What's the best way to seal a roof window?

[aliendude]

I'm getting slightly frustrated with these recurrent seep
leaks on my roof...... Fix one, then another, fix that,
then another.

I was thinking about trying plumbers putty under the
overhead window frames, then gooping it with RTV over
that.....

It seems like all the work I do just leaks, maybe cause
the entire thing flexs and moves?  

Is there a better way?   My overhead mattress is
now laying in my living room with a fan running next to it.....

Sink modifcation to 2 knob 8in standard WalMart Faucet almost done.  
Just have to drill stainless tub holes.  

And I got a TV in it now.   Wall mounted w/ a 2x4 inside the closet
and screws thru to secure it - w/ TV antenna in overhead V inside
area.....

[aliendude]

The TV was a apt trash can special.    5 circuit trace repair jumpers and I got a Nov 2003 Daewoo 13in For Free.

[AndyIlles]

Had the same leak problem with my kitchen one Dave.  One advantage to hanging around a lotta RV parks is you get tons of advice (some good... some in the "Say WHAT?!?!?" category, lol).  

The only reliable fix (proof... no leak since   ) is to take the stupid thing off, chisel every bit of old sealer off (be sure to have some lacquer thinner on hand for final cleaning) ... lay a heavy bead of RTV or silicone on the roof, a thinner bead on the hatch flange (to make sure you get 100% contact)... set the thing back into the wet RTV, being careful to not squeeze it all out... then smooth it off with a wet finger.... go have a few beers while it cures.... THEN run the screws back in, roof ones first.   I don't think plumbers' putty's a good idea, it gets brittle after a while.

FYI, mine had 8 screws on the roof flange.... another 8 through the lip that sticks down inside the rough opening into the 2x2 frame.  I wound up doing all 3 while I was at it, along with the AC and vent stacks.  Whole job took only an afternoon, and an hour or so the next day to screw everything back down.

[Rich Gauthier]

I had the same problem with leaks. Then I pulled all the clearence light lens off and filled the wireing holes with RTV. No more leaks.

Rich

#2940

[AndyIlles]

Dave...

I forgot something.  Onna the really good tips I got for the skylights. etc., was to use a serrated bread knife to "saw" the old sealant loose under the flanges.... onna those long, floppy buggers.  Worked great.  If I had had an electric carving knife, think I wouldda tried that.  You married guys'd have to be sneaky with that one...  

Also, I used a cheap (but sharp) K-Mart 1" chisel to get the old stuff off... just be careful about gouging.  That took the most time.

Rich... I like your clearance light idea.  Wish I wouldda thought of that when I changed all mine.  Guess that's on the spring/summer list, huh?

[aliendude]

Ok then.   I got an interesting mixture of old RTV, hard caulking, silver
Trailer roof paint, and some strange Red roof paint to Dig at.....

I may tape a garbage bag over it for now.

[AndyIlles]

Yeah... same with mine.  All kinds of strange patch stuff over the years, instead of just doing it right.

Keep this up, pretty soon you'll be looking for a big enough garbage bag for the whole Clip, lol.

[bigray]

I completely removed all the old stuff about 6 months ago and put some marine silicone around the vents and A/C. Low and behold I was up there this past weekend and saw some tiny holds in the silicone. Don't know if they would leak so I'm going to take a closer look.

My girl is stored in inside storage since my homeowner wrote me a letter telling me to remove it from public view. I got away with it for 1 year so I couldn't complain. I'm going to look at adding some extra sealer on the roof; however, I'm going to take a couple of weeks to do some things around the house and not do anything to my Clipper!

Me and the family went to Lake Mineral Wells State Park last Thursday. LMW is about 60 miles west of Fortworth Zoo. 600 mile round trip from Houston. I had a problem with my Clipper starving for gas up and down hills (I'll post about it later) I had to drive 30 to 40 mph all the way home. Stretched a 6 hour trip into 12. But........hey. That's life!

[aliendude]

"My girl is stored in inside storage since my homeowner wrote me a letter telling me to remove it from public view. I got away with it for 1 year so I couldn't complain."

I have noticed that people get that way.........

They are just jealous and want thier Appraised house value to go up.
So they can borrow more money and be further in debt, for the guilded cage finacial liability prison they call thier life.  A balanced budget?
No we'll push the party until we can't get away with it no more.  

Come a natural disaster, or hurricane, they are the first to whine
about expese for someplace to stay on the evacuation route, or thier
home owners insurance deductable rates against thier loan.  

They drive the price of everything up.

They sit at home and watch cable, and broadband DSL in thier
close minded little virtual world.  

I'm waiting for the big one, so I can laugh at all of them in evacuation
tent city.  Like rats flooding off a sinking ship.  

But enought of my tirdare rant.    

You know you hate people when you plan to make a F.O.D. magnetic
strip to hang in front of the RV to pick up nails, so when I go to
live in a desert Biker hang out Ghost town -- I got a chance to
save tires from rusty ghost town / burned down town nails......like
Cherry Creek, NEV.  

I'll even get me a Fat Tire Knobby 5hp Motor bike at Checker AUTO,
and a gas line T, a reciever hitch shelf for it.....to ride to the store
for beer.  
( Too bad they don't make Pop Top aluminum can pull off tab lids anymore to make a headband - Like in "Vanishing Point" old movie --
"can you make it on that?   you bet your A baby."


But anyway,

I got a good set up for now.   Where I live is always about 1/2 full of renters...and
I asked first about keeping a small RV behind the back.   And they know if they say no, I might move.    Plus they know I pick up trash, and
put people's crap in the dumpsters when the lazy B'rds throw it everywhere, plus I sweep up cigarette butts and stuff like that.  
I'm very thankfull.

Storage is a constant expense fear for me.....and the accompanying
theft vandalism.    I'm still fixing the vandalism done to the Clipper I
got out of a storage place.  
Busted back windows, .22 bullet holes, stereo theft,  hole knocked in the
side of it over the door, etc.  

Sorry if It is apparent I don't like people, but I don't.    
I used too be able to tolerate them.....but not anymore.    I'd rather
go Hang out and talk with the local Dodge Salvage yard guy, than
most people.    
But at least people don't try to bite/eat you - like the mall zombies in
Dawn of the Dead.  

Once I took my stepdaughter to Wal Mart and had her stand in one
place and then run too me, ( across in front of the store ) and I was
acting the scene from Dawn of the Dead,  "Come on, Come on, Flyboy,
THis way!, run....."  It was funny.   And when she realized that the
people are just like the zombies she had the biggest smile on her face....

[AndyIlles]

Dave --

You're supposed to put that lacqer thinner and silicone sealant UNDER the skylight flanges.... NOT snort it... geeze.    :lol:

(PS... I hear ya!!)

[aliendude]

I was up on my roof last night in a Parka working on it, and this
guy walked past to throw out his trash.......and I go......BOO!  
from up top.     :shock:    
It was great......

[Andy Illes]

LMAO

You gonna at least give that poor, trembling, wild-eyed dude a ride to his shrink this morning?  GOTTA love it..... heeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Conrad]

I used polyurethane to seal my windows.  I even did one while we were camping... Removal is best and laquer thinner worked for me to clean off all the residue.  One thing I did was to center the frame within the opening using shims.  The old putty tape was in pretty bad shape.

[aliendude]

It's too far to a local RV place so I used sink putty under it, and then
sealed it with Kool-Seal roof caulking.   That Kool-Seal stuff seems to
be pretty good........It's in Home Depot with the roof seal paint.  

Now I'll just hope it worked.....

"Do not apply when ambient temperature is less than 50deg."

Yeah - as if...........

[Andy Illes]

Hiyya Dave...

Dude, this is one you GOTTA do right... or don't bother.  I'd MOST strongly urge you to get back up there and scrape the plumbers' putty out!!!   It is - 1)  NOT meant for use on flexing surfaces... and - 2)  It WILL dry, turn brittle, and crumble when flexed.  Use an exterior silicone sealer/caulk instead... it's UV resistant and stay's "plastic" forever.  

You won't really need Cool Seal if you stick 'em down with silicone.   But if it makes ya feel better - or just wanna spend extra time up there hoping to catch smeone else carrying trash by - it IS good stuff... PROVIDING you embed at least one layer of fiberglass mesh "tape" (it comes in rolls for this exact purpose - drywall seam mesh works too) to overlap the skylight flange edges.  Get a roll of 4" stuff.... slit some into 2" strips for the first layer.   Use their crack sealer as the bottom layer... then embed a 2" wide strip of mesh into that (overlapping at the corners).... then a coating of regular Cool Seal... a layer of 4" mesh centered over the 2" one... then a top cost of Cool Seal coat.  If you skip the mesh, I GUARANTEE it'll crack in no time at all!!

The most important step of all is THOROUGLY cleaning everything first.  After you scrape as much as possible off, wash LIBERALLY with lacquer thinner (Acetone's ok too).  If you skip this, stuff will seem to stick ok -- at first... then come loose.  Another guarantee!!!

Good luck.


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