There’s an old expression in medicine: an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure. The same is true for your RV roof. Letting
problems like leaks develop and worsen over time only makes the underlying
repairs more difficult. Excessive water damage is easy to prevent—but difficult
to reverse. But with these tips for basic RV roof care and maintenance, you can
maintain a quality roof for years to come at a fraction of the cost.
Create An RV Roof
Care Routine
It’s not difficult to care for your roof—even if you’ve
never been a particularly “handy” person. All you need to do is create a simple
RV roof care routine. Be sure that it includes these basic elements:
- Inspection.
Spotting areas of need doesn’t happen unless you actively search the roof every
so often. A quick inspection can take you only minutes but will allow you to
spot problem areas before they develop intro crises. Look for water marks under
the roof, not to mention openings on the top of your roof that might one day lead to water marks. - Diagnosis.
Sticking with our medical metaphor from earlier, a proper diagnosis of what’s
wrong with your roof is essential. For instance, a basic leak that requires
only RV Sealant to repair is a vastly different prospect than the symptoms of
water damage that’s already taken place. - Materials.
Do you have the right materials to care for your roof? How do you know which
materials are right for you to begin with?
Since we’re left with some unanswered questions as to which
materials you should use, let’s look at some RV roof care products that you
need handy for this routine.
RV Sealants and
Repair Products
All sealants are made alike, right? Wrong. You have to
factor in materials. It isn’t enough
to coat everything with rubber. Instead, you should look to match the sealant
with the material for which it was designed:
- Fiberglass.
Life
Seal® Silicone/Polyurethane Sealant Cartridge. Although there are “all
purpose” sealants available, if you have fiberglass problems anywhere on your
RV, you’ll want to use a sealant specifically designed for this material. It
will ensure a strong cure. - All-Purpose.
Silicone
Rubber Sealant Cartridge. Rubber makes for a water-tight seal on a variety
of materials, which is why this product is so versatile.
One special note: remember to match the color of the sealant
with your RV roof color. You’ll see colors like aluminum, black, cameo, and
even “clear” when browsing our lineup of RV Sealants.
Don’t forget to buy yourself a Stick for the even, smooth
application of these sealants. It’s a small investment that will make the
entire process much easier.
Allowing Time to Cure
There’s one final step to proper RV roof care and
maintenance: a dry cure. When you fix a leak, you need to give the sealant enough
time to adhere and firm up. This will create the watertight seal you’re looking
for, which in turn closes your roof out from the rain and provides you with the
clean, dry RV that can take you anywhere.
