Seen this roof stain before?

[ptt87]

Has anyone seen this type of stain on their roof?

Its smooth, not sticky, so its not tree sap or some other substance. I thought it might be the roof membrane wearing away, but it doesn't feel any different than the rest of the roof.

Any ideas of what it is or how to repair it? Thanks in advance.

[007matman]

Yeah.. you probably have a rubber roof and the protective coat is wearing off. The underlying rubber is Black.

There are some roof coatings but I've never used one. Maybe someone else will have a recommendation.

[rracer5]

Originally Posted by ptt87

Has anyone seen this type of stain on their roof?

Its smooth, not sticky, so its not tree sap or some other substance. I thought it might be the roof membrane wearing away, but it doesn't feel any different than the rest of the roof.

Any ideas of what it is or how to repair it? Thanks in advance.

Attachment 263809

Originally Posted by 007matman

Yeah.. you probably have a rubber roof and the protective coat is wearing off. The underlying rubber is Black.

There are some roof coatings but I've never used one. Maybe someone else will have a recommendation.

X2 The roof material is made up of 2 or 3 thin layers. I saw the same issue on mine as little round dots (some on yours too) that I thought was a mold of some sort because I too, found it smooth. I found out that the top layer is very thin and "scrubbing" the roof too hard with an abrasive brush and/or harsh chemicals erodes the top membrane.

Your roof still looks good otherwise and probably won't leak in spite of its' looks but, I would look into a good quality roof coating like Dicor products.

[dsjohns71]

Dicor makes a rubber coating, much like thick paint that you would put on it a few layers and not have to worry about your roof too much. I used it a couple years ago and still looks new and have only cleaned it 2 or 3 times since using just dawn dish soap and soft brush.. very good stuff but it’s about $70-90 a gallon.. depending how large your rv is, mine is 34’+ and 2 gallons was plenty (I bought 4)

[eric1514]

I also used the Dicor product. It was a two part system if I remember; one part primer and one part paint. You also had to do it in a certain amount of time but it wasn't hard and it really looked good and wore well for years.

[rsdata]

have you tried spraying a black mold removal chemical on it? Many different brands out there...

[dsjohns71]

Originally Posted by rsdata

have you tried spraying a black mold removal chemical on it? Many different brands out there...

That crap will mess up the whole side of the camper if it gets on it,,, don’t ask me how I know… I would say mold armor is not rv friendly… just my $.02

[rsdata]

Originally Posted by dsjohns71

That crap will mess up the whole side of the camper if it gets on it,,, don’t ask me how I know… I would say mold armor is not rv friendly… just my $.02

I use it all the time... and it has not messed up anything or discolored anything

besides I did not say to spray it all over the sides... just apply it to the black spot

that spot looks like black mold to me

just my 2 cents

[dsjohns71]

Originally Posted by rsdata

I use it all the time... and it has not messed up anything or discolored anything



just my 2 cents

I guess it was just my luck then … I sprayed on my awning and even though I was trying to be careful it somehow got on the side (gel coat) of my camper and left white steaks that took many many different products to get right,, just beware…

[Chazman]

I agree that it looks like you have a rubber roof and the coating is wearing off. I recoated a rubber roof on a 31 foot TT we owned a few years ago with Heng's Rubber Roof Coating. It came out great. I recently bought a couple of gallons to recoat the roof on our smaller TT, a 2014 Apex by Coachmen, but I haven't done it yet due to some health issues.

I am including before and after pics of the roof.

[cboss]

Originally Posted by dsjohns71

I guess it was just my luck then … I sprayed on my awning and even though I was trying to be careful it somehow got on the side (gel coat) of my camper and left white steaks that took many many different products to get right,, just beware…

Use "Wet N Forget" on the awning. Be patient it works great!

[dsjohns71]

Originally Posted by cboss

Use "Wet N Forget" on the awning. Be patient it works great!

I will have to try that.. but since then, I replaced my white (always looking like it needed a good cleaning) awning that was starting to age to a black one and it always looks nice and clean. Perhaps because you can’t see the black nastiness?? Lol

[cboss]

Not to hijack this thread but many folks will not clean the top of the awning as they don't realize that the white part winds up on the black part. I treat both sides and have not had to scrub the awing in over two years. The white stays white!

BTW; Got this tip on this forum!

[ptt87]

Thank you all for the feedback.

I thought it was rather odd that only that one area was looking that way. I don't use anything abrasive on the roof when cleaning....Protect-All rubber roof cleaner and Dawn, using a mop and microfiber brush.

I did, however, clean my AC unit this past spring, a couple months before this showed up. I'm wondering if the AC cleaner I used contributed?

[Johnnydog]

Originally Posted by Chazman

I agree that it looks like you have a rubber roof and the coating is wearing off. I recoated a rubber roof on a 31 foot TT we owned a few years ago with Heng's Rubber Roof Coating. It came out great. I recently bought a couple of gallons to recoat the roof on our smaller TT, a 2014 Apex by Coachmen, but I haven't done it yet due to some health issues.

I am including before and after pics of the roof.

X2 Hengs is good stuff. A lot less expensive than Dicor

[5picker]

Originally Posted by ptt87

Thank you all for the feedback.

I thought it was rather odd that only that one area was looking that way. I don't use anything abrasive on the roof when cleaning....Protect-All rubber roof cleaner and Dawn, using a mop and microfiber brush.

I did, however, clean my AC unit this past spring, a couple months before this showed up. I'm wondering if the AC cleaner I used contributed?

Seeing as how the only black/mottled surface is right next to the A/C, it's a good bet.

[1100mike]

A/C cleaner is a mild acid mix..

[Jim S JR]

It's actually an oxidation. They say it is good to leave it on. It helps with protecting the under layers. Yeah, it looks like mold.

I would clean it well and put another coat of Dicor sealant over it. It will look new. Those roofs need a reapply every few years.

It looks Ike it's in good shape.

[Dela]

Hey all- I went back to this old thread to review the best roof sealants. I read Dicor and Hengs- my roof needs attention. Any insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Chazman]

Originally Posted by Dela

Hey all- I went back to this old thread to review the best roof sealants. I read Dicor and Hengs- my roof needs attention. Any insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I think I replied to this thread earlier, but just in case I didn't....
I used Heng's and it worked great. I found it cheaper than the Dicor on Amazon. In fact, in the Spring I will be using Heng''s again on a 2014 trailer that we bought this year. I had intended to have it done by now, but health issues threw a wrench into those gears.