Roll-on bed-liner roof project
I actually posted this over at another forum after I started the project but figured I'd come over here again and share here too. Forgive me if the wording seems awkward, it was multiple posts on the other forum over a couple of days. Maybe one day I'll edit it and put my stuff on a blog or something but, before I do that, I have to convince the wife to double as a photographer (or at least not laugh when I take them. :) )
I have seen several people express interest in various forums about putting bed-liner on their roof. I have only seen one person with a rubber roof do it, and never saw anything about the long term success.
I did a lot, and I mean a lot of research on different roofing options ranging from completely replacing the EPDM (way too extensive and expensive), EPDM roof coatings (yes, for campers), and bed-liner. I did a lot of pro's and con's and so on but my curiosity and cheapness got the best of me.
I chose to attempt a roll-on bed-liner on top of my EPDM roof.
Sadly, I did not take any photos of my roof prior to the project's start so I'll describe it as best as I can. It was horrible. It was covered in dirt, mold, algae, and God knows what else. After two long and hard scrubbings with Gain dish soap and bleach, I saw my roof. Underneath the filth was a wonderful, barely left rubber membrane. I'd guess that about 25% of the roof was worn through to the black and the rest was almost there.
I had purchased Iron Armor Truck Bed Coating from Harbor Freight for $44.99 a gallon (minus 20% off of course), some regular foam rollers from Home Depot, and everything else I had on hand from previous (and ongoing) projects.
All in all, the first coat took me about 4-5 hours to put down. I used about a gallon and a half of the liner, two 9" rollers, one 3" roller (and handle), one brush, a lot of sweat, and what's left of my pulled forearm (let's just say swinging a 6Lb sledge like a baseball bat isn't always a good idea.)
Obviously the project is not finished, nor do I have any ideas as to how it will last long term but I felt like I would share some do's and don'ts and update the thread as the project progresses.
Tips:
- Don't use rollers for regular paint. I love the light texture it gives, but they DO NOT stand up to the sticky liner. Little parts of the roller are now permanently part of my roof.
- Cover your vents and covers. I didn't and I now have one vent with slung liner on it and a few spots on my AC cover. Good thing those will be replaced anyway.
- Get some knee pads. I already have bad knees, kneeling for that long getting around the vents, edge, etc. just killed them.
- Definitely wear gloves. Fortunately I did because it does not come off skin very easily.
First Coat
-----------
They're not the greatest pictures of the roof, but it's still drying so I had to take them from the ladder.
I wrapped the liner down a few inches on the front and rear, mainly for protection since it won't be black when it's all finished.
Front Cap:
Rear Cap:
Top of the roof, from the front:
Those blobs in the middle are parts of the roller that broke off. Like I said, those didn't last.
Texture of the roof. There's texture, but it's not over the top:
Second Coat
-----------
Apparently I don't write an interesting post, a lot of views but not a lot of comments. Anyway.
Not a huge noticeable difference from the ground but the second (and most likely final) coat is on the roof. I've got to wait a few days to let some rain in the forecast to go through but I guess it'll give me a chance to see if the small leaks I had are fixed or not.
Once the rain passes it will be time for the Gloss White paint to go on and, hopefully, this project is complete.
Front Cap:
Rear Cap:
Top of the roof, from the front:
Texture of the roof. There's texture, but it's not over the top:
I stuck with the regular, low dollar rollers just because I really like the light texture they were putting down. I also found with the heavier second coat it rolled a little easier and didn't rip them up. Also picked up a few more and used one per ten foot section.
I had a few spots on the ends that I hadn't quite gotten full coats on and touched it up with the same brand coating in an aerosol can.
I haven't noticed any bubbling or other damage to the actual rubber roof so it looks like the thin first coat worked out well.
Another thing I had been worried about was the smell getting inside. The one person I found online that posted his bed-liner roof project said it smelled horrible for a month. We have yet to smell anything thank goodness since we full time.
Slide
------------
I still am debating what to do with the roof of the slide-out. I don't know if I want to play it safe and order the actual roof coating or continue with the experimenting with the bed-liner.
The Iron Armor (and a few other bed coatings) don't have any rubber, Kevlar, etc. granules in them. Thinking back to when I was cutting in from vents, etc. on the main roof it laid down pretty smooth. I still have a couple cheap 3/8" nap rollers laying around from the bathroom remodel and I have some wood scraps/concrete blocks to play on. I may take the little bit that's left in the gallon and see if I can get it to apply smoothly since I don't know how the texture, however light, will affect the capability of the seal to, well, seal.
Stay tuned for more updates once the downpours cease.
I have seen several people express interest in various forums about putting bed-liner on their roof. I have only seen one person with a rubber roof do it, and never saw anything about the long term success.
I did a lot, and I mean a lot of research on different roofing options ranging from completely replacing the EPDM (way too extensive and expensive), EPDM roof coatings (yes, for campers), and bed-liner. I did a lot of pro's and con's and so on but my curiosity and cheapness got the best of me.
I chose to attempt a roll-on bed-liner on top of my EPDM roof.
Sadly, I did not take any photos of my roof prior to the project's start so I'll describe it as best as I can. It was horrible. It was covered in dirt, mold, algae, and God knows what else. After two long and hard scrubbings with Gain dish soap and bleach, I saw my roof. Underneath the filth was a wonderful, barely left rubber membrane. I'd guess that about 25% of the roof was worn through to the black and the rest was almost there.
I had purchased Iron Armor Truck Bed Coating from Harbor Freight for $44.99 a gallon (minus 20% off of course), some regular foam rollers from Home Depot, and everything else I had on hand from previous (and ongoing) projects.
All in all, the first coat took me about 4-5 hours to put down. I used about a gallon and a half of the liner, two 9" rollers, one 3" roller (and handle), one brush, a lot of sweat, and what's left of my pulled forearm (let's just say swinging a 6Lb sledge like a baseball bat isn't always a good idea.)
Obviously the project is not finished, nor do I have any ideas as to how it will last long term but I felt like I would share some do's and don'ts and update the thread as the project progresses.
Tips:
- Don't use rollers for regular paint. I love the light texture it gives, but they DO NOT stand up to the sticky liner. Little parts of the roller are now permanently part of my roof.
- Cover your vents and covers. I didn't and I now have one vent with slung liner on it and a few spots on my AC cover. Good thing those will be replaced anyway.
- Get some knee pads. I already have bad knees, kneeling for that long getting around the vents, edge, etc. just killed them.
- Definitely wear gloves. Fortunately I did because it does not come off skin very easily.
First Coat
-----------
They're not the greatest pictures of the roof, but it's still drying so I had to take them from the ladder.
I wrapped the liner down a few inches on the front and rear, mainly for protection since it won't be black when it's all finished.
Front Cap:
Rear Cap:
Top of the roof, from the front:
Those blobs in the middle are parts of the roller that broke off. Like I said, those didn't last.
Texture of the roof. There's texture, but it's not over the top:
Second Coat
-----------
Apparently I don't write an interesting post, a lot of views but not a lot of comments. Anyway.
Not a huge noticeable difference from the ground but the second (and most likely final) coat is on the roof. I've got to wait a few days to let some rain in the forecast to go through but I guess it'll give me a chance to see if the small leaks I had are fixed or not.
Once the rain passes it will be time for the Gloss White paint to go on and, hopefully, this project is complete.
Front Cap:
Rear Cap:
Top of the roof, from the front:
Texture of the roof. There's texture, but it's not over the top:
I stuck with the regular, low dollar rollers just because I really like the light texture they were putting down. I also found with the heavier second coat it rolled a little easier and didn't rip them up. Also picked up a few more and used one per ten foot section.
I had a few spots on the ends that I hadn't quite gotten full coats on and touched it up with the same brand coating in an aerosol can.
I haven't noticed any bubbling or other damage to the actual rubber roof so it looks like the thin first coat worked out well.
Another thing I had been worried about was the smell getting inside. The one person I found online that posted his bed-liner roof project said it smelled horrible for a month. We have yet to smell anything thank goodness since we full time.
Slide
------------
I still am debating what to do with the roof of the slide-out. I don't know if I want to play it safe and order the actual roof coating or continue with the experimenting with the bed-liner.
The Iron Armor (and a few other bed coatings) don't have any rubber, Kevlar, etc. granules in them. Thinking back to when I was cutting in from vents, etc. on the main roof it laid down pretty smooth. I still have a couple cheap 3/8" nap rollers laying around from the bathroom remodel and I have some wood scraps/concrete blocks to play on. I may take the little bit that's left in the gallon and see if I can get it to apply smoothly since I don't know how the texture, however light, will affect the capability of the seal to, well, seal.
Stay tuned for more updates once the downpours cease.
