Ceiling stain...what to do?

[Hexnut]

A hole in roof caulk the size of a pencil point can cause a lot of problems as I found out, especially if it located exactly where water tends to puddle instead of running off the roof. A bad design/construction matters not even with regular inspections and mostly garage storage. After 12 months the problem belongs to me as I am told. I guess we should expect more when we pay big bucks for these things. Not so.

This unit has the "soft-touch" vinyl ceiling and somehow something bled through the vinyl that will not clean up. Has anyone else experienced this? I am not sure if replacing the bedroom ceiling is even doable. Anyone have any ideas?

[Handydc]

Seal the stain with kilz and paint the ceiling.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Probably your only route is to apply Kilz and paint ceiling as was posted before.

[Alan F]

X3

[Iwannacamp]

I really like the Zenser primer. It gets a A+ from me. FWIW(for what it's worth)

[VinceU]

The stain comes from the Luan plywood used in the roof panels and ceiling just behind the vinyl. Once the wood gets wet the stain follows. Yes it's happened to me, not so bad. You must make sure the leak is stopped and it's dry up there. To make it look good again Renew the sheet of vinyl usually 4' wide. It's glued to the ceiling maybe with a thin foam sheet. If it doesn't look easy, hire a pro. Paint will not stick to the soft sheet and will look terrible.

[Iwannacamp]

Originally Posted by VinceU

The stain comes from the Luan plywood used in the roof panels and ceiling just behind the vinyl. Once the wood gets wet the stain follows. Yes it's happened to me, not so bad. You must make sure the leak is stopped and it's dry up there. To make it look good again Renew the sheet of vinyl usually 4' wide. It's glued to the ceiling maybe with a thin foam sheet. If it doesn't look easy, hire a pro. Paint will not stick to the soft sheet and will look terrible.

Good to know. Thanks

[Larsbeflying]

If this was already suggested or if you tried it already, please forgive me. Often a 10% bleach solution (10% bleach/90% water) sprayed on the affected area will help. Obviously you need to cover the wooden cabinet and protect what ever lies below which will add to the workload, but this has worked for me in the past. If the spray touches anything else, wipe it down with a very wet towel immediately. Hope this helps

[rvnomads1974]

I use a mix of 4 oz of Bleach to 10 oz of Water. Spray lightly and wait. It will probably take a few applications. I have also done it with carpet ceilings with great results and NO bleaching effect.

Sadly, no matter how are you try you are bound to get a leak or two at sometime. GRRRR

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

I really like the Zenser primer. It gets a A+ from me. FWIW(for what it's worth)

It's Zinzer btw and it's better than Kilz by a long shot.

I have another issue with the celing stain that has nothing to do with the stain itself but the cause and collateral damage.

Lets see... You had water intrusion from a failed caulk seam right?

I'd be more worried about the luan under the roof membrane and how rotten it is first and if any water went down the walls, soaked the insulation and initiated the rot process in the wooden frame. Wet-dry-wet-dry and wet again equals rot and mold and once it gets a toehold it's off to the races. It's a progressive thing and if left unchecked, eventually destroys the unit or makes it unliveable because most mold is toxic.

Time to open it up and see.....or

You can actually see behind the ceiling and walls with a thermal imaging camera or even an inexpensive IR handheld thermometer.

Rot and mold makes heat as things decay, an IR thermometer will 'see' that heat. A thermal imaging camera will not only 'see' it, it will map it for you.

Everyone with an RV needs to always be cognizant of water intrusion, not just you. The older a unit gets, the better chance for failed caulk. I check mine twice a year.

While I don't buy used RV's, if I did, my IR thermometer and a good flashlight would come along with me. I know where to look for water intrusion and I'm not bashful either.

I bet a good percentage of traded in units have water issues.

[Hexnut]

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. I will try the easy ones first and work my way up to ceiling replacement if needed.

[DouglasReid]

If you decide to go the seal and paint route I would suggest using Shellac instead of Kilz to seal the stain before the paint. Being alcohol based instead of water based it will seal what Kilz will not, which includes water stains that I have had bleed right through Kilz.

Shellac also has the wonderful property of being fast drying. Using Orange shellac will help you see where you have applied it and it will be covered up by the paint. You can even use this trick on oil based things, like crayons on the walls if children write on the walls with their crayons

[AbdRahim]

Thanks for the IR thermometer idea. I don't know how long it takes after a leak to detect. I recently had a leak and got it sealed up. I ran a dehumidifier for a day and always have Eva-Dri units in the MH. I added damprid near the spot a see very little moisture. The air conditioner is also on most days. Upon closer inspection it appears that there have been other leaks, likely while it was on the dealer lot. The IR thermometer shows no temperature irregularities. I took the precaution of sealing all of the marker lights with silocone, also.

[Hexnut]

After the small leak was found and sealed, I ran an electric dehumidifier in the MH for a couple weeks to make sure the inside was bone dry. I had removed the ceiling light and the foam backing was dry, but I left it out during the dehumidification just in case trapped vapors needed a way out.

I tried the bleach thing, but the only time it made any difference was when I soaked white paper towels and applied it behind aluminum foil taped all around to prevent drying while the bleach did its thing. The color went, but a shadow was still left.

Then I moved on to the stain blocker method. A trip to Lowes and a spray can of Zinsser did the trick. The bright white color is a perfect match. I would post an "after" picture, but it would serve no purpose since the fix made it look new again.

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by Hexnut

After the small leak was found and sealed, I ran an electric dehumidifier in the MH for a couple weeks to make sure the inside was bone dry. I had removed the ceiling light and the foam backing was dry, but I left it out during the dehumidification just in case trapped vapors needed a way out.



I tried the bleach thing, but the only time it made any difference was when I soaked white paper towels and applied it behind aluminum foil taped all around to prevent drying while the bleach did its thing. The color went, but a shadow was still left.



Then I moved on to the stain blocker method. A trip to Lowes and a spray can of Zinsser did the trick. The bright white color is a perfect match. I would post an "after" picture, but it would serve no purpose since the fix made it look new again.

Great job/outcome, thanks for the follow up!!

[AbdRahim]

I just had another leak. Trying to decide if the soft touch or hard panel ceiling is better for detecting and drying out leaks. Any other long term leak survivors have input? I will put the dehumidifier in here for the week that I am home. I discovered the leak because of the musty smell in the foam and vinyl. I thought I saw some black mold which seemed to go away upon treatment with hydrogen peroxide. It is taking quite a while to get rid of the odor. I am in a campground so I am running the A/C as much as I can.

[Hexnut]

So far so good regarding more leaks, but now I am looking at the condition of the sealant like a hawk. I just discovered a few more suspect areas that I need to seal. I find it amazing how fast these things can appear. The major issue I see is the way the roof is constructed does not allow the roof to drain entirely.

In several TT's I have owned, the roof membrane wrapped over the edge of the sidewalls and the crowned roof allows the rain water to be drained completely. My MBS has that appearance from below, but a look at the top shows a dam along ALL the edges causing standing water especially at the corners. This is NOT what you want when caulk is the only thing preventing a leak under standing water. Even a pinhole will leak under standing water!

I am presently preparing the roof for dicor sealant and eternabond so I can be somewhat confident water will stay outside. This is likely the best I can do with the way the roof is configured. Lesson learned, get on the roof before buying an RV and look at it often after you do!