Removing Dicor from a rubber roof

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prfcdoc

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Joined
Feb 5, 2014
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462
Location
Livingston, TX,
My 5th wheel has a 200 watt panel on it from the factory. I've attached two 250 watt panels and need to remove the small combiner box and replace it with one that can handle three inputs. I've never dealt with removing Dicor before. It appears to be quite well adhered and I'm concerned about damaging the rubber roof while removing the small box. Is this a concern or am I just being too cautious?
Bob
 
Can you just leave it there or is it in the way for the bigger box?
I've remove most of the Dicor at times by using a good putty knife. Laying it as flat as possible and just pushing it into the sealer. It won't remove all of it but will remove the hump. Others may know if there is a solvent to remove the rest of it.
 
I had to remove Dicor around our fantastic fans earlier this year. I CAREFULLY used a heat gun to soften the Dicor and CAREFULLY removed it with a plastic putty knife. I did radius the corners on the putty knife. I also wore disposable gloves to keep the Dicor off my hands.

 
SMR said:
I had to remove Dicor around our fantastic fans earlier this year. I CAREFULLY used a heat gun to soften the Dicor and CAREFULLY removed it with a plastic putty knife. I did radius the corners on the putty knife. I also wore disposable gloves to keep the Dicor off my hands.

As stated above, this is the best way to Dicor.  A regular hair dryer also works and is usually not quite as hot.  If it is important to you to get right down to the roof membrane ( usually not required), you can use a paint thinner or rubbing alcohol to remove most of the remaining dicor.
 
Yeah, warm it up and use a stiff putty knife.  Heating the knife blade itself helps too. Wipe up the residue (if necessary) with mineral spirits, but don't slop it on. Just dampen a rag and wipe.
 
Thanks for the info. I have a wife so I have a hair dryer.  The replacement combiner is moderately larger than the existing one so I may not have to get it perfectly flat if it will fit around the current footprint.
Bob
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Yeah, warm it up and use a stiff putty knife.  Heating the knife blade itself helps too. Wipe up the residue (if necessary) with mineral spirits, but don't slop it on. Just dampen a rag and wipe.
Murphcrud said:
As stated above, this is the best way to Dicor.  A regular hair dryer also works and is usually not quite as hot.  If it is important to you to get right down to the roof membrane ( usually not required), you can use a paint thinner or rubbing alcohol to remove most of the remaining dicor.
As I remember from 12 years ago, the last time I had a rubber roof, paint thinner or mineral spirits is a big NO-NO for rubber roofs. It ruins the rubber and you will have to patch the area at sometime in the future. 

At least that is what I remember.  Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
This is one big reason why I won't own a RV with a rubber roof, only one with fiberglass. The danger of ripping the rubber on a branch, and if you remove something, getting the glue off and patching the holes.

For dicor, on a fiberglass roof, since it never totally sets under what you attach, you can pry off what you attached, and then clean up with paint thinner.
 

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