Can I Apply My Own Butyl Liquid Rubber?

RV roof maintenance is a standard part of RV ownership. Therefore, almost every time someone asks whether they can handle roofing repairs or maintenance, the answer is going to be a resounding “yes”. Of course, it’s not just about whether you can do the work, but whether you can do it right. There are a number of products on the market in the liquid-related family, and most come either in a roll-on or spray-on format that is easy for anyone with basic handy skills, or anyone who has ever painted in their lifetime. Our Rv Roof Magic is actually a solvent-based product that actually chemically cross-links to the substrate it is applied on. That is why it has been so successful over the past 25 years.

Roof Repair, Roof Maintenance, Roof Leaks

Choose Your Product and Gather Your Tools

Here are the roof types you can apply our butyl Rubber directly over

Various Metal Roofing systems

  • Weathered Galvanized Click Here For More Information
  • Weathered Aluminum
  • Weathered Copper
  • EPDM-Flash coat required Any original epdm rubber roofing system.
  • Fiberglass Hypalon
  • Acrylic Sheet and any acrylic based products
  • Weathered Vinyl Polyurethane Foam
  • Modified & BUR roofs Concrete where there is little foot traffic Any roof where a 3rd party coating such as an elastomeric or acrylic was previous applied. Urethane foam roofs
  • TPO-Must be aged 5 years. Bonding primer required call for details Any other application must be approved in writing

Now that you know you can do the work yourself, it’s time to shop around and find the right Butyl Liquid Rubber roof coating solution. Since most products are relatively similar, you will want to primarily focus on brand quality and reputation, as well as the specific application process. For example, some people specifically search for a roll-on product because they aren’t comfortable with the spray-on idea. Ultimately, it’s about getting the product that best suits your needs.

You will also want to check out available RV roof maintenance and repair kits, which will include the roof coating that you need, along with primer, seam tape, rollers, brushes, gloves, cleaner, and more. You’ll have everything that you need to do the job in a single package, which can save you the hassle of buying everything separately.

If you decide on a product that doesn’t come in a kit, take notes on the list above for items that you will need to apply our Butyl Liquid Rubber. Brushes and rollers will be required for liquid products so that you can apply them evenly across the roof surface. You will also want to invest in gloves to protect yourself, RV roof cleaner, and anything else that you need for the job. Check the instructions on the sealer to make sure that you have all the tools that you need.

Prep for Best Results

Anyone that has ever taken on a resealing job will tell you that the products often dry quickly, so you won’t want to waste a lot of time when you actually start the resealing or recoating process. That means that you will need to make sure that you plan ahead to set yourself up for success. Make sure that the roof is clean, free of debris, and that any damage has been repaired ahead of time. Then, when you go to apply the Butyl Liquid Rubber, you can just roll it on and go, and you’ll be done in no time at all.

If you have any silicone, tar, or other materials on the roof, remove those completely before you start the recoating process. You may or may not need a primer for your application, depending on the product that you choose. Give your RV roof a good wash and dry, and then you will be ready to apply the Butyl Liquid Rubber. A little prep work really can go a long way.

The Bottom Line

Most of the RV maintenance issues that are required of owners are things that they can do on their own. Unlike passenger cars that often require a lot of dealership service calls, RVs are made for those who like to take care of themselves, and that includes offering easy DIY maintenance solutions. You’ll have to re-coat your roof every three to five years, depending on the Butyl Liquid Rubber that you choose, so there is no better time than now to learn how to do it right the first time.

The Advantages of EPDM Roof Coatings

There’s no getting around the importance a roof plays in any structure. Whether it be a home, a warehouse, office building, etc. you need a strong roof that can provide shelter from the elements. Leaks do happen, however, at which point, you want to act fast to solve the problem. Despite all the options available, you can’t do much better than having EPDM roof coatings above your head. Keep reading to learn why applying EPDM to your roof is one of the best decisions you can make for the structure.

Immune to Most Climates:

EPDM roof coatings can handle just about any climate condition short of a tornado. They can withstand low temperatures all the way down to -40 F without cracking or becoming brittle.

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you’ll be glad to know that a roof covered in EPDM doesn’t mind the warmth, either. While temperatures will never get up to 300 F, EPDM has shown it wouldn’t be a problem if it did.

The really great thing about EPDM roof coatings, when it comes to climate, is how much it can save you in energy costs. EPDM gets a lot of credit for keeping the elements out, but the truth is that it does just as good a job keeping your cold air or heat in, where it belongs.

Repair and Maintenance:

Roof Leaks Repairing

Roof Leaks Repairing

As the above attests, a roof covered in EPDM will have an easy time withstanding the elements. Yet EPDM needs very little, if any, maintenance. While you’ll want to clean your roof periodically, simply to keep things like fungi or algae from growing, the synthetic rubber itself won’t need any help.

This also provides greater savings. The longer you can go without having to fix your roof again, the more of a return you’re getting on your investment. But this can also provide great savings for use on an office building. As that type of building constantly undergoes inspections for worker safety, you won’t have to worry about spending more to keep it up to code.

Longevity:

It’s hard to think of another option that can provide the kind of longevity you’ll get from installing EPDM Roof coatings. The ERA (EPDM Roofing Association) recently conducted a study. In it, they examined a number of EPDM roof coatings that were 30 years old. Their finding was that, even after 3 decades, the EPDM maintained a high degree of tensile strength, almost as if it were new.

Installing EPDM:

Installing EPDM Roof Coatings

Installing EPDM Roof Coatings

Keep in mind that the above advantages are contingent on quality installation. While many people may be successful in installing EPDM on their own, they take the results into their own hands. Many of the benefits listed above will not be a factor if installation is mishandled.

When it comes to putting a roof over your head, you’d be hard pressed to find a better option than EPDM rubber. For added savings, incredible durability, and little-to-no maintenance issues, EPDM roof coatings will deliver. Best of all, you won’t have to think about it again for decades to come.

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Flat Roofing Materials Compared

There are three basic types of flat roofing materials, although there are variations within the three categories that allow building owners to have more choices. Whether your building is new and this will be its first roof or you are replacing older roofing material, here are the three main categories you will be able to consider. There are inherent advantages and disadvantages of each type.

Built-Up:

Built-up bituminous roofs have been the standard for many years. They are still relatively popular primarily because they are inexpensive.

Built-up bituminous roofing is created using layers of hot tar, gravel, a smooth river stone ballast and tar paper or fiberglass membranes. Other than the lower cost, the advantages include fire resistance and some people think the appearance is more attractive.

There are several disadvantages. The material is very heavy. The underlying joints of the roof may need to be strengthened in order to install this type.

The installation itself is messy and smelly. It is not a do-it-yourself job for the building owner.
Once installed, it is hard to find leaks in the material and repairing leaks can be difficult. As time goes by, the gravel can break loose and clog the gutters. This choice is not recommended for buildings that are currently occupied.

Modified Bitumen:

Modified bitumen sheeting has a mineral-based surface to convey the fire resistant benefits of built-up bituminous with less weight. The sheeting consists of a single layer that is rolled onto the roof. The sheeting may be attached using a “torch-down” system, although newer modified bitumen rolls have a peel-off backing that sticks to the existing surface. The peel-and-stick installation can be a DIY project for the building owner.

One advantage of modified bitumen has to do with the light colored minerals that are embedded in the sheets. The minerals reflect heat, which can convey energy savings in areas where summer air conditioning costs are high. This is also an affordable alternative.

The main disadvantage of the torch-down system is the risk of fire. The process is not recommended for buildings that are currently occupied. The sheets are not the most resistant to scuffs and tears. Modified bitumen is considered less durable than the next type.

EPDM:

EPDM is a type of synthetic rubber. It resembles an inner tube but has been engineered to resist damage from sunlight. EPDM sheets are available and can be anchored with fasteners, glued on or ballasted with stones. Liquid Roof is another form of EPDM rubber is also available for waterproofing or coating existing roofs to extend the lifespan of the roof.

The advantages include easy installation and high durability. Rubber is inherently accompanied by a reduced risk of leaking. If leaks do occur, they are easy to locate and repair. There may also be a sound-reduction advantage.

The only disadvantage may be heat absorption depending on the color selected. Lighter colors are recommended for warm climates but may cost more.

Some building owners feel that the cost is a disadvantage. EPDM does cost more than other roofing materials. But because it is more durable and typically lasts longer, EPDM may cost less in the long run.

For product information or ordering visit EPDM Coatings or call them at 855-281-0940.

The Effects of Environment on your Roof

The effects of environment on your roof are responsible for how it changes in appearance as the years go by. Just as your skin ages, so does your roof. One thing that ages both your skin and your roof is the sun.

The sun can cause the temperature on the roof to be 50-75 degrees higher than the temperature of the surrounding air. The heat alone can cause some roofing materials to blister and crack. It’s the main source of roof leaks.

In addition to the heat, the sun is a source of UV radiation. UV radiation has been shown to degrade the asphalt layers that make up your shingles. A protective layer of colored granules is used to reduce this effect. Liquid EPDM Rubber coatings are the best option to coat your roof shingles. Without that kind of roof coating the shingles would degrade very quickly. The use of the granules has added years to the lifespan of modern roofs.

Sudden changes in the roof temperature also speed the shingle aging process and roof starts leaking. Thunderstorms are common occurrences on hot days in many parts of the world. The temperature on the roof rises gradually as it is heated by the sun. When the rain starts to fall on the roof, the temperature can drop as much as 60 degrees almost instantly.

The wooden decking beneath the shingles expands with the heat and then contracts suddenly with the quick cooling. This places a strain on the shingles. As with other effects of environment on your roof, the aging process is relatively slow. But you have these sudden changes in temperature many times during a year. This is one of the reasons that shingles have a limited lifespan.

Moisture from rain and snow also has a negative effect on your shingles unrelated to the temperature change. Moisture causes wooden roof decking to expand. From the perspective of the shingles, the deck is moving. The movement loosens the shingles.

The effects of environment are worsened because of pollution and acid rain. Pollution hits the roof along with raindrops. Smoke from car exhausts, factories and other sources lands on the roof. The pollution causes the color of the shingles to darken, sometimes only in spots that are noticeable from the driveway.

Acid rain degrades the asphalt in shingles. The acid eats away at all parts of your roof gradually.

None of these changes occur suddenly. It may seem sudden if you get up on a ladder to clean the gutters and suddenly notice curling, blisters, cracks or stains. There is only so much you can do to minimize the effects of environment on your roof. Some aging is inevitable.

Summer is the best time to fix your roof leaks problems. You can get rid from such roofing problems by selecting the best roofing products like liquid epdm, liquid rubber and liquid roof coatings for your roof. Liquid Rubber is the only Liquid EPDM product in the world. Liquid roof coatings are also the best option for your RV Roof Repair problems.

For product information or ordering visit EPDM Coatings or call them at 855-281-0940.

A Brief History of Roofing Materials

A complete history of roofing materials would start in the Stone Age. Popular modern material has not been around quite that long but even clay roof tiles have been in use for thousands of years.

Of course the manufacturing processes have changed and improved. People are no longer limited by the location of the material. That was a major factor to consider before present-day shipping methods were introduced.

Clay tiles are popular in some areas and for some architectural designs. The tiles are more expensive than other options but they are long-lasting. Shingles are a far more popular choice.

The history of modern shingles is not nearly as long as that of clay. Wood shingles or shakers were used until insurance companies started refusing to insure homes and businesses with roofs covered by them.

The first composite roof material was used in the 1840s. They are referred to as composites because they are composed of two or more substances, rather than a single material. Modern shingles are composites but the first composite roofs bore little resemblance to the ones we use today. Also there are lots of roofing materials like Liquid EPDM Coatings, liquid roof and liquid rubber coatings are available in the market for fixing roof leaks.

The substances used in the earliest composites were felt or woven fabric, pine tar and sand. Improvements were made by saturating the fabric with asphalt and substances such as sand, crushed limestone or talc. Coal tar came next in the history of roofing materials.

Coal tar is a byproduct of coal manufacturing processes. It was not until the introduction of gas lighting for city sidewalks that enough of the byproduct was generated to find an application in the roof industry.

The coal tar was mixed with fine gravel and rolls of felt were saturated with it. The rolled material was then attached to roofs. Asphalt shingles soon replaced the rolled material.

Henry M. Reynolds made a significant contribution to the history of roofing materials. He came up with the concept of shaping the earlier asphalt-coated roof fabrics into individual shingles in 1903. Reynolds was a roofer and manufacturer. The first shingles he produced were hand cut with a sharp knife.

In 1914, F.C. Overby began adding crushed granules of slate to add weight to the shingles and keep them from blowing off the roof. Roller-die cutting machines were perfected the following year making the mass-production of shingles more practical. Most of the changes that have occurred since that time have been decorative, except for the use of fiber glass to reinforce the felt fabric, which occurred in the 1970s.

That is a very brief history of roofing materials that are very helpful for repairing roof leaks. Liquid EPDM Rubber and Liquid Roof coatings are the best roofing products that will give you cost effective solution for your roofing problems. Although there are other choices, composite shingles are still the most popular for homes.

For product information or ordering visit EPDM Coatings or call them at 855-281-0940855-281-0940.