Leaky Roof

bluethunder

I noticed a leak in my roof last week. There is a small amount of water in two of the lights on the ceiling. My best guess is that it is coming from the extractor fan (it's pretty much a skylight but there's a fan to send air in or out). I haven't given it a good inspection yet but looking on the roof there is what looks like strips of lead on each of the four sides where the opening meets the roof (i'll post pics this evening).

I have no idea what these strips are. I would have assumed that the whole thing can be taken out and resealed but does anyone have any idea what these strips might be and whether or not I will need to replace those too? Again, pics will make it clearer so i'll get them up as soon as I can.

bluethunder

Ok, here's the photo. Any advice on the best way to remove and replace would be greatly appreciated.

noel farrell

the strips are flash band used in the building trade ..the seem to be coming away in places... not sure how good the are flashing a motor home.. messy getting it off use a small paint scraper take your time be careful you do not damage roof or light .ask some of the motor home dealers if the have a good product one i know of aidan pat horan motorhomes he posts in tips of the week.. hope you get sorted soon i hate leaks ....

munsterabu

Hello bluethunder,
not an expert by any means, i replaced a rooflight last year researched quite a bit before tackling the job the product i used was this http://campingcrazyireland.com/shop/mastic-sealing-strip-standard-size-p-1520.html


make sure to remove all of previous adhesive before bedding the mastic , it worked for me.take you're time when completing the job,
Best of luck.

Daniel D

First: Strip out flash band and clean of residue (flash band is only for emergency repairs and has a short water resistant capabilities depending on the surface it is applied to).
Option 1: Applying shell based primer to larger perimeter area and up-stands around dome. This primer comes with flash band products and your local builder provider will provide. You will need a small hand held butane torch some gloves a small pointing trowel to bead the edgings of your repair.
This can be done with further instructions from your local builders merchant or I can show you some examples. It's actually real easy but not a permanent repair unfortunately?

Option 2: applying area with torch on felt primer.
Applying 2mm torch on felt to act as an underlay.
Applying 4mm heavy duty torch on felt to act a finish.
All felt applied with high performance propane torches.
applying solar reflective paint to act as a sun barrier.

Option 2: Is the system that will stand the test of time.

bluethunder

Job done, thanks for all the responses. The flash band came away easy enough and I was able to clean everything with the help of a builder buddy. There was a lot of silicone applied and it appears that there was a fix done before. Looks like it was done without removing the unit. There was no sign of serious water damage and no rotting wood so looks like the leak was very minor and I got it in time.

I though about replacing the whole unit as it was quite old but nobody local had it in stock so I just reset it. The roof on the Ducato is ridged which makes it more difficult to get a good seal. Applied lot of Sikaflex and put down an inner and outer bead. Hoping that's the last repair before the spring season!

Aidan_M_M

bluethunder wrote: »

Job done, thanks for all the responses. The flash band came away easy enough and I was able to clean everything with the help of a builder buddy. There was a lot of silicone applied and it appears that there was a fix done before. Looks like it was done without removing the unit. There was no sign of serious water damage and no rotting wood so looks like the leak was very minor and I got it in time.

I though about replacing the whole unit as it was quite old but nobody local had it in stock so I just reset it. The roof on the Ducato is ridged which makes it more difficult to get a good seal. Applied lot of Sikaflex and put down an inner and outer bead. Hoping that's the last repair before the spring season!

No need at all for flash bands , or felt or lead or any of the building style products , the proper grade Sika or Wurth , applied to a clean and slightly "keyed" surface , will NEVER leak . I've been at this for years.... Silicone mastic is a total waste of time .

bluethunder

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

No need at all for flash bands , or felt or lead or any of the building style products , the proper grade Sika or Wurth , applied to a clean and slightly "keyed" surface , will NEVER leak . I've been at this for years.... Silicone mastic is a total waste of time .

Great, so I got it right? I got a bit worried with all that talk about lead and butane torches! It looks like the flash band was used as a patch up job some years ago, don't think that's the way the unit was installed initially.