profdant139 wrote:
John, thanks for that detailed answer! I don't have a leak, and my roof looks fine -- but I am one of those "be prepared" folks, so I am doing my homework ahead of time.
And the fact that Duck Coat does not have data sheets is not encouraging. I will keep on going with my research.
In my dreams, there is some sort of an easy to use, pour-on roof coating that dries quickly.
I guess that as I have gotten older, my dreams have become much less interesting than they were when I was young! ;)
Hi profdant139,
Thanks for your openness and for starting a search before the need comes.
I'll say a few big-picture statements about camper roof coatings. I can get deeper into this if wanted. I do not want to bury you so early in the investigation. These are my "view" on the topics, and my views may be very different than yours or others. Feel free to ask for a more in-depth understanding of where I'm coming from.
There are many things RV roof coatings do well, and there are some that do not do well at all.
You mentioned
Profdant139 wrote:
"In my dreams, there is some sort of an easy to use, pour-on roof coating that dries quickly"
1. How long do you want this coating to last? And are you thinking that the coating will get you out of roof caulking inspections? I'm trying to present some options that better fit your camping situation. If you sell the camper in 3 to 5 years, which is the life of the coating system expectation, then there are some lower-cost, less work-to-do options. They may fit your dream of being quick and easier to use.
2. If you want the coating or other ways to eliminate roof caulking inspections and touch-ups with high confidence those roof seams and roof penetrations will remain leak-free for a long or short time, then there are a few ways to do this. I know of two ways I have used on several campers with and without a roof coating to deal with the seams. One method is to Eternabond every roof seam and penetration, including the gutter rails. If the roof membrane requires a coating due to age, there are lesser-cost options for the coating; they do not last as long. We must discuss your roof membrane; what is it? EPDM, PVC, TPO, metal or fiberglass? This option can be done in phases, and it will take time. It takes me three days straight, once the roof is cleaned and prepped (yet another topic, cleaning, and prep), to Ebond the entire roof where caulk was used. Depending on how many years you want out of the coating, the cost and life of the coating will vary pending want you want to do. NOTE: Many coatings will not bond long-term to E Bond's TPO surface unless treated. In this case, the coating enhances the exposed membrane, not the seams/penetrations, as that is what the Ebond is for.
3. If you want to keep your camper for a good long time (20 plus years), you want the coating to deal with all seams and joints that caulk use to be used, and you want close to a maintenance-free roof, then this option will take more effort and have more cost. But, it has a higher odds of lasting the camper's life. The actual work will take a little more time than option 2, but the cost will be higher, but when you're done, you are done. The coating must have a 50-year to lifetime warranty and be applied "right". How to do this right will take more time to type as there is this learning curve; you will need to understand how coatings bond to all the materials used on a camper roof, not just the membrane. The learning here is more involved than in option 2. This is where Henry's 885 and 887 products come in, and the Crazy Seal if you want to go that route.
And then there are pre-existing leaks. Roof seam leaks and siding penetration leaks have tricked many a good camper. If they do not see a leak in the living space, they feel and think they are leak free. Have you scanned your camper with a moisture meter and have high confidence there are no leaks? If there is water damage in the walls or ceiling, those areas need to be accessed and a determination made on what to do with them. Stop the leak and determine whether you will mitigate water damage or not. Option 2 or 3, when you have a wall or ceiling leak, can mean removing the gutter rails or corner moldings to assess the water damage. Ideally, these area gets addressed before the roof treatment system goes on so you do not disturb them.
Again, I'm trying to help explain what a roof coating can do well, but it comes with your expectations. So, what do your expectations fit into, Item 1, 2, or 3? Many folks have just gone and applied a roof coating, thinking it will solve all their problems, to find out later they never knew what all is included and find out the hard way the coating failed them. I'm trying to help you not fall into that group.
I have done options 2 and 3 when the friend I am helping wants to keep their camper for a long time or my family's campers. If you are doing this work yourself, It will take time; some can be done in stages, and for some, you must go for it and get it done.
Please tell us what your roof membrane is, ideally a few pics of it and the seams now, how confident you have no ceiling or wall leaks, what you have done to confirm you have no leaks, and what options listed above your expectations fall into. I'm glad to explain more, but we need to hone in on what you want to get out of all this.
I hope this helps,
John
