Removing old roof sealants

[Deborah Tucker]

We have a 78 Southwind with a metal roof, just bought last spring.
Looks like several different kinds of sealants have been used. Husband
is asking, what's the best way to remove the flexible, rubbery-looking
white sealant, prior to re-sealing. Also, he's planning to use
silicone, which from old posts sounds like what many recommend.
Opinions?

Thanks,
Deborah

--
Deborah Tucker, MA, MFCC
Families Counseling Center
Simi Valley, CA
http://www.svfamily.com

[rburnsid]

Hard work is really the only way to remove these sealants, as Dick Hughes
said, but I would not use silicone, as it reacts with any petroleum based
caulkings, and does not adhere as well. Depending on how much roof you are
covering, seams only or the whole roof, for seams a butyl based seam sealant
is best, if you are covering the whole roof then a product like KOOL SEAL
with an elastomeric base, actually water soluble when applying and for
clean up purposes comes with a minimum 5 year warranty. The other more
expensive alternative is the new Liquid Rubber Roof that you actually paint
on, or apply with a roller over everything on the roof , except of course
vents.

Deborah Tucker wrote in message <369637C2...@svfamily.com>...

[Fredrick Schreier]

Is that flexible, rubbery-looking white sealant all over the roof? Or just
around the joints and vents? Also is it the top layer or one of the under
layers? Reason for asking is it sounds like the newest and most recommended
coating to put on a metal roof. Also one of the most expensive roof
coatings. The stuff cost me over $18 per quart when I recoated the roof on
my slide in camper about 5 years ago. Can't remember the name of it, but if
that is what it is I would just clean it up and smooth any scratches or
tears and put on another coat of it. They should sell a cleaning solvent to
prepare it for the new coat.

Just my $.02 worth of gibberish.
----------------------------------------------
Hope to see you on the road.
Fred Schreier
Please send email replies to
fesch...@usa.net
--------------------------------------------

[Les Doll - The RV Corner]

A heat gun and a stiff bladed gasket scraper (like a putty knife only not as
flexible) works very well. Heat the sealant with the heat gun until pliable
and use the scraper to remove the heated section... repeat ... repeat...
repeat.

The applied heat works wonders.

Re-seal the roof opening junctions with a good quality roof coat product and
check it once a year for cracking or checking. Touch up or remove/reapply as
necessary.

In my opinion, silicone sealants are wonderful products, and my job would be
much more difficult without them.
However, silicone has no place on the roof of an RV, rubber, metal, or
fiberglass. Once cured, a bead of silicone sealant along the roof edge
molding (for example) can be peeled off in a 20 foot strip without breaking.
This suggests to me that it sticks to itself much more readily than to the
surface to which it is applied.

Just my observations, opinions and experience.

Good luck and keep up the we-can-do-it attitude!

Les Doll - RV Tech
The RV Corner Website
RV News, Maintenance Tips & Tricks
http://www.ocis.net/~lesd

[Henry Blair]

Go here and get the scoop -- http://www.proguardc.com/. Chris Bryant
seems to be right on the money. You only have to get the flaking, loose
coating off of the roof. If it is tight to the metal, don't worry about it.
This stuff will flow well into seams, so no further caulk or heaven forbid,
silicone is needed. If you have used any silicone, you will be amazed how
easly it is to pull off. The people at the company are very nice and
helpful as well. It costs twice as much as everything else, but really, do
you enjoy scraping your roof. It's hell on even a working man's hands.

Henry

[Chris Bryant]

On Sat, 9 Jan 1999 21:23:16 -0800, "Les Doll - The RV Corner"
<le...@mail.ocis.net> wrote:

<<snip a lot of good advice>>

I agree 100% with Les- I love silicone (the RTV variety), but
it has no place on a roof.

One product that is available at your typical home improvement
warehouse type place is gutter seal- flows well, and is fairly weather
resistant.

I cannot say enough about "Liquid Roof"- a 2-part EPDM sealer
(you have to mix it). It cures (takes a week) to an EPDM rubber seal,
12 year warranty, and here in the enviromental testing lab that we
call Florida, I have jobs that are 4 years old with no sign of
deterioration (thats very good for this part of the country, all the
sunshine and whatnot (couldn't resist rubbing it in to all you folks
in the "frozen north")).

--
Chris Bryant
Bryant R.V.