Roof seam caulking mystery

bruceh · 07-19-2011, 09:46 AM

I am in the process of re-caulking my roof seams. I have found really good information on this forum for techniques and products.

The real bear was finding the right product. I called two RV shops and explained what Winnebago recommends and they both replied that they just use Dicor. I expalined that this is NOT what is recommended and they acted like I was a nut.

Out of complete desperation (I really despise these people), I callled my local Winnebago dealer and asked for the recommended sealant by Winnebago part number. They had no idea of what I was talking about and called Winnebago who confirmed that the part number was the recommended sealant. They didn't have any and offered to order it.

So, if you are an innocent owner who asks one of the shops to re-seal your roof seams, just what kind of a job do you get?

I ended up using the OSI Quad urethane sealant/adhesive because I was in a hurry to get this re-sealed for an upcoming trip.

bdpreece · 07-19-2011, 10:02 AM

For roof seams I use Eternabond tape then Dicor on the edge of the tape. Do them like this once and you will never have to do them again.

"So, if you are an innocent owner who asks one of the shops to re-seal your roof seams, just what kind of a job do you get?"

Probably Dicor!

az bound · 07-19-2011, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdpreece

For roof seams I use Eternabond tape then Dicor on the edge of the tape. Do them like this once and you will never have to do them again.

"So, if you are an innocent owner who asks one of the shops to re-seal your roof seams, just what kind of a job do you get?"

Probably Dicor!

Just out of curiosity, if Eternabond is really that good ,why does it have to be sealed with Dicor? If Eternabond will last forever as you indicate, why is it that no one uses the material for for entire roofs?

bdpreece · 07-19-2011, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by az bound

Just out of curiosity, if Eternabond is really that good ,why does it have to be sealed with Dicor? If Eternabond will last forever as you indicate, why is it that no one uses the material for for entire roofs?

You use the Dicor on the front edges to ensure that nothing gets under the edge of the tape like wind or dirt while driving down the road more of a precaution then anything else. They probably recommend that because they can't be sure you installed it to their specifications. You probably could do the whole roof in it as you can get it in larger sizes but have you checked the price? Fiberglass or metal roofs are still the cheapest then just Eternabond the seams. I don't know of one manufacturer who uses it though since it costs a lot and most people would not know the difference. Basically the manufacturers just want to get it past the warranty period and let the owner deal with it.

lllkrob · 07-19-2011, 10:55 AM

Eternabond Tape has been used in the commercial roofing industry for years as a seam sealant. It does not require any form of additional sealing. Just clean the seam area and apply the tape according to the instructions once and forget about annual re-caulking and seam leaks.

az bound · 07-19-2011, 11:36 AM

My point is that some of the statements being made Leave the impression that Eternabond never wears out and will never ever leak. Not even Eternabond gives that kind of gurantee.
It also leaves the impression that all routine roof maintenance can be eliminated just by the application of Eternabond tape.
Statement like "Do them like this once and you will never have to do them again" are very missleading.

mavric65 · 07-19-2011, 11:45 AM

I am taking a break right now from cleaning my roof and then I am going to use eternabond on all my seems and vents and skylight so I wont have to worry any more

abarkl · 07-19-2011, 11:57 AM

Eternabond tape is not the panacea of roof sealants. I used it on all my fiberglass to metal seams 18 months ago and now it is lifting and shifting in several places on my "hot tin roof"--with the Phoenix summer temperatures and the heat build up on the roof with an RV cover installed.

bdpreece · 07-19-2011, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abarkl

Eternabond tape is not the panacea of roof sealants. I used it on all my fiberglass to metal seams 18 months ago and now it is lifting and shifting in several places on my "hot tin roof"--with the Phoenix summer temperatures and the heat build up on the roof with an RV cover installed.

The manufacturer warranties the product for 10 years if applied properly. This includes using their primer.

abarkl · 07-19-2011, 01:36 PM

I didn't use the primer however I had their "blessing" to install 4" over the existing 2" tape, (but that isn't the problem).

bruceh · 07-19-2011, 02:46 PM

I guess that I wasn't really clear about my point. It seems that RV repair shops and at least one Winnebago dealer are doing the job wrong using incorrect materials.

I am sold on Eternabond after reading about it in this forum, it arrived yesterday.

As for myself, I wanted a good base before I did the Eternabond. Paranoid, I guess. Phase I of the job was removing all of the old caulk, cleaning the channels, inserting the screen spline, and recaulking. Phase II is Eternabond on the roof seams.

hdossett · 07-19-2011, 03:23 PM

I have an EDPM roof and I use C-10-Flow-Leveling-Caulk Amazon.com: White C-10 Flow Seal Self Leveling Caulk: Home Improvement

I use mineral spirits very sparingly to prep the surface. Has worked fine for me!

H

OldChief7155 · 07-19-2011, 05:15 PM

Call Lischinn RV in Forest City. They'll ship you the right stuff.

depchief · 07-19-2011, 07:54 PM

if you go to Winnebago web site, check Manuals and Diagrams and then Sealant Call Out Sheet list by year and it will list all sealants used on your coach

Journey39n · 07-20-2011, 02:34 AM

When I needed to caulk the roof seams on my previous RV, a 2003 Horizon, I did extensive research on the caulk, and what to use.

The Winnebago tech told me that the reason the roof seams aren't sealed with something like eternabond tape, is that the joints move a bit with the structure. And because of the movement, the joints should be inspected periodically and touched up as needed. Using tape as a seal would be harder to inspect for future problems. At least that is what was said.

I ended up with a 3M adhesive that I found in my local ACE hardware store, and have also seen it in a NAPA store. As far as I know, there is a slow cure (7-day, the factory uses) and the fast cure (24 hours) that I used. It is fairly thick, and when cured is very tough. Sort of like the rubber you would have on a tennis shoe sole.

3M™ Marine Adhesive/Sealant Fast Cure 5200, you can find the specs on the 3M web site.

Even as an old guy crawling around on the roof, I did a fairly extensive re-caulking job on the front seam in about an hour, and never had any leaks after that. I still have half the $17 small tube that I bought.

Duner · 07-21-2011, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceh

I guess that I wasn't really clear about my point. It seems that RV repair shops and at least one Winnebago dealer are doing the job wrong using incorrect materials.

I am sold on Eternabond after reading about it in this forum, it arrived yesterday.

As for myself, I wanted a good base before I did the Eternabond. Paranoid, I guess. Phase I of the job was removing all of the old caulk, cleaning the channels, inserting the screen spline, and recaulking. Phase II is Eternabond on the roof seams.

bruceh, if you're going to use Eternabond on the roof-to-sidewall seam, I don't think you need to clean out the old sealant out of the groove. I think structurally you'd have more strength with some adhesive down in the joint.....since Eternabond just lays over the surface. Then you'd have the best of both worlds.

You're right on many the dealer service centers using the wrong sealer. My coach was delivered with a couple of cracks in the fiberglass where it curves along the edge. The service guys used silicone over about a 4 ft run along the seal....OMG!!! what a pain it has been to try to get the proper sealer to stick there. The urethane lets loose after about 6 months. So I have just accepted water seepage in that area, and it comes out the weep hole.

Chuck 1935 · 07-21-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by az bound

Just out of curiosity, if Eternabond is really that good ,why does it have to be sealed with Dicor? If Eternabond will last forever as you indicate, why is it that no one uses the material for for entire roofs?

I use Eternabond but have never used anything to seal the Eternabond edges and never had a problem. Eternabond is the ONLY way to go and will last longer than the Motorhome. Camping World sells a Dicor tape similar to Eternabond but I wouldn't use it. It could be great but I know how Eternabond works and I'll stick with that.

az bound · 07-21-2011, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck 1935

I use Eternabond but have never used anything to seal the Eternabond edges and never had a problem. Eternabond is the ONLY way to go and will last longer than the Motorhome. Camping World sells a Dicor tape similar to Eternabond but I wouldn't use it. It could be great but I know how Eternabond works and I'll stick with that.

How long have you been using Eternabond and how is it you know it will outlast the motorhome?

Duner · 07-21-2011, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck 1935

......It could be great but I know how Eternabond works and I'll stick with that.

"..and I'll stick with that." Was that pun intended???

Chuck 1935 · 07-21-2011, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by az bound

How long have you been using Eternabond and how is it you know it will outlast the motorhome?

I have been using Eternabond for about 6 years and mostly on RV roofs that stay outside in the California sun and still show no signs of deterioration. As far as outlasting your Motorhome, that was a wild guess !

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duner

"..and I'll stick with that." Was that pun intended???

I actually thought about that and then decided to let it go.