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Topic: Roof Maintenance (Read 3849 times) previous topic - next topic
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Roof Maintenance

I'm curious what others do to maintain the roof.  I'm not thinking about the sealant, but the fiberglass. 

Do folks wax it?  Seal it?  Paint it?

What product line can I use to clean and protect (seal) the roof surface, that WILL NOT cause problems and help eliminate the white streaking that seems to occur with age and UV exposure.

Re: Roof Maintenance

Reply #1 –
You might try 303 as a UV protectant.  I'm not sure it's much of a cleaner.

Re: Roof Maintenance

Reply #2 –
We have friends that had their 2014 Alegro Bus roof painted because the roof was chalking and had white streaks washing down the sides of their coach.

As I recall they used a standard automotive white paint with some "grit" added which helped with underfoot traction when you are on working the roof.   This eliminated white steaks form them and made cleaning the roof a quick operation.  I believe it was around $1700, so not the cheapest solution but long lasting.

Re: Roof Maintenance

Reply #3 –
The stuff they add to the paint is called ''Shark Grip" it is Polypropylene spheres SHARKGRIP® SLIP-RESISTANT ADDITIVE - H&C® Concrete You can add it to paint to make your own anti slip surface.

Re: Roof Maintenance

Reply #4 –
I like the idea of a paint with a bit of a non slip surface, may be an option when the roof gets to a point that it needs a more involved "fix" or simply to cut down on yearly / twice yearly roof maintenance.

I know some folks use a couple of coats of Mop & Glo once a year to keep it happy and they swear by it.  

Others use a marine version called Poli Glow which has UV inhibitors, it takes several coats of that the first time but the surface will be protected and have a nice UV coat as well.

I think the problem with these are:
A) the yearly re-application (or as often as required) and
B) if you had to remove it for some reason, like you want to paint it instead, the removal requires a stripping agent.
C) the surface must be free of wax or other products for it to properly adhere to the gel coat.
D) slippery when wet

Re: Roof Maintenance

Reply #5 –
I'll offer one more suggestion to the list :D

Also from the marine world, Gel Coat Labs makes several products very well suited for our roof top.

Two Step Process
Polishing Gel Coat  If your roof is already lightly oxidized, you first need to get it ready for sealing / protecting.  Use Gel Coat Lab’s Gel Coat Fine Cut Polish.  Per info on bottle:  "Designed to remove light oxidation, fine scratches and light chalk from both painted and unpainted gel coat."

Sealing Gel Coat Use Gel Coat Lab’s Gel Coat All Marine Surface Sealant.  Per info on bottle:  “This powerful polymer based surface sealant is designed to seal and protect finishes from marine contamination, industrial fallout, salt air, acid rain and UV inducing slow fade. Seals and protects painted and non-painted gel coats, stainless steel and aluminum surfaces.”  Wipe on, allow to dry to haze, buff off residue with clean dry microfiber towel.  Sealant can be applied by hand or machine, and buffed off by hand or machine.

Sealing has no cleaning or polishing qualities and is a lot easier and faster than compounding or polishing.  Whatever stains, etc. remain on the surface will not be cleaned any further.  But it’s easy to go back and polish where there are stains or streaks and then reseal.

One-Step Polishing/Sealing  
Use Gel Coat/Fiberglass Micro-Polish & Sealant  This product basically combines the two steps above.  It probably does not clean / polish as well nor seal as well as using the two individual products, but its not like you only have to do this once anyway.

Re: Roof Maintenance

Reply #6 –
I found this information from Country Coach, just posting it since its relevant and also recommends 303.  Like Entegra, CC used Sikkens paint (but not on the roof :( )

Q: The fiberglass on my roof surface seems to be oxidizing, causing white streaks on the sides of my coach as the oxidation is washed off with rain. What can I use to clean the white streaks, and how can I prevent the oxidation from reoccurring?

A: The oxidation is a result of the sun's UV exposure on the gel coat, which is the smooth outer layer of the fiberglass used to build your coach. The oxidation itself does not present any structural concerns, but it can be unsightly as it washes off and regular maintenance is required to protect your roofﾒs surface from the sunﾒs ultraviolet radiation.

To clean the oxidation from the sides of your coach, try washing with a solution of one cup of detergent and a gallon of warm water. This together with the a little elbow grease will usually remove the streaks, and adding a cup of bleach to this solution will quickly take care of any mildew that may have formed on your roof during the winter months. If the streaks refuse to wash of with a regular soap solution, then look for a fiberglass cleaning product that should be readily available at any good RV or marine accessory store.

To prevent the oxidation from reoccurring, apply a coating of 303 Aerospace Protectant to your roofﾒs surface every six months to one year depending on the level of sun exposure. This product is available in many stores and more information is available on the manufacturers web site at Auto Protectant and Multi-Surface Cleaner | 303 Products