Roof Tape November 17, 2011, 08:35:45 am Yahoo Message Number: 126688Hello: our 2003 30' IB has developed it's first roof leak, (caulk is failing at the Fantastic Fan) and I'm considering taping around all roof penetrations, and all roof seams with the 'high tech' roof tape we've been reading about. Two other LD owners have showed us their work; the stuff looks neat and they both felt it worked well. Any other thoughts on this tape, and would one manufacturers product be superior to another? Thanks for any info you can provide! Cheers,Robert LarsonCatalina State Park Tucson, AZ[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Roof Tape Reply #1 – November 17, 2011, 08:48:45 am Yahoo Message Number: 126690Quote Hello: our 2003 30' IB has developed it's first roof leak, (caulk is failing at the Fantastic Fan) and I'm considering taping around all roof penetrations, and all roof seams with the 'high tech' roof tape we've been reading about. Two other LD owners have showed us their work; the stuff looks neat and they both felt it worked well. Any other thoughts on this tape, and would one manufacturers product be superior to another? Thanks for any info you can provide! Cheers, Robert Larson Catalina State Park Tucson, AZ Robert, it's Eternabond and it works great. I think most on this forum would vote for Eternabond.Chris
Re: Roof Tape Reply #2 – November 17, 2011, 09:03:28 am Yahoo Message Number: 126691QuoteRobert, it's Eternabond http://www.eternabond.com/RV-Leak-Repair-Products-s/22.htm> and it works great. I think most on this forum would vote for Eternabond. Although most like this product, and I do too, the batch I used does not adhere well to itself - sticks just fine to everything else with proper surface preparation. This is due to the very slick UV-resistant top layer. Although I have used it in situations where it overlapped - such as around vents - I found I had to back up the overlaps with another sealant, such as Parlastic. I haven't heard much complaint about this from others, so it may apply to a limited run of the product. Since it comes on a roll, though, I recommend you check for this issue before applying it so you can take appropriate measures.Steve
Re: Roof Tape Reply #3 – November 17, 2011, 09:13:18 am Yahoo Message Number: 126692Robert Larson wrote: and would one manufacturers product be superior to another? --- As Chris said, Eternabond is the roof seal tape of choice for most of us. I found the most "reasonable" price at Best Materials; this is the link for the 4" X 50' roll: http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=11341Proper surface preparation is *essential* to ensure that the tape adheres; there are no prep shortcuts and no do-overs. You might want to do a search on the board for the many posts on this product, and/or look at the "Companion" link for prep and application instructions: http://lazydazearticles.blogspot.com/search/label/eternabond Joan
Re: Roof Tape Reply #4 – November 17, 2011, 11:09:26 am Yahoo Message Number: 126697"our 2003 30' IB has developed it's first roof leak, (caulk is failing at the Fantastic Fan)"Robert You might want to have a closer look at the leaking Fantastic Fan, looking for cracks or other damage that would allow water to enter. LD uses massive amounts of polyurethane sealant to bed the vents and I have never seen a leak through the caulk. I have remove 15 year old vents and found the polyurethane to be in perfect shape and the plastic vent rotted, from the sun. You might want to use go on the roof and use a hose to help find the exact location of the leak. Pull the trim off the inside of the Fantastic Fan so you can see the actual roof penetration. If it is leaking through the caulking, a crack or hole, you should able able to see the area where the water is entering. Have a helper watch for leaks while you use the hose. A/C units can leak, through the roof gasket, and have the water exit from a nearby lighting fixture or vent. The location of a leak is not necessarily where you first think it is. In a few cases, I have found very small holes in the aluminum roof where a tiny rock, or other small, hard object has punched through. This type of leak can be frustrating to find since it isn't where you expect to be. Pressurizing the whole interior and then looking for leaks, using soapy water, is the easiest way find this type of leak. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157625671994909/> When using Eternabond tape to seal the vents, be aware Eternabond does not stick to sealant, so the tape must overlap the sealant or else the sealant must be totally removed, a very difficult job. I prefer using the tape on the only the roof seams, choosing to reseal the vents and other penetrations with polyurethane, as necessary. I clean and cut away excessive amounts of the old sealant and then apply a new layer of poly over it. If I do use tape, it is primarily to cover up and protect the plastic parts from the sun, the main source of long-term damage. If you want your vents and their seals to last, equip all the 14"-square vents with covers, to keep the sun from damaging them and the sealant. Vents allow year-round, all-weather ventilation, a 'must have' IMO. http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/maxxair-roof-vent-covers/1529>Larry
Re: Roof Tape Reply #5 – November 17, 2011, 11:40:27 am Yahoo Message Number: 126700"Larry" wrote: If you want your vents and their seals to last, equip all the 14"-square vents with covers, to keep the sun from damaging them and the sealant. Vents allow year-round, all-weather ventilation, a 'must have' IMO. Quotehttp://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/maxxair-roof-vent-covers/1529> --- According to this "blurb", Fantastic Vent is (finally) coming out with a vent cover; apparently, the vent cover was introduced at a show, but it's not yet available for sale, and there's nothing on the website. http://www.rvbusiness.com/2011/11/fan-tastic-vent-develops-special-vent-cover/Fantastic Fan offers excellent customer service, so if anyone is interested, s/he might want to contact FF to see when the vent cover will be available.Joan
Re: Roof Tape Reply #6 – November 18, 2011, 07:25:28 am Yahoo Message Number: 126724Thanks, Larry. Happy trails! Robert
Topic: Roof Tape (Read 16 times)
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Topic: Roof Tape (Read 16 times)
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