Rotted roof under rubber roof - options? Help needed

[schnur07]

I discovered I have a decent sized section of rotted roof at the back of my camper.  It varies from crunchy underneath to nothing but air. I found where it was leaking and sealed it with dicor.  Does anybody know if the rot will continue to spread if the leak is fixed?  I really don't want to replace the roof - about $4K.  This is a 2012 Travel Lite trailer.

If rot will likely spread, is removing just the back 1/4 of the roof an option?  Either keeping the existing roofing material and placing it back down or installing a a new section with a seem and the junction between old and new?

We were planning on selling it until I found this.  I suppose a DIYer might be interested in it for the right price.  Other than the roof it it is in excellent condition as we rarely used it.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Once the rotting area dries out, the rot generally won't spread further.  However, if you walk near it, the adjacent sections can bend and break due to lack of support from the rest.

Yes, you can repair just a section, tearing up a portion of the roof membrane and repairing the substrate in that area.  Sometimes you can even re-use the old membrane, though that's probably more effort than it's worth.

 

[jackiemac]

We need to get a repair done on our roof. The dealer said that the mould may have gone further than where the soft areas are, so consider that too as I guess its not good having mould.

 

[schnur07]

Thanks for the responses.  If I was confident it wouldn't spread I'd likely just keep it as is and maybe next summer when I have a long stretch of dry weather try to tackle the problem - or maybe even wait three years from now when I plan to be retired.  It would be an intriguing project...

 

[HueyPilotVN]

Jackie,

Is "Mould a Scottish word for "Mold"?

We wish you and Steve could visit us again.  We miss not having any visitors.  Eight months stuck in the house is really no fun.

 

[jackiemac]

Thanks for the responses.  If I was confident it wouldn't spread I'd likely just keep it as is and maybe next summer when I have a long stretch of dry weather try to tackle the problem - or maybe even wait three years from now when I plan to be retired.  It would be an intriguing project...

If it's dry where you are it may not spread. That's what we are hoping as we can't get out there to get it repaired.

 

[jackiemac]

Jackie,

Is "Mould a Scottish word for "Mold"?

We wish you and Steve could visit us again.  We miss not having any visitors.  Eight months stuck in the house is really no fun.

It's the English and Scottish word Bill.

Yes, we would love to come visit and we will when next in the area.

I can imagine you would be bored but surely you can still get out in the jeep for some nice drives?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Mold may be present beyond the soft areas, but mold that started with moisture is highly unlikely to keep spreading once moisture is no longer a factor.  Most molds are innocuous anyway, and some are even good for you [folks tend to forget that cheeses, penicillin, etc are molds].  I'm not suggesting that you ignore moldy areas, but it's hardly a cause for panic either.

 

[EPDMRubber]

Yes, you can easily repair that particular section by replacing that part with a new one and then seal both of the parts with a good sealant. The DIY kind of a solution is to cut out that rotten part and replace it with a new roofing surface. Then apply RV Roof Magic on the whole roof if possible. It will fix both the parts permanently and eliminate the risk of water leakage through the seam. Another benefit is as you are about to change the camper, this sealant will fix the issue permanently and the seams of changed surface will also be hidden under the sealant application.

 

[TonyL]

Jackie,


We wish you and Steve could visit us again. We miss not having any visitors. Eight months stuck in the house is really no fun.

We're not bribing Bill to get you out there, Honest