How often do you clean or treat you roof.

[rbpru]

I check my roof twice a year for cracks in the sealant around the various seams. Since I have a 2010 era "Lite" trailer I cannot walk on the roof without laying down plywood and must do my inspection from a ladder at the side.

As a result, other than to wash off debris with a hose, there is not a good way to scrub and reseal.

It is an EPDM roof and to date has no signs of water leaks. I hesitate to attempt to put my 200 lb. frame on the roof, even with a the plywood. I last thing I want to do is stress the roof and create a leak.

I wonder how others have addressed this issue or if they even worry about sealing the roof other than to check the seals?

[GrandpaKip]

proxim2020 wrote:

GrandpaKip wrote:
I have a TPO roof and inspect at least twice a year.
Never saw anybody wash a rubber roofed building, so I don't, either.

The typical roof height for a warehouse is about 25ft so most of us probably have never seen it done lol. But commercial roof cleaning happens all of the time. It's more important for a building than our trailers. A dirty roof doesn't reflect heat very well and this drives up cooling costs.

Aww...c'mon. Now you've taken away my excuse.

[allen8106]

I do a twice a year check fortears, loose sealant and cracks in the sealant on the rubber roof on my 2010 34' roof length 5th wheel. I wash it once a year with an RV rubber roof wash. I've never treated it with anything.

I walk every where on my roof with a soft rubber shoes.

[Huntindog]

proxim2020 wrote:

GrandpaKip wrote:
I have a TPO roof and inspect at least twice a year.
Never saw anybody wash a rubber roofed building, so I don't, either.

The typical roof height for a warehouse is about 25ft so most of us probably have never seen it done lol. But commercial roof cleaning happens all of the time. It's more important for a building than our trailers. A dirty roof doesn't reflect heat very well and this drives up cooling costs.

Agreed. Carlise does state that the ONLY reason to wash a rubber roof is if it is white, and one wishes to maintain maximum reflectivity.

Now having said that, My company which has many thousands of large warehouse and retail buildings does not wash the roofs... Even here in AZ where it would suppossedly do the most good. I figure that someone did the math, and the cost of washing vs not and paying a little higher electricity bill did not work out favorably for washing.

[Community Alumni]

GrandpaKip wrote:
I have a TPO roof and inspect at least twice a year.
Never saw anybody wash a rubber roofed building, so I don't, either.

The typical roof height for a warehouse is about 25ft so most of us probably have never seen it done lol. But commercial roof cleaning happens all of the time. It's more important for a building than our trailers. A dirty roof doesn't reflect heat very well and this drives up cooling costs.

[ReneeG]

We clean and treat ours twice a year.

[spike99]

I wash / clean, inspect (re-caulk and/or re-tape where needed) and treat my RV's roof 2 times per year. In the spring and in the fall. This works for me. This also helps eliminate black streaks as well. Thus, less washing the sides of the RV as well. Win-win in my books.

[LynnandCarol]

Huntindog wrote:

ScottG wrote:
Almost never. Washing only shortens the life span by removing part of the white protective layer.
I inspect it several times a year ans so far, I have only had to touch up a couple of spots of caulking.

We have a winner!!

Many years ago I looked into this. I actually posted about my findings here on this forum at that time.

Dicor on their website had a FAQ section... And roof washing was one of their top questions. Back then Dicor frowned on roof washing. Said it was not necessary. If one really wanted to do it, they could using either spic and span or Murphys oil soap... I forget which one.

Dicor said that Carlise made the roofing for them to their specifications (likely rolls of the width needed for RVs)

So I went to the Carlise website. At that time they were the largest manufacturer of the stuff, and it was originally made for commercial buildings. It came in two colors. Black or white. The warranty did NOT require washing it... They said that the only reason to wash it, would be if one wanted to maintain the reflectivity of the white version. The stuff is impervious to dirt, mold etc... In fact their website actually had a picture featuring a building with a live roof.. Plants, grasses etc. growing on a roof of a large commercial building... Under the live roof was the roof membrane.

Years later, and Dicor has changed their tune about roof washing... Oh the material hasn't changed any. They just kept getting questions from RVers wanting to wash their roofs... So they recognized a buisiness opportunity and came up with a product to do it.

The bottom line is that it isn't needed.

In fact it can be dangerous. Soap and water on a roof that is 10-12 feet in the air... Pretty slippery to be on it. The fall is gonna hurt if you slip off of it.

NEVER! This will only cuz you future problems! Inspect, make repairs as neccessary, do AC maintenance and leave it alone!

[rbpru]

When talking about a rubber roof is that same as an EPDM roof?

[GrandpaKip]

I have a TPO roof and inspect at least twice a year.
Never saw anybody wash a rubber roofed building, so I don't, either.

[Community Alumni]

I wash mine a couple of times a year before inspecting. It helps me spot problems and potential problems more easily. I use a car wash brush and car wash soap or Murphy's. I've never treated any of my roofs, only maintained the caulking. A pair of non slip work boots works well for those concerned about traction up there.

[JIMNLIN]

I do a twice a year check for loose sealant and hair line cracks in the sealant on the rubber roof on my '97 32' roof length 5th wheel trailer. I've washed it once with diluted Simple Green after a summer stay under oak trees in my yard. I've never treated it with anything.

I walk every where on my roof with a soft rubber shoes.

[FLY_4_FUN]

I do clean it once per spring to remove debris, and allow a proper visual inspection of everything. After installing solar I do need occasional trips up there to clean the panels and inspect my mounts and the dicor sealant around them. Also a good time to do the recommended yearly lube on the Wineguard antennae.

Daryll

[CavemanCharlie]

korbe wrote:
I crawl around on mine when I am inspecting or covering. I don't clean my roof. It gets a rinse when it rains.

Same here

[time2roll]

General cleaning or treatment... never
Spot clean to apply Dicor over existing caulk as needed... every 2 or 3 years