What Kind of Caulking Sticks to Rubber Roofs: Everything You Need to Know about Roof Sealants

While most RVs have rubber roofs, there are other options. For example, some RVs have metal roofs and even fiberglass roofs. Some different types of RV roofs will require a different RV roof sealant.

502MS Karna-Flex is an elastomeric, thermoplastic-rubber sealant formulated for use on built-up asphalt roofs, modified bitumen membranes and properly prepared metal, concrete, EPDM, TPO, and most PVC membrane as well as spray polyurethane foam and plywood roof substrates. Its ease of application, superior adhesion, elasticity and durability make 502MS Karna-Flex an ideal repair sealant. Available in a brush mastic or caulking cartridge.

what kind of caulking sticks to rubber roofs

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Flex Seal Tape can be applied to the leaking area of a roof before using one of the other flex seal products above. For example, the tape is perfect for a tear in your roof that could be caused by hitting a tree branch.What Kind of RV Roofs Can Be Repaired with Flex Seal?There are two primary materials designed and used specifically for RV rubber roofs. They are EPDM and TPO. Both TPO and EPDM are classified as rubber roofs, but they are a bit different in form and appearance.

A water-based adhesive is ideal for adhering EPDM onto flat or relatively low-slope roofs. It is also best when attaching EPDM membranes to a strong, rigid surface such as plywood and wood fibreboard. water-based and solvent-based flat roof adhesives, these offer a particular advantage. When bonding to plywood and various wood fibreboards, the adhesive only needs to be applied to one surface, and the EPDM membrane can be placed in position before the adhesive has dried. This allows you to reposition the membrane if necessary to reduce wrinkles. In order to get the best result from this kind of flat roof adhesive, make sure the areas being bonded are clean and free from any grease or dirt before you start. Also, when bonding, use a roller or a brush to apply the water-based adhesives evenly.

One of the second most common flat roof adhesives is a solvent/contact adhesive. These offer an instant bond, unlike the water-based adhesives, and work best with rubber, metal, timber and cement surfaces. They need to be applied to both surfaces. Look for a solvent resistant roller and/or brush to properly apply the adhesive. Solvent-based adhesives work perfectly for roofs with angle changes or unique features. Remember that the solvent in the adhesive is a strong chemical so be careful when using it. Keep your work area well ventilated and have regular breaks if needed. Avoid contact with your eyes or skin by wearing safety goggles and chemical resistant gloves.

Similar to rubber, this caulking is exceptionally flexible. However, it is prone to become brittle and lose its elasticity resulting in oxidation and hairline cracks. In areas of extreme weather exposure, expect this caulk to last between 8 to 12 years.

-- Butyl rubber and elastomeric caulking are both highly durable and moderate costing. They are good for general use and especially good for adhesion to masonry. One common use has been to seal the sill plate to the foundation wall. They are both more difficult to find in the stores as other modern sealants have pretty well taken their place.

-- Silicone sealant has many wonderful qualities -- except that it is rather expensive. It sticks to anything except masonry (at least one special blend of silicone is now made to stick to concrete too) and it is excellent in high water areas. Latex paint will not stick to ordinary silicone (although one type is now labeled as "paintable"). (If you do want to paint non-paintable silicone caulking, prime it with contact cement first. The contact cement will stick to the silicone and the paint will stick to the cement.) It is non-combustible and some high temperature types can be used around metal chimneys. One unique characteristic is that it has no solvents in it, rather it cures by a chemical reaction with moisture in the air. That means that it will not shrink at all and remains very elastic. It is primarily used for glass and tile joints. If it is curing too slowly in a dry environment, like indoors in the winter, mist it with water to accelerate curing.

-- Polyurethane caulking has been around in industry for a long time but on the consumer shelves only recently. Like the silicone caulking it is expensive, has no solvents, sets by reaction with humidity and cures to a durable rubber consistency. Life expectancy is somewhere around 50 years. In fact if it fails it is almost always because the surface was not clean, or the caulking was not pushed into the surface. It tends to be a bit stringy and is more difficult to smooth out than other caulkings. The primary reason you do not see a lot of it on the shelf is that it is very difficult to package as any air bubbles in the cartridge cause it to begin to cure. Despite this it is probably the best caulking on the market and it is the only caulking I will use on the outside of a house. That is just because I hate to caulk and I never want to caulk something more than once. If you caulk in extremely dry weather, as soon as you finish applying and tooling the joint, mist it with a very light spray of water, not enough to wash any off. This will help to accelerate curing and form a skin quickly, avoiding dust collection on wet caulking -- a trick from Alberta.

The climate can also play a big role. The hot desert sun and dry air can do a number on RV rubber roofs. Campers from states like Arizona and Nevada might need a new roof a lot sooner than an RV from a more moderate climate like Montana.

Hello I need to re-attach some rubber to the bottom of a metal guitar pedal. I am looking for a kind of non-toxic contact cement. It needs to be able to be pulled off again, (the rubber), and reattached, etc. Thanks!

Used this caulk from Dicor to install a couple of fantastic vents on our camper. The stuff that came off the old vents looked like it was this and some other kind of tough caulk. The tough stuff was almost impossible to remove from the rubber roof. One tube was enough to sufficiently install and seal the vent holes for two new units. We did a seam around the bottom of the fan lip before installing, around the lip, and cover the screw holes of the new units.

My mom is having her basement redone and has been bed bound with copd and asthma for nine years. She is VERY sensitive to ANY smell. The basement will have a bathroom in it also. She is asking me to help her find out what kind of sealant or caulking would be Zero VOC and have no odor and not have titanium dioxide (which she thinks is harmful for asthma breathers) and can be used everywhere? Can you please help me!!!

Perhaps you've discovered from experience that RV rubber roofs and tree branches don't mix. Rough housing on your rubber roof won't help matters either, and is just plain dangerous. Whatever the cause, accidents can rip your rubber, and that can lead to water leaks. Next thing you know you've got extensive water damage and your RV has turned to a pile of rubble.

To help you stay dry I'll talk a little bit about EPDM rubber roofs (the mainstay on RVs today), then I'll go over roof repair methods, patch kits, RV roof repair tape, and lastly, resealing roof seams.

EPDM stands for quite a mouthful, are you ready? Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer is a synthetic rubber material that the RV industry picked up back in the 1980s. It's been used for RV roofs ever since. The reasons why are clear...

There are a couple downsides though. EPDM rubber is prone to tearing - and oxidation eventually produces chalking which can leave white streaks down the sides of your RV. Care must be taken when cleaning a rubber roof as solvents, oils, and waxes can deteriorate the rubber. Above all, oil-based roof coatings must never be used on rubber roofs.

Dicor, the leading manufacturer of RV rubber roofs, has a self-sealing tape called DiSeal Tape. Like EternaBond, it can be used to seal seams, cracks and tears in EPDM rubber roofs. It stops leaks immediately and has a very long life span too.

First, remove old caulking with a scraper tool, then clean the area to remove all dirt and grime. Use a cleaner that's compatible with EPDM rubber, such as Protect All Rubber Roof Cleaner. Now reseal the seam using an RV roof sealant such as Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant, which remains flexible when dried. This sealant is applied using a caulking gun and goes on slightly runny in order to fully cover the seam. Once dry it has a smooth surface with a rubbery feel. 2ff7e9595c