Hard epoxy on roof?

[bob57434]

Looking for roof repair advice:

There are couple small leaks in my roof and whatever coating is on there doesn't seem very sturdy. There is a black rubber layer (EDPM?) covered with a very thin layer of a white sealant. This white sealant expands and bubbles when it gets wet and scrapes off fairly easily.

I have a few cans of garage floor epoxy that is very sturdy that I was thinking of applying to the roof. My main concern is that it's brittle and doesn't flex very much. Is this a bad idea? I'm wondering because I haven't seen that anyone else seem to go this route.

Thanks!
Bob

[westend]

The Rustoleum Leak Seal aerosol is comprised of seven petroleum products so what you've effectually done is seal a lot of solvent onto the EPDM roof with the application of the undercoating. I'd suggest to try and remove all of that or plan to install a new roof.

You can find any leak spots in your trailer by performing a pressurized interior leak test. Sealtech is one company that does these tests or it is not that difficult to DIY. There are some references to the DIY route on this Forum.

[time2roll]

The epoxy is a good idea but not floor epoxy. Some use Line-X etc or some shops have a special polymer coating.

Example - Accent RV roofing

http://rvroof.com/ lifetime warranty

Find a local shop that does similar.

[bob57434]

Yeah, I hadn't factored in the twisting of the trailer as it moves. Makes sense.

Now I'm stressing over the spray I put on there. I first tried rustoleum leak seal, spraying it on the cracks and a few patches that were maybe two square inches of exposed EDPM. But that made the thin layer on top of the EDPM curl and bubble like it does when it's wet so I tried the undercoating spray instead.. So most of the EDPM at least has a layer of rustoleum leak stop between it and the undercoating. The undercoating is petroleum based but it doesn't seem as intense as something like gasoline. I know it's not ideal but do you think it actually needs to be replaced? The trailer is a '96 so it's older.

Thanks for the help!
Bob

[trail-explorer]

Garage floor sealant on an RV roof is a very bad plan.

[colliehauler]

bob57434 wrote:
As a short term fix I sprayed some automotive underbody sealant on the cracks, meant to prevent rust, etc. on the undersides of cars. Kind of an asphalt smelling, heavy black sealant. Not sure if that was a great idea but it seems to have sealed pretty well. Hopefully there won't be any unexpected chemical reactions...

Petroleum based products are a very bad idea on a rubber roof. That white product (dicor sealant) that is soft is the correct thing to use .

Like nobody said there are correct products to use. Petroleum based products will dissolve the rubber membrane requiring the replacement of the roof.

[tvman44]

IMHO, a very bad idea. That unit will twist and bend more than you realize I am fairly sure the epoxy would crack. That is why most use EPDM, because it can flex & stretch.

[bob57434]

Thanks nobby

[bob57434]

Thanks for the response. Shoot I hope that undercoating doesn't cause problems.

I bought it about 6 months ago, it's only been in a few big rainstorms but after one of them there was a wet spot on the floor. It was strange because there was no dampness or water marks on the ceiling or walls and I couldn't find the source of the leak. It wasn't parked on very level ground so I'm hoping that might have somehow had something to do with it.

[_1nobby]

bob57434 wrote:
What will happen if you put a non-flex sealant on the roof?

Seriously?

A travel trailer is one big bouncing, flexing, twisting and vibrating box on wheels.

Any non-flex sealant won't last a week of sunny days and cool nights....never mind towing it anywhere.

There are many CORRECT roof membrane repair and sealant products available for your RV.

[gbopp]

Welcome to the forum bob57434.

Can you tell us a little about the RV? Did you get it recently or have you had it a couple years?

It sounds like someone coated the roof but, didn't clean it properly before applying the coating.
There are recommended coatings for RV roofs. Automotive under body sealant isn't one of them. You shouldn't use anything containing petroleum, it can damage the rubber.
I wouldn't use the floor epoxy. There are truck bed liner type materials used for RV roofs.

For repairing rips or tears in the rubber, Eternabond is an excellent product.

Also, Dicor Lap Sealant for the areas Eternabond is difficult to apply.

[bob57434]

As a short term fix I sprayed some automotive underbody sealant on the cracks, meant to prevent rust, etc. on the undersides of cars. Kind of an asphalt smelling, heavy black sealant. Not sure if that was a great idea but it seems to have sealed pretty well. Hopefully there won't be any unexpected chemical reactions...

[bob57434]

What will happen if you put a non-flex sealant on the roof?

[_1nobby]

bob57434 wrote:

My main concern is that it's brittle and doesn't flex very much.

You answered your own question.