Hellllllllllllllllllllpp fixing hole in roof

[HappyjackGum]

On my companion 1996 travel trailer I was up on the roof yesterday and noticed a crack around a vent letting water in. well under the rubber roof at that spot the wood is missing, 4x4 in square. I stepped on it last year and my heal broke it right off. since it is a major hassle to replace the missing piece under the rubber roof. is there any alternative? Is there anything I can spray into to fill the void or something I can shove in with my finger to strengthen the area?

[smarty]

and in the future get up on your roof every six months for a look see

[JIMNLIN]

Repair it by removing the vent and replace the broker wood around the vent. Cutting the rubber roof is just another sourse of water intrusion in the future or now, if the sealing job isn't done correct.

Once the framing has been 'fixed' then reinstall the vent with the proper sealants.

[The_McClearys]

If you want to walk on the patch, Clean the area, Smooth out or scrape off the Sealant over the damaged area. Glue a piece of 18 guage steel over the damaged area. The metal patch should extend at least 6 inches beyond the damaged area.

The Roof Repair Kits sold by Dicor or Super Flex have large sized patches of rubber roof material(TPO or EPDM). Cover the metal patch with a piece of the Rubber Roofing of the type you have and glue the rubber roof patch down using the glue provided in the patch kit.

Go around the edges of the patch with Eterna Bond Roof Sealant Tape, and then go around the edges and corners of the Eterna Bond with Dicor or Super Flex to keep it from coming loose.

The 18 guage steel will support your weight if you step on it.

[opnspaces]

Well that's much better than 4 feet square. 🙂 The caulking around the vent should peel off with a bit of effort. If you still need to open up the roof after removing the caulk I would still cut down each side of the hole by about 2 inches per side and leaving the front side of the hole still attached. The thought is that the original roof is solid, so you want to make sure the patch overlaps the hole enough to give it some strength. Lay a piece of something under the rubber but on top of the roof to cover the hole. Then just tape it all back up. the tape will look different and hopefully keep you from stepping on that spot again. You could taper the patch, but truthfully the Eternabond tape will seal it well enough even over a 90 degree edge to prevent leaking.

[HappyjackGum]

opnspaces wrote:
Well without a doubt you have to fix the crack around the skylight no matter what you do to the rest of the roof.

As far as the missing wood I would definitely cut through the rubber roof with a razor blade knife and see what is happening. My guess is you have had a water leak for a while and the wood rotted out.

A few thoughts on cutting the hole.

• Use a razor knife and a straight edge to make the cut.
• Cut a three sided hole (across the back and up the sides) leave the material uncut at the front (the side toward the tongue)
• Make your cut over existing good wood so you have something solid to press down against. In other words if the hole is 4' x 4' make a cut that is 4'6" x 4'6".
• Use 4" wide Eternabond tape and seal the cuts making sure to press down really hard./
  
  
  
  
  If there is water damage you need to make sure you identify and fix the leak. If you can't fix the rafters then lay a sheet of plywood over the hole that is larger than the hole. Taper the edges with a sander and definitely round off any corners. If the wood on top of the hole makes the rubber roof too short you're going to have to fill the gap with something. I would probably tape a strip of Eternabond onto the wood patch under the exposed cut. Then lay the rubber back down and tape Eternabond from the rubber roof to the strips added in the middle.
  just noticed what the problem was. Sorry it’s a 4“ x 4“ piece of wood that broke off under the rubber roof when I stepped on it not 4‘ x 4‘. Stupid me.
  think I should do?

[HappyjackGum]

opnspaces wrote:
Well without a doubt you have to fix the crack around the skylight no matter what you do to the rest of the roof.

As far as the missing wood I would definitely cut through the rubber roof with a razor blade knife and see what is happening. My guess is you have had a water leak for a while and the wood rotted out.

A few thoughts on cutting the hole.

• Use a razor knife and a straight edge to make the cut.
• Cut a three sided hole (across the back and up the sides) leave the material uncut at the front (the side toward the tongue)
• Make your cut over existing good wood so you have something solid to press down against. In other words if the hole is 4' x 4' make a cut that is 4'6" x 4'6".
• Use 4" wide Eternabond tape and seal the cuts making sure to press down really hard./
  
  
  If there is water damage you need to make sure you identify and fix the leak. If you can't fix the rafters then lay a sheet of plywood over the hole that is larger than the hole. Taper the edges with a sander and definitely round off any corners. If the wood on top of the hole makes the rubber roof too short you're going to have to fill the gap with something. I would probably tape a strip of Eternabond onto the wood patch under the exposed cut. Then lay the rubber back down and tape Eternabond from the rubber roof to the strips added in the middle.
  
  that is some really good advice.thank you. What I'm having a hard time understanding is the missing wood is/was sitting on nothing. there is a 2-3inch void between where the missing wood piece and the inner ceiling. there is nothing to secure the new piece of wood to (no rafter) at that location.

[ksg5000]

I would cut back the rubber roof (you can patch the cuts with Eternabond later) and investigate just how bad things are. Likely your going to have to replace some plywood and maybe some underlying bracing. There are plenty of threads/youtubes on people who have repaired similar problems with their RV's. When you open it up take some pictures and post - should be more than a few people here who can tell you how to proceed once they get better info on what the damage is.

[opnspaces]

Well without a doubt you have to fix the crack around the skylight no matter what you do to the rest of the roof.

As far as the missing wood I would definitely cut through the rubber roof with a razor blade knife and see what is happening. My guess is you have had a water leak for a while and the wood rotted out.

A few thoughts on cutting the hole.

• Use a razor knife and a straight edge to make the cut.
• Cut a three sided hole (across the back and up the sides) leave the material uncut at the front (the side toward the tongue)
• Make your cut over existing good wood so you have something solid to press down against. In other words if the hole is 4' x 4' make a cut that is 4'6" x 4'6".
• Use 4" wide Eternabond tape and seal the cuts making sure to press down really hard./
  
  
  If there is water damage you need to make sure you identify and fix the leak. If you can't fix the rafters then lay a sheet of plywood over the hole that is larger than the hole. Taper the edges with a sander and definitely round off any corners. If the wood on top of the hole makes the rubber roof too short you're going to have to fill the gap with something. I would probably tape a strip of Eternabond onto the wood patch under the exposed cut. Then lay the rubber back down and tape Eternabond from the rubber roof to the strips added in the middle.

[HappyjackGum]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Well, if it were mine, I'd probably cut the rubber back a little. I'm make sure the inside of the roof was good and dry. I'd make sure the rest of the ceiling is dry, the walls are OK, and nothing is damaged by water intrusion. I'd then get a couple cans of Foam Stuff and pump as much as I could inside that hole, which will adhere the ceiling to the foamy Stuff also, as well as the underside of the roof. But it would seal it all.

Then I'd lay a sheet of tin a bit bigger than the hole between the roof and the rubber with some Liquid Nails between to seal it down. Then lay the rubber back over the tin sheet and then use Eternabond tap to seal the seams of the rubber, and last, logs of RV caulking on top of that. Then ... never step on that spot again. It will last forever.

Edit?
I'm assuming the hole went clear through to the inside, after re-reading your post? If the hole went all the way through the inside ceiling, do the same thing on the inside. Before pumping in the Foamy Stuff, simply find a decorative ceiling "pretty", like a medallion used for lights or ceiling fans. Anything that looks pretty. You can get a nice decorative covering and simply glue it to the ceiling over the hole inside. You may need to use a few fine screws or a staple gun to hold it in place. Liquid Nails is great for stuff like this.

Then when the glue dries, or Liquid Nails dries the covering over the hole, do the outside of the roof and "pump the stuff" full!

Thank you very much 4 the advice.

No it is just the roof. the inside ceiling looks great.
so your saying a thin sheet of tin between the roof and the rubber. That may be possible. I was planning on just putting something directly on the finished roof and seal and screwing it down and then caulking it all up.

thank you again for the advice. you a big help.

[DutchmenSport]

Well, if it were mine, I'd probably cut the rubber back a little. I'm make sure the inside of the roof was good and dry. I'd make sure the rest of the ceiling is dry, the walls are OK, and nothing is damaged by water intrusion. I'd then get a couple cans of Foam Stuff and pump as much as I could inside that hole, which will adhere the ceiling to the foamy Stuff also, as well as the underside of the roof. But it would seal it all.

Then I'd lay a sheet of tin a bit bigger than the hole between the roof and the rubber with some Liquid Nails between to seal it down. Then lay the rubber back over the tin sheet and then use Eternabond tap to seal the seams of the rubber, and last, logs of RV caulking on top of that. Then ... never step on that spot again. It will last forever.

Edit?
I'm assuming the hole went clear through to the inside, after re-reading your post? If the hole went all the way through the inside ceiling, do the same thing on the inside. Before pumping in the Foamy Stuff, simply find a decorative ceiling "pretty", like a medallion used for lights or ceiling fans. Anything that looks pretty. You can get a nice decorative covering and simply glue it to the ceiling over the hole inside. You may need to use a few fine screws or a staple gun to hold it in place. Liquid Nails is great for stuff like this.

Then when the glue dries, or Liquid Nails dries the covering over the hole, do the outside of the roof and "pump the stuff" full!