Help I need to fix the leaking roof on my 80 year old Mom's travel trailer.
#1
07-01-11, 10:38 AM
Help I need to fix the leaking roof on my 80 year old Mom's travel trailer.
My Mom has a very small house and uses her trailer for visitors. We have used black roof tar on just the split seams. We also used a white silicone sealant on the entire roof. It is STILL LEAKING! This is the rainy season now and tarps only work for a short time in the Florida summer sun.
Could you please give me some advice as to what to use to stop the leaks?
Thank you.
Could you please give me some advice as to what to use to stop the leaks?
Thank you.
#2
07-01-11, 03:03 PM
Welcome to the forums!
Stopping roof leaks on a MH can be difficult job. First you need to find the leaks! These leaks should be tarred, reoccurring leaks will benefit from a membrane being inserted in the tar - I've used a small piece of tar paper but I'm sure there are better options. Once the leaks are patched it's benifical to apply one of the MH roo coatings, either the white elastromeric [may need a solvent based primer if there is any rust or bare metal] or the asphalt impregnated aluminum paint. You should never rely on these coatings alone to stop the leaks.
The best fix is to install a roof over. That will take care of the leaks, provide a small overhang so water isn't apt to run down the siding and find it's way in that way AND allows for more insulation making the MH cooler.
Stopping roof leaks on a MH can be difficult job. First you need to find the leaks! These leaks should be tarred, reoccurring leaks will benefit from a membrane being inserted in the tar - I've used a small piece of tar paper but I'm sure there are better options. Once the leaks are patched it's benifical to apply one of the MH roo coatings, either the white elastromeric [may need a solvent based primer if there is any rust or bare metal] or the asphalt impregnated aluminum paint. You should never rely on these coatings alone to stop the leaks.
The best fix is to install a roof over. That will take care of the leaks, provide a small overhang so water isn't apt to run down the siding and find it's way in that way AND allows for more insulation making the MH cooler.
#3
07-01-11, 08:09 PM
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We have re-roofed several MH with new metal roofs in this area. Our climate is completely different from yours, but that doesn't change the basics or the best approach as suggested by above.
Lay down 1x4 or 2x4 furring strips with 48 inches between the edges lengthwise along the roof. If the cross section of the roofline is curved, increase the thickness of the furring closest to the ridge so that the metal panels lie flat. Space the furring closest to the ridge far enough away from the middle to allow a good attachment line for the ridge cap.
Lay in rigid foam insulation of matching thickness between the furring strips. The foam sheets are typically 4'x8'. The foam insulation adds not only thermal, but acoustic insulation to the roof. Above that, install PBR profile metal roofing using self-drilling screws intended for attaching the metal panels to wood. Don't forget new boots for vents, chimneys, and flues when picking up materials.
The metal roofing panels are very light weight compared to composition shingles and do not appreciably contribute to the dead weight load on the roof structure.
A crew of three (two up and one on the ground) is most efficient and can easily do a 65' single-wide in a day.
Good luck with your project.
Lay down 1x4 or 2x4 furring strips with 48 inches between the edges lengthwise along the roof. If the cross section of the roofline is curved, increase the thickness of the furring closest to the ridge so that the metal panels lie flat. Space the furring closest to the ridge far enough away from the middle to allow a good attachment line for the ridge cap.
Lay in rigid foam insulation of matching thickness between the furring strips. The foam sheets are typically 4'x8'. The foam insulation adds not only thermal, but acoustic insulation to the roof. Above that, install PBR profile metal roofing using self-drilling screws intended for attaching the metal panels to wood. Don't forget new boots for vents, chimneys, and flues when picking up materials.
The metal roofing panels are very light weight compared to composition shingles and do not appreciably contribute to the dead weight load on the roof structure.
A crew of three (two up and one on the ground) is most efficient and can easily do a 65' single-wide in a day.
Good luck with your project.
#4
07-02-11, 02:49 PM
Member
Guys it is a travel trailer he said! Think camper! Sshannon, If you feel confident install a rubber membrane over the entire roof. If there are too many things sticking up out of the roof to be confident doing the whole roof buy some rubber membrane and cut strips that are 4 inch wider than the seams and using the proper glue (suggested by rubber manufacturer) glue them over the old seams with 2 inch overlap on each side.
Check the sealing around any pipe sticking out of the roof and make sure they are sealed also. Sometimes there is just too much tar around pipes to really seal due to cracks and such. You may have to remove most of the tar and maybe put a new flashing cap over the pipe and cut a circular piece of rubber to seal it anew.
Finding out where it is actually leaking is always the problem. May need to run a garden hose on suspect places one at a time while someone else is inside looking for leak.
Check the sealing around any pipe sticking out of the roof and make sure they are sealed also. Sometimes there is just too much tar around pipes to really seal due to cracks and such. You may have to remove most of the tar and maybe put a new flashing cap over the pipe and cut a circular piece of rubber to seal it anew.
Finding out where it is actually leaking is always the problem. May need to run a garden hose on suspect places one at a time while someone else is inside looking for leak.
