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Topic: Roof Seal - Lazy vs. Doing it right (Read 385 times) previous topic - next topic
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Roof Seal - Lazy vs. Doing it right
Hi Everyone,

I just uncovered our LD and got on the roof for the first time this season.  The roof was newly sealed when we bought it 5 years ago.  Now there are about 7 cracks in the seal, around 5 inches long each and in the center of the seal, as opposed to the edges.

I have searched the forum and have been educated about how to reseal it right - a lot of work and/or money - which gets the Lazy part of me thinking:

Can I put this job off by cleaning the roof and applying liberal amounts of the right goop into and around the cracks? The rig sees some rain, but is covered during the wet Oregon winters.

Thanks for your thoughts and stay healthy this year... aka boon-dock!

Pete

Pete
1994 RB
Re: Roof Seal - Lazy vs. Doing it right
Reply #1 –
Pete, take a sharp knife and make a shallow slice into the crack.  If it is surface only, there is no need to do anything, particularly if the subsurface is pliable.  If it is brittle or if the crack penetrates through the caulk, not just on the surface, only then should you need to re-seal, IMHO.

Ken F in NM
'08 MB
Re: Roof Seal - Lazy vs. Doing it right
Reply #2 –
If I had to guess, the roof looks like was sealed 10+ years ago, it takes a long time for the screw heads to pop through.
I would clean the old sealant well, cover the cracks and screw heads with new polyurethane, let cure and then Eternalbond Tape the seams.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Roof Seal - Lazy vs. Doing it right
Reply #3 –
Pete, you have two conflicting replies.  Larry knows more about roof re-sealing than I do.

Ken F in NM
'08 MB
Re: Roof Seal - Lazy vs. Doing it right
Reply #4 –
Thanks everyone for the feedback. Will the eternabond work well over the slightly uneven surface? 3 or 4 inch wide should cover the old sealant. I will inspect in more detail...
Pete
1994 RB
Re: Roof Seal - Lazy vs. Doing it right
Reply #5 –
Quote from: Peter Weisel  - 
Thanks everyone for the feedback. Will the eternabond work well over the slightly uneven surface? 3 or 4 inch wide should cover the old sealant. I will inspect in more detail...

The LD Companion has a lot of information on roof sealing and so do the archives.
The Lazy Daze Companion: roof sealing
4" tape works fine, 6" tape covers even better but is more difficult to handle, especially single handed.

If the old sealant has issues or is too wide for the tape to cover, with an inch of overlap on each side, the sealant can be trimmed or removed using a vibratory tool with a sharp blade. With the right tool, the old sealant cuts like butter.
Roof seam reseal | Flickr

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze