Roof Repair

[Buzam]

I had a leak at the front of my trailer where the rubber roof meets the termination bar. The Dicor had a crack in it. I can feel a one foot by one foot section of the OSB is soft near there. I would like to pull back the rubber roof and replace this soft spot and inspect for other damage. Will I be able to do this without damaging the rubber roof? I would like to not have to replace the whole roof as the rest of the wood is perfectly fine. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Scott

[LarryJM]

Buzam wrote:
I had a leak at the front of my trailer where the rubber roof meets the termination bar. The Dicor had a crack in it. I can feel a one foot by one foot section of the OSB is soft near there. I would like to pull back the rubber roof and replace this soft spot and inspect for other damage. Will I be able to do this without damaging the rubber roof? I would like to not have to replace the whole roof as the rest of the wood is perfectly fine. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Scott

Unfortunately, I think you will find that leaks at the roof level tend to compromise not only the roof, but the framing all the way down to the floor and the damage can be EXTENSIVE. Once you see damage at the roof level that damage has already migrated down to the framing and potentially the floor and leaks at the corners can compromise both a side wall and the front of a trailer.

Larry

[afidel]

Eternabond is to RV's as rubber roof sheets is to roofs susceptible to ice daming, they're both fairly expensive, labor intensive, annoying to work with, and absolutely worth it as the problem they prevent is way more expensive and annoying to fix than the cure.

[Buzam]

Thanks, I have never heard of that product before I will look into it. I was planning in replacing a larger chunk of the roof, yes.

[westend]

You do know that you will need to replace a larger section than a 1' square? Roof trusses are typically on either 16" or 2' centers.

An alternative to replacing the roof sheet might be to use an epoxy like Git Rot to reinforce the problem area. If you can get the OSB thoroughly dry, the epoxy products work well.

When you reassemble your repair, using Eternabond tape on the seam will insure against future water intrusion. I discovered the Eternabond tapes through this Forum and now have all my roof penetrations, seams, and even aluminum trim strips covered with the tapes. I test every once in awhile, using the pressurized interior test, to see if I have developed a leak. So far, the tapes have done a great job.

[Buzam]

Thanks, I'll do that.

[jerryjay11]

Many folks have done this and if you do a google on the subject you would find all kinds of help with videos as well. So if you are up to it, go for it. Just do the research before starting. Folks here can give some tips, but I recommend you also check out the different videos and articles available on the web.