Roof Sealant

[butchiiii]

Happy New Year everyone. Jus tgot back from a road trip and we noticed a little moisture in one of
the wall cabinets near the front or the TT. We had a couple of days of rain so I am assuming
that the roof needs to be resealed at all of the seams. It's a 2015 model with and EDM roof.
What is the proper sealant to use for this and do I just seal the whole thing?
Once again I thank everyone for sharing their knowledge. One day I may actually know enough
to offer advice 

 

[Kevin Means]

There are a variety of good sealants that would probably work just fine, but I've been using Dicor for 20+ years and it's never let me down. You can find it in RV stores, but my local Home Depot carries it too. Just don't use a silicone sealant on the roof.

Kev

 

[butchiiii]

Thanks Kevin. We have rain in the forecast in a few days. How long does it need to
setup before it can get wet?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Dicor lap sealant, the self-leveling type. It's an excellent product and widely available. It  should set up well enough in a few hours unless it is a really driving rain where the pressure of the raindrop is enough to physically move the caulk around.

You do not want a "roof coat" - you want a "lap sealant" that is compatible with EPDM rubber roofing. Roof "coat" is for a damaged or worn roof membrane where the membrane itself needs to be covered. You just need to find the leaky seam and touch up the caulk.

 

[butchiiii]

Thanks Gary. I'm going to run over to Home Depot and get some.

 

[butchiiii]

There appear to be a few different choices for the Dicor. Should I get the 501LSW or the 502LSW?

 

[scottydl]

Any Dicor that is self-leveling for EPDM roofing surfaces should work fine.

For a longer term repair and reinforcement of roof seams, check out Eternabond roof tape.  It requires some minor prep and is not recommend to apply in wet/cold weather, but when done correctly it's a permanent fix and seam-related roof leaks will no longer be a concern!  There are lots of past threads here and Youtube videos discussing Eternabond.

 

[butchiiii]

Thanks Scott. I will check out the Eternabond roof tape also.

 

[scottydl]

You won't likely be able to find Eternabond at any retail stores, but it can easily be ordered direct from Eternabond.com or a variety of other sites.  Bestmaterials.com is one that has been mentioned here quite a bit, and there are probably plenty of RV supply sellers on Amazon and Ebay too.  You want the 4" wide "Roofseal" version, and many of us go with the 50' x 4" rolls that should cost around $55 each.  Eternabond sells a few additional liquid products too, to aid in proper cleaning/prep and application.

 

[GuyGene]

Good catch, butch. Early detection is the key. It's easy to make these roofs last. Mine is 19 years and going, maintenance.

 

[butchiiii]

Thanks Gene. I keep picking up tips from this great forum. It helps tremendously
when you are relatively new the RV lifestyle.

 

[RVRAC]

You can buy both the Dicor and Ethernabond in Amazon and have them deliver to your house.