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THenne1713 · 01-31-2019, 10:13 AM

TIP/ Warning: I read previously that nothing sticks to silicone, so NEVER use it on your RV roof; I read recently on the DICOR website that "silicone does not adhere to EPDM Rubber". (My experience?) Cracked my shower skylight corner last Summer w/a tree limb, so cleaned and covered w/ a thick layer of silicone size of my palm, pending replacement. All seemed good, including a few past inspections, but alas, went out the other day to measure/ order and found the silicone still there but almost completely loose (guessing the change in temp/ weather?); so it did NOT even adhere properly to the clean plastic. Now where did I hide that roll of Eternabond? :-( :-( NOT in the RV :-( :-(

WARNING#2: All roof coatings that I see online at Lowes/ HD seem to say "siliconized", and (I have found NOTHING) that says it works w/ EPDM (or TPO), so stick to DICOR PRODUCTS if you have EPDM Rubber Roof on your RV.

Murphcrud · 02-03-2019, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THenne1713

TIP/ Warning: I read previously that nothing sticks to silicone, so NEVER use it on your RV roof; I read recently on the DICOR website that "silicone does not adhere to EPDM Rubber". (My experience?) Cracked my shower skylight corner last Summer w/a tree limb, so cleaned and covered w/ a thick layer of silicone size of my palm, pending replacement. All seemed good, including a few past inspections, but alas, went out the other day to measure/ order and found the silicone still there but almost completely loose (guessing the change in temp/ weather?); so it did NOT even adhere properly to the clean plastic. Now where did I hide that roll of Eternabond? :-( :-( NOT in the RV :-( :-(

WARNING#2: All roof coatings that I see online at Lowes/ HD seem to say "siliconized", and (I have found NOTHING) that says it works w/ EPDM (or TPO), so stick to DICOR PRODUCTS if you have EPDM Rubber Roof on your RV.

Hi,
you are correct not to use silicone on the roof of an EPDM roof. But not for the reason that most think. Silicone will adhere to the EPDM but only if it is a Neutral Cure (NC) Silicone. Never use Acetoxy (vinegar odor) silicone, as it will not bond for any period of time. The main reason to not even use a Neutral Cure silicone is because silicone is not very abrasive resistant and will tear quite easily. Remember --- if you use NC Silicone, thicker is not better.
So you see, that weather has nothing to do with the adhesion loss. Cleaning is the number one cause of any sealant failure. Clean and then reclean again and maybe reclean a 3rd time. Dicor will do the job, but as will most other Thermoplast Sealants, if it is applied correctly.

winniman · 02-03-2019, 08:48 PM

As you stated, you should have repaired the crack with eternabond tape. Every rver should have several feet or a roll in stock for emergency repairs. We had a branch come down on our fridge vent cover in a wind storm. It cracked the plastic cover. Eternabond to the rescue. It held up until I could get a new cover. I fixed a crack in my maxx vent cover the same way. Dicor sealant would probably done the job as well. Should have one of those in stock, as well as a tube of proflex for any wall reseals.