Help/Advice - First time water damage repair
Hi,
I hope I’m posting this in the right sub forum.
So I’ve undertaken repairing a water damaged RV for my 72 year old mother. It was given to her by a relative to bring up to our newly acquired family cottage and camping ground. Unfortunately it had been neglected for 2-3 years and water got in. The RV is a 2009 Rockwood, either Mini Lite or Ultra Lite, memory is currently failing me.
I’m generally handy, cabinet maker/woodworker with construction experience. But I know nothing about RVs. I have done my research, quite a bit of it, but I’d really appreciate input from experienced individuals to line me up right.
The interior I can manage, but the roof I could use guidance on. The roof is, I believe, fleece backed TPO. The water damage is also fairly fresh, so while I have wet swollen plywood, there doesn’t seem to be any mold. I’m able to see the swollen plywood under the membrane and the damage ranges from 1 to 2 feet along the 25 foot length of one side.
Here’s a breakdown of how I was planning on going about this, followed by the things I’m unclear on.
1. Cut membrane 1 inch from the edges and carefully pull/peel back til I hit dry plywood.
2. Cut out and remove damaged plywood, clean/disinfect, let dry thoroughly, instal/glue on new plywood.
3. Glue the membrane onto the new plywood.
4. Use 4 inch RV seam tape to seal the cuts, the 1 inch distance of my cuts from the edge allowing me to tape 2 1/2 to 3 inches on the roof then wrapping down over the edges.
5. Cover the problem area with rubber sealant as an extra precaution.
My questions/what I’m unclear on:
1) What adhesive should I use for fleece backed membrane onto plywood? Ideally I’d prefer a spray adhesive over liquid.
2) To ensure proper adhesion of the rubber roof sealant coat(s) to the membrane, should some sort of bonding type primer be applied first? If so, what kind?
3) What kind of rubber sealant should I use? Are there some affordable options?
4) What kind of sealant caulk should I use to reseal roof vents and other accessories?
I should note that the RV will be permanently set up and will eventually have a roof built over it. I ask about affordable options because this roof repair will at most be exposed to the element for 1 year/1 winter. Afterwards it will be covered. So while I want to do a proper job, the limited exposure of this repair is a factor, and if it can help the budget then all the better. I could be wrong but there seem to be products marketed specifically to RVs that have close equivalents in construction materials at a much lower price.
I welcome any and all tips, recommendations and corrections to my planned repair process.
Thank you for you time.
I hope I’m posting this in the right sub forum.
So I’ve undertaken repairing a water damaged RV for my 72 year old mother. It was given to her by a relative to bring up to our newly acquired family cottage and camping ground. Unfortunately it had been neglected for 2-3 years and water got in. The RV is a 2009 Rockwood, either Mini Lite or Ultra Lite, memory is currently failing me.
I’m generally handy, cabinet maker/woodworker with construction experience. But I know nothing about RVs. I have done my research, quite a bit of it, but I’d really appreciate input from experienced individuals to line me up right.
The interior I can manage, but the roof I could use guidance on. The roof is, I believe, fleece backed TPO. The water damage is also fairly fresh, so while I have wet swollen plywood, there doesn’t seem to be any mold. I’m able to see the swollen plywood under the membrane and the damage ranges from 1 to 2 feet along the 25 foot length of one side.
Here’s a breakdown of how I was planning on going about this, followed by the things I’m unclear on.
1. Cut membrane 1 inch from the edges and carefully pull/peel back til I hit dry plywood.
2. Cut out and remove damaged plywood, clean/disinfect, let dry thoroughly, instal/glue on new plywood.
3. Glue the membrane onto the new plywood.
4. Use 4 inch RV seam tape to seal the cuts, the 1 inch distance of my cuts from the edge allowing me to tape 2 1/2 to 3 inches on the roof then wrapping down over the edges.
5. Cover the problem area with rubber sealant as an extra precaution.
My questions/what I’m unclear on:
1) What adhesive should I use for fleece backed membrane onto plywood? Ideally I’d prefer a spray adhesive over liquid.
2) To ensure proper adhesion of the rubber roof sealant coat(s) to the membrane, should some sort of bonding type primer be applied first? If so, what kind?
3) What kind of rubber sealant should I use? Are there some affordable options?
4) What kind of sealant caulk should I use to reseal roof vents and other accessories?
I should note that the RV will be permanently set up and will eventually have a roof built over it. I ask about affordable options because this roof repair will at most be exposed to the element for 1 year/1 winter. Afterwards it will be covered. So while I want to do a proper job, the limited exposure of this repair is a factor, and if it can help the budget then all the better. I could be wrong but there seem to be products marketed specifically to RVs that have close equivalents in construction materials at a much lower price.
I welcome any and all tips, recommendations and corrections to my planned repair process.
Thank you for you time.
