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Eternabond or lap sealant first on the roof


candace

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I have a leak that I believe is coming from where the black tank vent comes through the roof. I have removed the eternabond tape (covers old drilled holes) and silicon caulk that surrounded the vent. My plan is to put new eternabond down, including a piece where I will screw the ladder (next to vent) back in, and put a new bead of Dicor lap sealant around the vent. Looking at the photo, should I put eternabond down first or the lap sealant around the vent?

IMG_1128_2.JPG

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NIce job of cleaning up!  I would be inclined to put the tape down first and then the Dicore. Actually I am cheap and likely would use the lap sealant for the entire repair, unless I already had the tape. Lacking the tape I would get short 1/2 inch sheet metal screws put a drop of lap sealant on each hole and run screw in then cover with lap sealant.

Are you sure it was silicon that was on there?  You say the silicon was around the vent pipe.   I would sand the pipe with a coarse grade paper, 100 or 150 grit, or use a file to make sure that all silicon is removed.  Absolutely nothing will stick to even the residue of silicon!

Only the opinion of a DIY'er, not to be misconstrued as professional advice.     Jim

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Is it just the photo or are there tears in the roof metal???  Can you lift up the bracket to make sure its clean under it???

Ok say its clean and you can lift a bit, then lift it and place a big piece of tape under it. If its not cleanable then dicor the bolt holes and reinstall the screws. Then a whole lot dicor over the whole bracket and out about 1" on the roof to seal things.

If there are cracks then use a drill and make a hole at each end of all the cracks. A skin coat if dicor over each crack, hole and a full seal around the pipe. Let it dry and then tape over all. THEN a couple coats of Sno-coat over the whole repair

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Candace:

I used PROFLEX RV   caulk on my repairs and it has held up very well.  Check out the specs. for it.  On the roof where an antenna was and leaking I removed the antenna , I  used butyl rubber tape under an aluminum patch then used self starter sheet metal screws and then covered the screw heads with the PRO FLEX RV caulk.  To smooth the PRO FLEX RV  I used my fingers and mineral spirits ( dipped my finger in spirits and rubbed the caulk) and it smoothed over very well.  This might work for you and it might not, it's just a thought.

Homer

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I use  ISO QUAD on repairs like that.  So does the local RV shop near me.  Home Depot sells it. I'm sold on it.  I put a new steel roof on a house 10 years ago and some seams were sealed with QUAD. I had to remove some of that roof after 10 years in the sun and the sealant was still perfect.  Good adhesion, nothing hardened or turned color, and none of that awful "ribboning" like silicone is known for.  The RV shop by me does a lot of repairs on new and old stuff and this is in northern MI.  So much sits out in dismal weather and gets snow-covered.  They use ISO QUAD for filling holes or cracks.  They use DYCO C-10 Flow Seal on flat surfaces as a self-leveling sealant.

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The one that says OSI Quad on the label - just like I already mentioned.  Not "max", not "invisible", not "foam", not "121", and not "SBR whatever."

Not a problem of choice at my Home Depot.  They only carry the ISO Quad with no other frills attached.

Local RV guy buys it at Home Depot and then puts it on his parts shelf with the price doubled.

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Okay, here's what I did. Put tape down where I had removed it before. Cleaned under the ladder mount area. Put a piece of tape under the ladder mount. Screwed it back in. Then put down a bead of lap sealant around the vent and around the ladder mount. I applied the sealant late in the day and noticed that moisture covered the motorhome within a couple of hours of of application. The sealant feels like puddy or foam. Is this how it's supposed to be? thanks for all of your helpful replies!

IMG_1135.JPG

Edited by candace
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Looks like a pro repair to me,  I would add a dollop to each of the screw heads holding the ladder in place. Not sure on how it is suppose to feel?   Jim

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6 hours ago, jdemaris said:

The one that says OSI Quad on the label - just like I already mentioned.  Not "max", not "invisible", not "foam", not "121", and not "SBR whatever."

Not a problem of choice at my Home Depot.  They only carry the ISO Quad with no other frills attached.

Local RV guy buys it at Home Depot and then puts it on his parts shelf with the price doubled.

I should have known to use Quad OSI. I just worked for a month on a tv show called Treehouse Masters and we used quad Osi. I bough the rv stuff thinking I needed rv specific sealant. Oh well

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17 hours ago, WME said:

Is it just the photo or are there tears in the roof metal???  Can you lift up the bracket to make sure its clean under it???

Ok say its clean and you can lift a bit, then lift it and place a big piece of tape under it. If its not cleanable then dicor the bolt holes and reinstall the screws. Then a whole lot dicor over the whole bracket and out about 1" on the roof to seal things.

If there are cracks then use a drill and make a hole at each end of all the cracks. A skin coat if dicor over each crack, hole and a full seal around the pipe. Let it dry and then tape over all. THEN a couple coats of Sno-coat over the whole repair

Looks like tears, but they are deep scratches. thanks for your help!

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Now I know I have some rotted wood in the closet ceiling. Seems like a big job to replace that wood. It seems to me that it's not absolutely necessary I replace the wood right now. Am I wrong?

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I had a couple small areas of rot, not large area's a couple inches here and there.  I did some web searching, it seems that wood rot and dry rot are a fungus which needs to be killed to stop it from spreading.

I soaked the areas as best I could with anti freeze and will see what will happen?

There are two commonly available inexpensive materials that will kill rot in wood and prevent its recurrence. First, there are borates (borax-boric acid mixtures) which have an established record in preventing rot in new wood and in killing rot organisms and wood-destroying insects in infested wood.

Second, there is Glycol, most readily available as auto antifreeze-coolant. Glycol is toxic to the whole spectrum of organisms from staphylococcus bacteria to mammals.  

Of course don't eat the wood after treating!                               HTH  Jim

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_rot

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3 hours ago, candace said:

Now I know I have some rotted wood in the closet ceiling. Seems like a big job to replace that wood. It seems to me that it's not absolutely necessary I replace the wood right now. Am I wrong?

The previous owner to my Itasca had backed into something that damaged the top rear corner at the closet.  They had someone do really rough bodywork with body filler that never properly bonded to the aluminum.  So it was quite a mess when I got it (front corner had the same issue at the berth).  I ripped it all out and in the closet I replaced the panels with slat cedar paneling.  This comes in thin narrow strips that is tongue and grooved.  I used construction glue and some brad nails to hold it in place.  The advantage to this is it is rot resistant and super light.  I also like the cedar smell and look.  It is available in two grades.  I went with the cheaper knotty stuff and it worked out great.

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18 hours ago, candace said:

Now I know I have some rotted wood in the closet ceiling. Seems like a big job to replace that wood. It seems to me that it's not absolutely necessary I replace the wood right now. Am I wrong?

The best ever treatment was/is copper-arsenic. Called "CCA" in treated wood. Not so easy to get anymore.  2nd best most often used is   "monoethanolamine and copper-naphthenate.  Forget the chemical names. Just go to the hardware store or Home Depot and buy a can of "Wolman Copper Coat." Wolman chemicals are so common for this that rot-proofed "treated" wood is often called "Wolmanized."   

 

 

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I had antifreeze and did not have to remember a name on the way to Home Depot. So zero cost and I only needed a little bit so did not have worry about discarding the balance of a quart.       Which leave's an oft disputed question, should we use red or green antifreeze on rot:D   Jim SWFL

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