Roof Advice

[Jerry W]

I've been putting off resealing my roof for too long and now I have leaks. My mobile home is only used on weekends for hunting and fishing from May thru November. Attached pictures show what the bad spots look like. It is mostly bad all the way around the outer edge but there are also some valleys where water ponds after a rain. Previous owner said it was coated with Kool Seal 5 years ago but it looks to me like he didn't remove previous coating that are now starting to crack. I've decided to use the silicone sealer from gacoroof.com since it says it says it stands up to ponding water and never has to be resealed again. Its expensive but if it works as advertised it will be worth it. I considered the metal roof in Mark's book (which I have) but just don't have the help needed to do it.

So here are my questions. From prior posts I believe I need to scrape off the bad old seal. I don't have a grinder like JD suggests using so is there another way to do this? Would an electric drill bit a scraping attachment work? The J channel/gutter has lots of loose and missing screw that are letting water in when the stupid gutter gets clogged. Should I use bigger screws like the rubber washer screws used on corrugated metal to fix this? Also, since the gutter is really worthless can I just bend it over so it doesn't clog up?

If you have any others thoughts on what I should do after looking at the pictures I would really appreciate any comments since I'd much rather be fishing than working on the roof and don't want to have to worry about this again or at least for a long time.

Thanks for any and all comments.

[JD]

I have not used the silicone sealant you mentioned, so I can't say anything about that. But I have seen a lot of roofs that look like yours. I really don't think a drill and wire brush would be effective. It is still really hard work using the big grinder. You can see those big cracks there in the old sealant. Those cracks will continue to spread and grow no matter what you put on it. Using the mesh tape, a sealant over the top of the old sealants would last longer, but I am thinking 3 years or so total time.

A grinder is certainly worth the purchase. With the right brush, it eats the old sealants off. Lowe's has DeWalt and Hitachi. The link below is for the Hitachi at $169. For a DIY or a one project use, Harbor Freight has a 15 amp, 9" grinder for $59. The $59 one might be nice, because you can smash it with a sledgehammer when you are done with the job. As sore as your back and arms will be, this will be a gratifying experience. But if the big tool will work you that hard, imagine how hard the job could be with a scrapper and small drill. Anyways, you might try a small area with what you got, just so you can see if it will work for you.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=p ... lpage=none
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=93179


Also, the brush you would use will cost $25 to $40, depending on quality. We use one like in the picture below.
http://www.doityourself.com/invt/6188478



JD

[JD]

I also wanted to add that if you do use the grinder and run into any asphalt sealants, just remove the bulk of it and get the rest off with mineral spirits. Once I get the sealants removed to where I am down to just metal, I wipe the cleaned area down with lacquer thinner. Be very careful with flammable solvents. Also be very careful with the 15 amp grinder. It is a bit heavy and very powerful when you pull the trigger.

I hope someone pipes in with a better way to handle this repair. This is one of my most dreaded jobs.

[Maureen]

Wish I had better advice, but JD's method is about the only way, unless you want to invest in a solid roof over!

This is a very common problem in older homes with flat metal roofs. We've all run into the problem of folks just recoating time and time again with out the correct prep work, or using different types coating!

If JD doesn't have an easier method to strip the old coating off, it most likely doesn't exist!

This is why we always stress the importance of prepping these areas before applying another coat of anything!

Maureen

[Jerry W]

Well thanks for the advice, I think. Actually that's just what I figured I'd hear but thought I'd ask anyway. I guess I'll pick up a grinder this week and see how it works this weekend on a few spots. If all goes well I know what I'll be doing on my vacation and its not fishing.

Any thoughts on what to use for the screws that are loose or missing on the J-channel and whether I can just bend it down or would that just cause more problems?

[Greg]

Jerry, that is just "one of those jobs", Not a lot of fun but not that hard either. If you get a fairly stiff wire wheel you may be able to chew your way through it. As for missing screws you can go a size or two larger or drill in a new spot and seal the old holes. Greg

[Yanita]

HI,

And yes, you can bend the gutter down, many folks do that when the install traditional gutters right below the orginal.

~Yanita~

[Jerry W]

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information. Sorry to keep coming back with more questions but I've never done this before and the pre-sealing preparation work really looks like a dreadful job considering the bad shape my roof is in. I want to make sure I do it right so it will last but still survive the process.

OK, I went and looked at the grinders tonight and all I can say is JD must be one of the meanest sob's west of the Mississippi River. Those 9" grinders with a 6" brush must weigh 25 pounds! If I tried holding one of those all day I'd have more holes in the roof then I do now and they would probably have to airlift me off the roof of the trailer since I know I wouldn't be able to crawl down the ladder. Seriously, I'm wondering if maybe a smaller grinder would get the job done even though it might take longer? Lowe's had a a 4.5" Dewalt, 10 amps, 11,000 rpm for $80 and I saw some good 4" knotstyle wire brushes. Do you think this would work or would I just be wasting my money? I'd like to get something to try this weekend before my vacation next month when I plan to do the whole trailer.

Thanks again for your help!

[JD]

Hi Jerry,

I can feel your apprehension here. And really, it's not as bad as it seems. First of all, set it down. You are only holding it up when you are going up and down the ladder. If it isn't on the roof, it isn't working. When you work the tool, it is more like using a commercial floor buffer. (hey, there's an idea! wouldn't want to carry it up the ladder though) You let the weight of the tool do the work. It is still hard work though. At my age, just being bent over with the white stuff and the throw-away brush is a back breaker. This type of tool has been used by myself and other crew members since I started doing this work in the late 80's. Crew members weighing 140 lbs worked this tool. I remember 140 lbs. 8th grade was fun.

Maybe you should check the return policy on power tools where you would buy a grinder. Maybe try the 9" and if it just won't work for you, take it back for a mid-sized 7" tool. I use a 4.5" grinder often for many things. I have never considered using it for this work. It would take days to buff the edges and vents. You'd probably go though quite a few brushes too. On a good day, two guys will knock out a roof in a day with the 9". We only do the edges and vents usually (ridge caps on doubles). Seams are explained on this web page. http://members.aol.com/mobilehomes/recoat.html

Well, I hope your roof goes well for you, whatever you use. Like I said, hopefully someone will offer an easier way to remove old roof sealants. I would love that! And the buffer and wheel are about 16 lbs.

JD

[Jerry W]

You just made my day JD! I thought you had to hold the grinder up off the roof but using it like a buffer doesn't sound nearly as bad although not really pleasant. Letting the weight of the tool do the work makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. So I'll be back to Lowe's tonight to get that 9" grinder...might as well get a good quality one since I've got several other projects I'll be able to use it on unless I end up using the sledge hammer on it after I'm done on the roof.

Thanks again and I'll let you know how the project turns out.