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Craig_N_Tammy's avatar
Craig_N_Tammy
Explorer
Oct 10, 2013

Roof replacement question

Hi folks -

New here and have a question. We have only been RVing for a few weeks now (just got our 18' Zinger a few weeks ago) and are already making repairs. Got the camper from my brother and he knew there was a leak in the roof, so we are into replacing the roof as we speak.

We've already removed everything from the roof and torn off the old EPDM and most of the decking is OK except at the front where the leak is.

So here's my question: it is our understanding that the adhesive works best on clean wood right? Our "good" decking is still sticky from the old adhesive and I'm not sure if that's ok or not? There is some dirt on it now, and it is stuck, so what is the suggestion for cleaning it?

If it is best to simply replace all of the decking, that's fine, but don't want to do that unless we have to.

Thanks!
Craig N Tammy

Moved to Tech Issues forum from DIY.

  • stephensrm's avatar
    stephensrm
    Explorer
    Oct 30, 2013
    I agree...best to re-deck. I just replaced my epdm roof, finishing yesterday on my 26 ft mh. I spent approx. 60 hrs total, but turned out well. Good luck!
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    Oct 24, 2013
    You ALWAYS redeck the roof with new Luan especially if using rubber/EPDM roof. The existing old glue will react with the new and when you roll out the new Rubber, you will have scores of bumps and what looks like trash under the rubber. There is no reason to skimp on the redeck as it does NOT add that much more cost to the job. Doug
  • gotsmart's avatar
    gotsmart
    Explorer
    Oct 23, 2013
    The rubber roof on my MH was replaced July 2012 and they installed a new luann deck on top of the old luann deck, before putting on the new rubber roof.
  • LangsRV2's avatar
    LangsRV2
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2013
    It's probably obvious but make sure to remove and replace any rotten or damaged wood before replacing the rubber roof. Also if your roof is "dirty" with chips of wood etc from the demo make sure to scrap off any sharp pointy type debris or they could damage your new roof. Don't sand it, the dust from the sander will just make it worse.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Oct 11, 2013
    Craig N Tammy wrote:
    Ok thanks. So I take it from this there is no option to reuse the existing decking even though there is nothing wrong with it, correct?

    Craig N Tammy



    Yes, you can use your existing decking if it is sound. Having adhesive on the sheets is not going to be an issue. If you have a large amount of dirt on the decking, you may want to clean that off with some solvent. Light footprint soil shouldn't matter as you are going to spread adhesive across the whole deck when installing the new membrane.
  • Craig_N_Tammy's avatar
    Craig_N_Tammy
    Explorer
    Oct 11, 2013
    Ok thanks. So I take it from this there is no option to reuse the existing decking even though there is nothing wrong with it, correct?

    Craig N Tammy

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