV, as always. 1 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #11 – December 01, 2019, 03:17:29 pm Joel, my front seam had something other than the origional calk and I wasnt sure the eternabond was going to stick to it. I decided I only wanted to deal with it once so I made the decision to remove the origional stuff. The corner areas, when I removed the sealant, there was rust on the screw heads. No evidence of any leaks inside. I then used 3m 5200 fc liberally over the entire seam including all screw heads. Then more cleaning with acetone and then 2 layers of eternabond one overlapping the other and rolled it down. It's not a hard project just time consuming. 1 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #13 – December 01, 2019, 04:17:46 pm To remove or not remove the original sealant depends on the the condition of the sealant and whatever additional sealants may have been applied after construction. If the sealant has visible bubbles or the seam is wider the 2", some or all of it may need to be removed to allow using 4" wide Eternabond and still have at least 1" of it stick to each side.During the last few years when I was resealing roofs, I switched to the 6' wide Eternabond, for better coverage. the wider tape is very difficult to handle and lay down, it is not recommended for beginners.I made it a point to cut away the front corners, having found bubbles, dirt and water in the majority of them, i use an oscillating tool, with a sharp blade, to easily remove unwanted sealant..Roof seam reseal | FlickrI speculate the bubbles are the results of driving the rig before the sealant has fully cured. The older sealant used by LD took a couple weeks to completely cure, flexing in the corners somehow may introduce bubbles that can fill with water and dirt.On seams with exposed screw heads and/or bubbles, the bubbles are opened up and then a thin layer of 3M 5200 FC polyurethane was applied over the screw heads and bubbles, It was allowed to cure before the Eternabond tape was applied. This provide two separate seals for better reliability. Before applying the tape, I always snapped a chalk line down each side to guide the application of the tape to maintain even coverage on both sides of the seamsOn the vents and antennas, the existing sealant is scrubbed with with soap and water and, after drying are wiped with acetone or lacquer thinner. Any loose sealant needs to be cut away.The sealant can then be over coated with either Dicor or polyurethane sealant, the purpose of the new sealant applied is to protect the plastic beneath from sun damage. The actual seal is between the vents and the roof, new over coat sealant does not renew the old seal, instead it helps prevent deterioration of the original sealant from exposure to the elements. It also covers any cracks that have developed in the sealant or the vent's plastic bases, where the screws may have been overtightened .Finding hidden rot damage is difficult, it sometimes can be smelled or seen, usually it take a deeper search, using an ice pick to find hidden rot. Places to look are in the the front corners of the bunk, under windows corners and in the back wall, the location of most leaks in later models rigs. The sloping rear window slows the draining of rain water and loose end caps can let in water, causing leaks and rot in the corners and along the bottom of the rear wall.. Laying under the rear, you can see the bottom of the rear wall, it can be probed with an ice pick to exposed any rot, this is a common place rot is found. Rot into bottom of the wall is an indication of water getting in from above.Rotted bottom of rear wall | If the rear window, spare tire … | FlickrAlong with sealing the roof seams and vents, the window frame seals need attention as the years pass and the Factory sealant shrinks, forming concave depressions where water can sit.Window and seam sealing | FlickrThe LD companion has a good section on resealing.The Lazy Daze Companion: roof sealingLarry 7 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #14 – December 01, 2019, 04:40:23 pm On my 85 LD, I used 4 inch and 6 inch Ebond after acetone and put it right over top of existing gunk. 4 year and no problems.
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #15 – December 01, 2019, 04:43:45 pm My 86 is considered an 85 in Australia. When from Chevy factory, not from LD factory. Also, How long do I stay a NEWBIE?
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #16 – December 01, 2019, 04:48:06 pm For your info, I put Ebond all over the plastic top of my swamp cooler just in case we get hit by a large hail storm. Probably overkill but hailstones can be baseballs over here. Cheers.
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #17 – December 01, 2019, 04:49:34 pm Ebond also on front escape hatch.
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #18 – December 01, 2019, 06:42:25 pm Larry and others, thank so much for your replies and insight! I started the cleaning and prep this weekend. Tomorrow I will tackle the Ebond along the seams.I will post the process and pics when complete.Thanks again! The LD community is a great group!Joel W 1 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #19 – December 01, 2019, 10:30:12 pm Quote from: hank87us - December 01, 2019, 04:43:45 pmMy 86 is considered an 85 in Australia. When from Chevy factory, not from LD factory. Also, How long do I stay a NEWBIE?I think it has more to do with the number of posts than time since registering. I don't know the metrics.joel
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #20 – December 01, 2019, 11:34:35 pm Quote from: hank87us - December 01, 2019, 04:43:45 pmMy 86 is considered an 85 in Australia. When from Chevy factory, not from LD factory. Also, How long do I stay a NEWBIE?Hank, here are the #s for moving out of Newbie status:Newbie: 0-49Jr. Member: 50-99Full Member: 100-249Sr. Member: 250-499Hero Member: 500Chris 1 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #21 – December 03, 2019, 09:51:43 am Just had my roof resealed by LD. $5700. It certainly looks different than the original in 2006. Replacement and repainting of end caps was necessary. They replaced both power vents with new.I’ve lost the knowledge on how to post pictures so a link to instructions and I will post. 3 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #22 – June 03, 2020, 10:46:18 pm Just a word of thanks for this string. I'm getting ready to do a roof reseal and thanks to these comments (and LD Companion) I don't need to waste everyone's time as I got all my answers. Now I just need to find the time to do the roof!
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #23 – June 04, 2020, 04:37:42 pm So does Larry have the most posts? He at least has the most informative posts. Wish I lived in his neighborhood. Well, actually wished I lived close to Larry, but LA is too much for me. I did enjoy the days we spent with him. 1 Likes
Re: Roof Re-seal Question Reply #24 – June 04, 2020, 05:54:26 pm Quote from: Don Malpas - June 04, 2020, 04:37:42 pmSo does Larry have the most posts? He at least has the most informative posts. Wish I lived in his neighborhood. Well, actually wished I lived close to Larry, but LA is too much for me. I did enjoy the days we spent with him.Andy - 11,243Joan - 7,922Larry - 7,000Chris - 5,498On the home page, go to Board Stats at lower left and click on the total posts #.
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