done an epdm roof with something other than Liquid Roof?

I would call a commercial roofer and ask what they recommend
for epmd roof and how to coat it properly.epmd is used in all types
of commercial roofing not only rvs.don't rely on all these experts.

TeryT wrote:

Gjac wrote:
How old is your roof now? How bad is it? If your roof is not cracked or split and you just want to maintain it a coating maybe the right thing to do. EPDM roofs are made in layers, the top layer is white and will slough off with time and show the black layer underneath. Any acrylic coating will slow this process down. I coated my roof in 2006 with a gallon of Koolseal that a friend gave me when he bought a new MH with a FG roof. It really could have used 2 coats but I only had enough for one coat. It looked good for about 5 years and it began to slough off. The roof is now 22 years old and still has some of the coating left,so it has extended my roof for another 10 years. Another friend has a 22 year old EPDM roof that was never coated and is completely black because the top white layer has worn away. Based on my experience I would buy the 5 gallon bucket put 2 coats on then as it begins to slough off maybe every 5 years or so clean well and add another coat. $99 is a good price for 5 gals. Do they recommend a primer? Some of the cheaper acrylic or latex coatings warn about applying it where standing water can be a problem. I have looked into several products like this (Black Jack, Henry's) and have always been referred to a technical person to answer these type's of questions.

The roof is 13 years old and is TPO vinyl, not EPDM (therefore, there is no black backing to eventually show through like EPDM rubber sheeting). There are no leaks on it as I religiously have kept after edges and perforations with the recommended Dicor self leveling caulk (great stuff!). The vinyl sheet actually appears like it's in real good shape still, but I know eventually the constant Phoenix sun will cook it - I'm pretty impressed it's held up this well this long!

What I'm looking to do is be proactive and coat it with something that will extend the life. The typical latex acrylics don't have great longevity, so I'm looking for something that will keep it going more than the 4-5 years one can expect from most water-based elastomerics (that is, before having to recoat it again).

What in the world makes you "think" that any liquid "miracle" product in a bottle slathered on the roof is going to "extend" the life of your roof?

You have as much as a snow balls chance of that happening.

Your roof material has one expansion/contraction coefficient, your miracle in a bottle most likely will have a DIFFERENT expansion/contraction coefficient!

The two different expansion/contraction coefficients WILL eventually pull the two materials apart in any place that did not get a good enough adhesion. The potential exists that the stuff slathered on may even PULL back the roofing material.

I actually had that happen with a 1970s car that had a "vinyl" roof, the roof was starting to lose its water resistance and I slathered on some highly recommended vinyl roof conditioner.. Several months later the vinyl roof had SHRUNK a 1/2" pulling it from under all the chrome trim strips!

When it is done, it is done and time to pony up for a new roof, anything else put on that roof is taking a huge gamble and damaging it.

The ONLY way you might have a slight chance of extending the life is if by a slight chance that the miracle product in the bottle would just happen to be the exact same "formula" mix as the ORIGINAL material it is being applied to.

Then you mention "reapplying" perhaps in 4-5yrs when that coat wears out..

You do it ONCE and you WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER want to bother messing around with a miracle product in a bottle, trust me on this.

I HAVE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD.

It IS hard work prepping the roof and prep is key to proper adhesion, you WILL want to REMOVE EVERYTHING OFF THE ROOF INCLUDING THE A/C UNIT in order to do the job right!!!

You are borrowing trouble, wasting your time and money, your roof is OK condition right now, leave it that way instead of attempting to putting it on life support before it needs it..

Go camping instead of fretting about the future.

BTW - Here is a concurrent thread related to TPO coating, where I also give a round-up of all roof coating products:

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29701901.cfm

Just go with a name brand product like Henry's or Inland coatings. I've used a variety of elastomeric coatings and they all do have a longevity involved. I have an aluminum roof and the acrylic coating is still in good shape after 6 years. Think about this as a painting project where preparation is 80% of the results. On TPO, I would be thinking about an adhesion promoter.

Gjac wrote:
How old is your roof now? How bad is it? If your roof is not cracked or split and you just want to maintain it a coating maybe the right thing to do. EPDM roofs are made in layers, the top layer is white and will slough off with time and show the black layer underneath. Any acrylic coating will slow this process down. I coated my roof in 2006 with a gallon of Koolseal that a friend gave me when he bought a new MH with a FG roof. It really could have used 2 coats but I only had enough for one coat. It looked good for about 5 years and it began to slough off. The roof is now 22 years old and still has some of the coating left,so it has extended my roof for another 10 years. Another friend has a 22 year old EPDM roof that was never coated and is completely black because the top white layer has worn away. Based on my experience I would buy the 5 gallon bucket put 2 coats on then as it begins to slough off maybe every 5 years or so clean well and add another coat. $99 is a good price for 5 gals. Do they recommend a primer? Some of the cheaper acrylic or latex coatings warn about applying it where standing water can be a problem. I have looked into several products like this (Black Jack, Henry's) and have always been referred to a technical person to answer these type's of questions.

The roof is 13 years old and is TPO vinyl, not EPDM (therefore, there is no black backing to eventually show through like EPDM rubber sheeting). There are no leaks on it as I religiously have kept after edges and perforations with the recommended Dicor self leveling caulk (great stuff!). The vinyl sheet actually appears like it's in real good shape still, but I know eventually the constant Phoenix sun will cook it - I'm pretty impressed it's held up this well this long!

What I'm looking to do is be proactive and coat it with something that will extend the life. The typical latex acrylics don't have great longevity, so I'm looking for something that will keep it going more than the 4-5 years one can expect from most water-based elastomerics (that is, before having to recoat it again).

How old is your roof now? How bad is it? If your roof is not cracked or split and you just want to maintain it a coating maybe the right thing to do. EPDM roofs are made in layers, the top layer is white and will slough off with time and show the black layer underneath. Any acrylic coating will slow this process down. I coated my roof in 2006 with a gallon of Koolseal that a friend gave me when he bought a new MH with a FG roof. It really could have used 2 coats but I only had enough for one coat. It looked good for about 5 years and it began to slough off. The roof is now 22 years old and still has some of the coating left,so it has extended my roof for another 10 years. Another friend has a 22 year old EPDM roof that was never coated and is completely black because the top white layer has worn away. Based on my experience I would buy the 5 gallon bucket put 2 coats on then as it begins to slough off maybe every 5 years or so clean well and add another coat. $99 is a good price for 5 gals. Do they recommend a primer? Some of the cheaper acrylic or latex coatings warn about applying it where standing water can be a problem. I have looked into several products like this (Black Jack, Henry's) and have always been referred to a technical person to answer these type's of questions.

TeryT wrote:

TeryT wrote:

path1 wrote:
I use RC 2000 by inland coatings. Read their case studies...good stuff imo. Don't know if good for someone in business though...takes long time to dry. Got 1st gallon at rv part store for $87.00
Got more over the years at roofing store that handles epdm with commerical buildings at 1/2 of what rv plaves get for it. Paint brush versus roller...lot better coverage with brush.

I just got off the phone with Inland Coatings and had a nice chat with Caleb there. They are quite confident in their coatings and talked about a 15 year guarantee! He said even in Phoenix that I could expect about that length of time after applying two coats of their RC-2000 rubber product, and at that time just apply another coat to refresh. (I doubt if the trailer or me will be around then . . .)

He wasn't aware of LiquidRubber (which Barney & others have used), but when he looked it up he said it appears to be like Flex-Seal as sold on TV, and they look at that as a lesser product. I had a good impression of him and his knowledge, and didn't get the sense he was feeding me a line, for what it's worth.

He said he was actually sending me a quart sample of a couple products (also talked to him about my garage foam flat roof recoat job). He said he could sell direct to me, but to save shipping cost I might go through a roofing buddy here in Phoenix (if I decide to use this product). BTW - good on TPO too!

He IS a "salesman" for THAT PRODUCT.

You know the old adage..

Question, How can you tell a salesman is lying?

Answer, when he moves his lips!

Of course they feel their "product" is superior, the salesmans paycheck DEPENDING on SALES, won't get sales nor a paycheck if they don't tout the product their company makes.

I will still stand by my old post, NOTHING you can simply slather on a old roof is ever going to hold up or last. There is absolutely no real chance that these highly touted miracle liquids will ever get good enough adhesion to the old worn out surface like the original manufacturer can in a highly controlled factory environment.

If your roof is this far gone, DO YOURSELF A HUGE FAVOR, REPLACE IT.

Yep, bite the bullet, spend some money and get it done right THE FIRST TIME!!!

Duplicate - please delete

path1 wrote:
I use RC 2000 by inland coatings. Read their case studies...good stuff imo. Don't know if good for someone in business though...takes long time to dry. Got 1st gallon at rv part store for $87.00
Got more over the years at roofing store that handles epdm with commerical buildings at 1/2 of what rv plaves get for it. Paint brush versus roller...lot better coverage with brush.

I just got off the phone with Inland Coatings and had a nice chat with Caleb there. They are quite confident in their coatings and talked about a 15 year guarantee! He said even in Phoenix that I could expect about that length of time after applying two coats of the RC-2000,and then just apply another coat. (doubt if the trailer or me will be around then . . .)

He wasn't aware of LiquidRubber (which Barney & others have used), but when he looked it up he said it appears to be like Flex-Seal as sold on TV, and they look at that as a lesser product. I had a good impression of him and his knowledge, and didn't get the sense he was feeding me a line, for what it's worth.

He said he was actually sending me a quart sample of a couple products (also talked to him about my garage foam flat roof recoat job). He said he could sell direct to me, but to save shipping cost I might go through a roofing buddy here in Phoenix (if I decide to use this product). BTW - good on TPO too!

I tried all kinds of things on my old RV. When I bought it the previous owner had scrubbed it down and used the EPDM products off the shelf from CW. It didn't last at all and came off in sheets. I then bought a 5 gallon bucket of EPDM liquid rubber. That was nasty to work with but actually worked pretty well, for a while. It dried real slow and with the 5 gallons I was able to refrigerate a gallon and several months later go back over a few spots and touch it up. In a few years that started failing. I used another gallon or two and really struggled to get the leaking stopped.

(Not recommending this) I asked around and a buddy had a small leak while on a road trip and fixed it with something from Lowes, Ultra 1000 something or other from the roofing section, it comes in white. It's a roofing repair goo, not EPDM at all. I cut out the wet stuff and let the open wounds sit in the sun for a day. I bought 5 gallons and as a last ditch effort to save that old roof rolled it on. It sealed and the RV stayed dry all year. The downside was that I had to get back up there with a gallon every year and recover a few spots that looked like they were needing some attention. Yea, it's a redneck fix for sure. It worked and never had another leak after that. The can says it can be used on RVs but, I guess they are being very liberal in their interpretation. The downside is that if you use it you're probably permanently going to be using that product as nothing will stick to it except more of the same stuff. Nothing, not even Eternabond will stick to it. If I had an old beater RV that I needed to fix the roof on and didn't want to invest a whole lot of time and money I'd use it again. BUT, I DO NOT recommend that you use it. It will ruin your roof. Yes, it will keep things dry but, your EPDM days will be over. It's a long term relationship. Also, don't do anything to trap water under the rubber. It will never dry, not in our lifetime.

The best solution is buy a big roll of rubber and recover the roof. Liquid products are a temporary fix.. Of course, no fix on a rubber roof is ever truly permanent. The best thing is to find problems early, real early. A real close inspection twice a year is minimum.