Rubber Roof

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BeachBoy
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:29 pm
Location: Magnolia Springs, Alabama

I am looking to purchase a 1993 Clayton Atlantis 16 x 70 with what appears to be a rubber pitched roof. The MH had belonged to the parents of the lady that is selling it. So, she does not know much about the MH. She thinks the roof is rubber -- it looks like a thick blanket to me. She also says that they probably Kool Sealed it years ago. Do you put Kool Seal on a rubber roof?

Before I climb up on the roof, what do I look for? Does it sound like a rubber roof? How durable is a rubber roof? I need as much information about rubber roofs and the care thereof.
SpongeBob

I have a rubber roof. It is one piece except for the stack cut-outs. It is .90 mil in thickness. I believe they are also made in .60 mil thickness. Under my rubber roof is 4" of insulation covered by a corrugated material and then the rubber. This was all installed over the original sheet metal roof. I live in new hampshire and so far it endures harsh winters. No leaks. The major concern as I believe is damage than can be done by falling branches piercing the rubber membrane. No routine maintenance other than hosing off pine needles once or twice a year. hope this helped.
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JD
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Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:57 pm
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Single-ply roofing is often called 'Rubber Roofs' but the material could be EPDM rubber, TPO or PVC. There are many manufacturers and varied products from each manufacturer. In my opinion, all 'rubber roof' materials are durable, even the oldest EPDM, but how durable an installed roof is, is determined by the installation and maintenance.

Seams (on double wides), vents and the termination bar trim are the determining factors on the install. You do not want to see any lifting at seams or vent boots. While the roof may not leak with a little bit of lifting here or there, it does make me question the install of adhesive or heat weld. Termination bars can be installed in bad locations causing cuts in the roof material from normal movement

For maintenance, some products like Kool Seal can be used, but this would make me think that the roof may be getting old to need it in the first place. Using sealants can be risky because nothing solvent or especially asphalt. These products suck out the platicizers in the product and severely drys it out to the point of brittle cracking. The best sealant material for all single ply roofs is Liquid Roof, liquid epdm rubber, for large areas and polyurethane sealants like Vulkem 116 for and vents. Laps and seam areas can be glued back down, then covered with Eternabond tape and then liquid rubber. I am sure there are other ways and products. This is just what I have found to work best for me.

One thing you really want to watch for is the insulation. In the early days, many companies put this roof material over plain old fiberglass batt insulation. This was a very bad idea. The roof is usually framed with a 2x4 nailed around the perimeter of the roof and then the inside insulated, then the "rubber sheet" put on top of that. The insulation flattened out and causes real bad ponding, which will eventually deteriorate the "rubber".

Hope this helps,

JD
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!

All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
Guest

Is this the same as what they call Torch-on roofing? I'm waiting for one to be installed on my place......and waiting........and waiting. It's called Torch-On because the seams are sealed with a propane torch. I'm in Canada.

FL (Nicky T)
JD wrote:Single-ply roofing is often called 'Rubber Roofs' but the material could be EPDM rubber, TPO or PVC. There are many manufacturers and varied products from each manufacturer. In my opinion, all 'rubber roof' materials are durable, even the oldest EPDM, but how durable an installed roof is, is determined by the installation and maintenance.

Seams (on double wides), vents and the termination bar trim are the determining factors on the install. You do not want to see any lifting at seams or vent boots. While the roof may not leak with a little bit of lifting here or there, it does make me question the install of adhesive or heat weld. Termination bars can be installed in bad locations causing cuts in the roof material from normal movement

For maintenance, some products like Kool Seal can be used, but this would make me think that the roof may be getting old to need it in the first place. Using sealants can be risky because nothing solvent or especially asphalt. These products suck out the platicizers in the product and severely drys it out to the point of brittle cracking. The best sealant material for all single ply roofs is Liquid Roof, liquid epdm rubber, for large areas and polyurethane sealants like Vulkem 116 for and vents. Laps and seam areas can be glued back down, then covered with Eternabond tape and then liquid rubber. I am sure there are other ways and products. This is just what I have found to work best for me.

One thing you really want to watch for is the insulation. In the early days, many companies put this roof material over plain old fiberglass batt insulation. This was a very bad idea. The roof is usually framed with a 2x4 nailed around the perimeter of the roof and then the inside insulated, then the "rubber sheet" put on top of that. The insulation flattened out and causes real bad ponding, which will eventually deteriorate the "rubber".

Hope this helps,

JD
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JD
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Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:57 pm
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Hi Nicky T

No, the torch-on as some call it is an entirely different material than the single-ply (rubber roof). We call it torch-down in our area. Torch-down roofing is also known as modified bitumen. It looks very similar to standard composition rolled roofing but it is actually a rubberized asphalt based product. When I have installed it, I heat the entire product not just the edges. We always used the aluminum clad rolled material. Modified bitumen usually comes with a mineral top surface like standard composition asphalt shingles, no top layer or with the heavy aluminum foil like surface. This roofing product is intended to be used on "build up roofing" (BUR), which is the hot tar/asphalt stuff you see (and smell) being put on flat commercial roofs. But the material will also serve as a roof surface on most common mobile home roofs. I do not offer the product in my business because I do not feel I can guarantee a long lasting cost efficient product. But, that being said, it is a very inexpensive alternative to a new mobile home roof, especially for a DIY.

JD
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!

All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
Guest

Good lord, JD, you've blinded me with science.

Isn't bitumen the stuff the ancient Egyptians used in mummifying? :)

I question "Torch down" vs. "Torch on" because the installers I've spoken to say that the torch reference is to the seams, not the whole thing. Which makes me think that we're talking about two different systems.

Gad, this is so confusing!

FL
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