Repairing major water damage on an RV roof.

In this case the EPDM rubber was still in decent shape; it was simply a caulk failure at a seam which caused a leak.

We noticed the dripping during a hard and steady rain and after further inspection, realized it had been leaking for some time. There was evidence the previous owner had tried to recaulk the seam on more than one occasion.

Too late for us, the water sitting inside the roof had taken its toll.

Roof Cleaning: How To Remove Moss, Lichen, Fungi From A Cedar Roof | Sullivan Roof Cleaning

http://www.cedarshakesroofcleaning.com/ — (515) 423-0234

Bruce Sullivan, owner, Sullivan Roof Cleaning of Des Moines, Iowa demonstrates the soft wash cedar roof cleaning method on a home in Huxley, Iowa.
Cedar Shake Roof cleaning & treatment process will add an extra 10 years of life to your roof, with the added bonus of great curb appeal; at a fraction of the cost of a premature roof replacement.

Watch this video and learn more about our roof cleaning process. First we spray the roof with a proprietary roof cleaning solution that kills the moss, mold, mildew, and lichen that is destroying this roof. We applied this with a simple 60 PSI low pressure, non-pressure process. What we do is we let this dwell, and after about 15-20 minutes we’ll use a garden hose and we’ll take this off.

This home owner was told they needed a new roof. Fortunately they called us to clean their roof instead. This roof just needs a good cleaning to restore its natural beauty and integrity and extend its life.

We can save you thousands of dollars in unnecessary roof replacement costs by cleaning your roof. Our expert cedar shake roof cleaning service typically costs just 5-10% of what you would pay to replace your roof entirely.

Sullivan Roof Cleaning cleans roofs all through the greater Midwest. So give us a call, we’d be more than glad to come out and take a look and clean your roof up, extend the life of it for many years to come.

As I just showed you, we applied a soft wash process of specially formulated roof cleaning solution. Now I’m rinsing the roof, and I’m doing that with a simple garden hose. Knock all the lichens off, mold, and mildew. Each shingle has to be washed, and each shingle has to be rinsed. We do it with about 40-60 PSI. You should never ever use a pressure washer on a cedar shake roof. Especially these, because they are so infested with moss they’re holding a lot of moisture.

One of the other things you might be concerned with is “where is all this stuff going?” You’ll see that we have a run-off system that comes right off of the downspout. We run that stuff off the property, and we have an area where they run from so we can deposit all this stuff, so it doesn’t affect your landscaping. So for anyone concerned about what this may do to your landscaping, we have that protected.

If you recall this roof earlier was totally infested with moss, mold, mildew, and lichen. I’ve gone ahead and cleaned that off, it’s still wet right now, and it’s still drying. As you can see, there’s a vast difference. No reason to have to replace this roof, all it needed was a good cleaning, and that’s what we’ve done. That’s what we do every time we come out to clean cedar shake shingle roofs.

For a free roof cleaning estimate for your home, call today.

Sullivan Roof Cleaning
(515) 423-0234
809 14th Street
West Des Moines Iowa 50265
(515) 423-0234

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RV Roof Repair

| Green Roofs | 20 Comments
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20 Comments

  • G.F. B

    Thank you for sharing your experience. The back of my camper had a water leak and the roof is soft in an area of a 1 sqr feet. This video inspires me and gives me hope!

  • DGOTheResistance

    You should never use contact cement with EPDM roofing. The proper stuff is a water based adhesive. The contact cement will dry out the rubber, and put it down forever even if it's wrong.

  • Thomas Whitten

    I've just recently bought a Fleetwood Wildnerness 24c camper. I'm new to the whole thing. It's got some pretty major rot and roof damage. It was cheap and we're to be homeless soon. I've done a lot of research on RV roofs and the leaking issue seems to be the biggest. Yet people continue to use rubber roof and sealants that don't seem to hold up for much more than a year. Isn't there some other materials that can be used that are more reliable and last longer? And if roof vents are so prone to be the major source of leaking, why even have them? I'm considering just taking mine out completely.

  • oluwatobi omopekun

    I just discovered same wood damage at the front of my camper. It's all winter here in BC, Canada . I guess I should wait till it's warmer before I start the project for the tape and adhesive to bond?

  • Marieanne Greaves

    perfect timing,just replaced roof w/masonite hard wood ,was stumped on under or over w/rubber,looks like u went under,i'll give it a try.also adding insulation (foam board type ) to ceiling

  • Brian Justicce

    Great video! Do you think that I can do similar on a patch I have a section of wood about 10"x12" in front of my refrigerator vent and on the edge any chance of a patch? To repair before I coat the roof thanks

  • Theresa Montaldo

    HI, thank you for the how to. Our Puma is going to have the same issue right at that seam where the rubber roof meets the metal that comes up the front. Did you tuck the rubber roof up under the metal or just use the seal tape? Thanks again!

  • Jesse Toler

    Good video. You even mentioned the #2 bit to remove screws. I would have done one thing differently: I would have poured the contact cement on the OSB and just rolled it out.

  • ekpp60

    Hi Cliff,question I have is just like in this video you done my fleetwood prowler trailer has very similar problem damage to corner area about less than 2'x2' wood damage & rubber damage,what I am wanting to know is it better to do what you have done replacing the whole section out but in my case I would have to cut some rubber out as well being it is torn open where the water wood damages are,or can I just get by using rubber patch with some lap sealant to do the repairs?I know this way is like just putting a band aid over it temporarly but then I also see after cleaning up the whole rubber membrane 39' feet of it has much all turned to black so I know in time the whole thing would have to be replaced,so what do you think about this will a less of 2'x2' patch work ok for awhile in the front corner with lap sealant or should I take out the whole section & get some new membrane & replace it?thank you…

  • esspee

    So the OSB had rotted and freed up the rubber roof…
    Why do RV manufacturers use particle board, chip board, why not use marine grade plywood, or pressure treated wood, or hardwoods which withstand a bit of water once in a while?  RVs seem predesigned to collapse.  How much can they save up front by going cheap?  My RV even used particle board quarter round molding with a fake vinyl wood grain coating on the floor in the bathroom, which expands and blows up on contact with water.  Ridiculous choice.