Skylight and roof repair*

[Redsand]

I started my repair of our leaking shower skylight. It took me two full afternoons to remove the old skylight and multiple layers of dicor and butyl sealers. Not a project for the faint of heart I might add. I followed the advice of several youtube videos and took my time being careful not to puncture the epdm. It's like peeling bubble gum from an innertube on a hot day. No doubt dealers charge a fortune in labor to do this sort of repair.
I found an area a few feet around the skylight with rotted wood along with a leaking vent drain vent cover. A bit more work than i had planned on but I've researched the materials and decided to tackle it myself. I'll try to add some pictures along the way and share my experiences. So far the old cracked skylight and vent cover have been removed.
My plan is to cut a section of the membrane, remove the rotted wood and replace. Secure the membrane on the new wood then Eternabond around the opening and cuts before setting the new skylight.
After all this is done I'll clean, prep and recoat the whole roof. Quite a project but hopefully no more leaking roof and I'll sleep a bit better in the beast. Anyone tackled something like this?

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by Redsand

I started my repair of our leaking shower skylight. It took me two full afternoons to remove the old skylight and multiple layers of dicor and butyl sealers. Not a project for the faint of heart I might add. I followed the advice of several youtube videos and took my time being careful not to puncture the epdm. It's like peeling bubble gum from an innertube on a hot day. No doubt dealers charge a fortune in labor to do this sort of repair.
I found an area a few feet around the skylight with rotted wood along with a leaking vent drain vent cover. A bit more work than i had planned on but I've researched the materials and decided to tackle it myself. I'll try to add some pictures along the way and share my experiences. So far the old cracked skylight and vent cover have been removed.
My plan is to cut a section of the membrane, remove the rotted wood and replace. Secure the membrane on the new wood then Eternabond around the opening and cuts before setting the new skylight.
After all this is done I'll clean, prep and recoat the whole roof. Quite a project but hopefully no more leaking roof and I'll sleep a bit better in the beast. Anyone tackled something like this?

What year is yours? Why are you “coating” the entire roof? Hat are you coating the roof with?

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by Redsand

I started my repair
My plan is to cut a section of the membrane, remove the rotted wood and replace. Secure the membrane on the new wood then Eternabond around the opening and cuts before setting the new skylight.
After all this is done I'll clean, prep and recoat the whole roof. Quite a project but hopefully no more leaking roof and I'll sleep a bit better in the beast. Anyone tackled something like this?

Suggestion, if the rotted area is only "slightly rotted" and you can get it thoroughly dry, consider a boat penetrating epoxy. I used it in areas of the 5th wheel we have that had damaged floor around the refer. I thinned according to the instructions to get better penetration and was happy with the results. You can get it from amazon also.

https://www.totalboat.com/product/penetrating-epoxy/


EDIT; By "slightly rotted" I mean the parts and pieces are still there but it's lost structure and strength.

[Redsand]

My rig is a 2005. The epdm is likely nearing the end of it's useful life and after repairs are complete a coating is mostly to renew the white portion and keep the sun damage to a minimum. I've decided to use Heng's roof coating. The Dicor product is also a good choice but requires a bit more work. Both seems to have many good reviews.

I gave some thought to using epoxy as suggested as well but the damaged area is just the thin luan plywood and fairly easy to replace. If this damage was was inside a sidewall I'd use epoxy. A 2 x 4 ft. sheet of luan will replace 90% of the area and give a nice solid bed for the new skylight.

With a bit of luck and care I hope to get maybe 5 more years before the roof needs a total replacement.

[HarryS]

The epdm is glued to the luan. Do you have the correct contact adhesive? How is the luan secured to the deck of the roof? Many questions...

[Redsand]

Originally Posted by HarryS

The epdm is glued to the luan. Do you have the correct contact adhesive? How is the luan secured to the deck of the roof? Many questions...

The luan plywood is secured with Loctite super grab heavy duty adhesive and flathead screws where it covers a structure member. Geocel adhesive and sealer for black epdm will be used to cement to luan. Eternabond tape will be used to seal all the cut edges and below the new skylight. I should have some progress pics tomorrow to share. I probably could have used contact cement as some on youtube have done but thought better of it and elected to stick with a product made for epdm.

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by Redsand

The luan plywood is secured with Loctite super grab heavy duty adhesive and flathead screws where it covers a structure member. Geocel adhesive and sealer for black epdm will be used to cement to luan. Eternabond tape will be used to seal all the cut edges and below the new skylight. I should have some progress pics tomorrow to share. I probably could have used contact cement as some on youtube have done but thought better of it and elected to stick with a product made for epdm.

I didn’t think Geocel was supposed to come in contact with epdm (rubber) roof.

[Redsand]

Geocel 4500 Roof Bonding Sealant (black) for EPDM to wood, metal, asphalt, concrete.

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by Redsand

Geocel 4500 Roof Bonding Sealant (black) for EPDM to wood, metal, asphalt, concrete.

Oh! That’s a different product than I was thinking of. I use the non hardening sealant on stuff. It says not to contact the epdm. Sorry.

[Redsand]

No problem. I did a lot of research on what to use to clean prep seal etc. There are more opinions than I could count. A lot depends on past personal experiences and preferences of course. I wanted to use the Dicor product but at the time I could find it in only one gallon amounts at a price that was overboard for my small repair. This product should fit the job this time around. Since then I did find a supplier of one quart Dicor adhesive but then shipping made it too expensive so I we the cost/benefit dance.

[CHS]

I just finished replacing my (cheap) fan with one with a remote control. Tired of stepping up to open vent and then closing each time we do our business.
This is the 3rd one I did but this time I could not get the old Dicor off the roof without damaging the roofing material.
To be able to get a good clean and smooth surface, I ended up cutting back the roof material and then using 2" Eternabond tape, I layered 2 strips, overlapping to the edge of the hole. Then proceeded to install the fan with the usual Butyl Seal Tape and then the dicor self leveling goop.

[Redsand]

Thank God for Eternabond right? I just finished rplace the 2 x 4 foot section of epdm and will let it dry overnight then eternabond all the seams and the opening then finally replace the skylight. what a job!

[CHS]

Looks good

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by Redsand

I started my repair of our leaking shower skylight. It took me two full afternoons to remove the old skylight and multiple layers of dicor and butyl sealers. Not a project for the faint of heart I might add. I followed the advice of several youtube videos and took my time being careful not to puncture the epdm. It's like peeling bubble gum from an innertube on a hot day. No doubt dealers charge a fortune in labor to do this sort of repair.
I found an area a few feet around the skylight with rotted wood along with a leaking vent drain vent cover. A bit more work than i had planned on but I've researched the materials and decided to tackle it myself. I'll try to add some pictures along the way and share my experiences. So far the old cracked skylight and vent cover have been removed.
My plan is to cut a section of the membrane, remove the rotted wood and replace. Secure the membrane on the new wood then Eternabond around the opening and cuts before setting the new skylight.
After all this is done I'll clean, prep and recoat the whole roof. Quite a project but hopefully no more leaking roof and I'll sleep a bit better in the beast. Anyone tackled something like this?

I put my foot thru my bathroom skylight trying to put a cover on my 2018 Windsport 29m. I threw that damn thing away, what a pain in the ass it was. I replaced the skylight myself as well. A tech at Gander RV gave me some kind of spray to help remove the dicor and clean up the area. A hair dryer did the trick for me!! It was a sunny day so by noon it was starting to warm up and the hair dryer worked great! Just go slow and apply the butyl tape accurately and cover the seam and screws well which I know you did, this is for others that may attempt this. Later I got some Eterna Bond sealing tape and covered ALl the seams and joints and it works very well. The skylight never did leak and I saved lots of money. Just don’t fall off the roof!!! Doctors charge more than RV dealers——LOL; Bob

[Redsand]

I suppose a flat style roof is doomed to produce a leak at some point in it's life no matter how careful the owner should be. A falling branch in the wind or even a well positioned rock kicked up by a big rig on the highway could easily penitrate the thin membranes they use today. Eternabond and like products are a must in my estimation for an rv toolkit. Seeing firsthand the water damage from a small leak I'll be vigilant.
My 1st few RVs had aluminum roofs and I never paid much attention to it and had no issues. Maybe luck? Skylight is handy for it's free illumination but it sure seems to be a weak point in the design being so fragile. A thick solid glass one would be my 1st choice even though weight could be up there.
Now I can resume the original task of normal maintenence.