Resealing the Seals on the Roof

[superdav]

I have a question....the seal that is around the various vents and such on the roof is cracking. When I had my annual roof Inspection a couple of months ago...they indicated that while they are not a problem now, I may want to consider resealing the seals sometime over the next year. The RV repair guys quoted me around $800-1,000. When I talked to a friend of mine he said that they are wrong, that I can get some "self-Leveling" sealant and do it myself for a fraction of the cost. Apparently you just spread some"self-Leveling" caulk on them and it seeps into the cracks creating the seal....

Has anyone done this...or are familiar with this?

Thanks!

Dave

[superdav]

Here is a photo of what I am talking about.....

[Don and Judith]

I'm pretty sure the small, shallow cracks are normal. I am on the roof every month or so checking. Our unit has just had it's first birthday and I've had to add the self levelling chalk about 4-5 times on different areas. If you are in doubt, chalk it.

[Rick and Mindy]

You can purchase AlphaPly self leveling and non self leveling caulk at a couple of retail outlets and this is what is recommended by Alpha Systems LLC. They recommend to replace existing caulk if it is easily removed. If it is not easily removable, they recommend you wash with water, let dry, then cover existing caulk with new caulk. You can easily do this yourself. I know for sure you can purchase the caulk through www.PPLmotorhomes.com. Item #'s 38-1805 Lap Sealant and 2 self leveling #'s 38-1806 and 38-1807 for $6.89 each. Don't go overboard purchasing it because it only has a shelf life of 1 year.

[superdav]

Okay thanks....I'll give it a try. It looks pretty easy. I'll see if I can do it without making too much of a mess!

[Radio_Flyer]

Almost no one sells the self leveling Alpha sealant anymore, PPL quit carrying it, Tweetys won't ship, two local RV Dealers don't carry it and not on Amazon. I found it on RV Parts nation, and $20 shipping. How bad is the Dicor self leveling? There are tons of sellers for Dicor. Have a seam coming up the rear cap, so thought I'd fix it and reseal the whole thing. Anyone use Dicor, have any issues?

[Grizzby]

I've had great results using dicor. Used around vents and re-sealed the seam area on two slides. I cleaned the area well and let dry. Applied the dicor and let cure a couple of days before I put the slides in. Was self- leveling, so you can't apply it to vertical surfaces. Also, it is VERY sticky...I recommend wearing disposable gloves when applying. I used caulking gun to apply.

[r time soon]

I would recommend sticking with Alpha sealants on your Redwood Alpha systems roof product. Alpha for Alpha, and Dicor for Dicor. Specifically made for their particular product. Not saying that to use something in an emergency is worse than not using anything at all. Maybe as a temporary fix.

My .02

Chris

[Foxfire]

Stick with alpha, dissimilar sealants can do more damage than good.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by Radio_Flyer

Almost no one sells the self leveling Alpha sealant anymore, PPL quit carrying it, Tweetys won't ship, two local RV Dealers don't carry it and not on Amazon. I found it on RV Parts nation, and $20 shipping. How bad is the Dicor self leveling? There are tons of sellers for Dicor. Have a seam coming up the rear cap, so thought I'd fix it and reseal the whole thing. Anyone use Dicor, have any issues?

Don't use Dicor on the Alpha Systems roof material that Redwood installs. I have seen where using the wrong material can cause a roof failure in as short as two years.

[Radio_Flyer]

The Alpha is tough to find. You convinced me. Any online links to Purchase? PPL no longer sells it.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by Radio_Flyer

The Alpha is tough to find. You convinced me. Any online links to Purchase? PPL no longer sells it.

Try this link:

1021 Self Leveling Sealant - $6.79

Hope this helps.

[piper guy]

That's the place I was trying to remember. Got mine from there when I replaced the OTA antenna last month with thWinegard Automatic.

[Radio_Flyer]

Thanks Guy. Getting my order in now. Kept part number for future reference.

[hoosierguy]

Here is another link, although, a little more expensive.

Roof Sealant : Petes RV Parts and Accessories, Your Local Internet RV Parts Store!

[Radio_Flyer]

Thanks for the links, good to have them in the forum. Have a 10 pack coming in, going to redo the front and back caps.

[GA1817]

Originally Posted by Radio_Flyer

Thanks for the links, good to have them in the forum. Have a 10 pack coming in, going to redo the front and back caps.

When you state redo the front and rear end caps do you remove the old befor e applying or just clean and put new caulk down.

[Radio_Flyer]

You can lay new over old if you just need to fill in the gaps and keep the water out. I have a cap seam pulling up, going to remove the back caulking and fix it, then re-caulk. I have up to this point touched up any gaps or places that the caulk wasn't right.

[GA1817]

Thanks Skip. I was curious as I was just up on my roof and observed where I have a small split in the caulk on the rear cap. Good luck on removing the old one and if you could please post some pics and tips for the rest of us!

[atom ant]

Just remember it has a shelf life of 1 year. Hope you plan to really use a bunch! Actually you could resell to the forum at a profit!