Saftman
Lafayette, La.
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Joined: 08/14/2006
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Has anyone replplaced their EPDM roof with TPO. Mine has a few bubbles since new and I hooked a low hanging branch the other day. I was wondering if TPO is really much better than EPDM. I saw where it comes in two thicknesses. Any input is appreciated.
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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Joined: 07/22/2007
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Craig I have the rubber roof but have read about the TPO and I would just get some EternaBond tape and in short order you will be as functional as before the limbs. TPO will not make shape bends like the rubber roof material so replacing a rubber roof could call for some reshaping especially the roof edge on an old unit like ours.
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Dixonmatco
Santa Rosa, California
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Joined: 04/29/2006
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Saftman wrote:Has anyone replplaced their EPDM roof with TPO. Mine has a few bubbles since new and I hooked a low hanging branch the other day. I was wondering if TPO is really much better than EPDM. I saw where it comes in two thicknesses. Any input is appreciated.
I have heard that at least one major manufacturer has gone back to EPDM after switching to TPO for a couple of years.
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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I used the Liquid Rubber vs Liquid Roof because it is whiter.
The one thing I like about EPDM is you can chemically put a new layer on the old one without removing the old one with just a roller, brush or other way you wish to apply it. It works great but you should read the application details in full before you order.
We used the Liquid Rubber vs Liquid Roof because it is whiter and less expensive because it is not sold through RV service centers. We are going to do the entire roof after we get all of the seams and vents resealed but the areas we did three months ago are impressive. It did wrinkle some at first as noted in the FAQ's but when back to its normal state in time.
THIS IS NOT A SURFACE COATING. It is EPDM material that chemically bonds into the current sheet of EPDM. Once the kids saw the results they said we need to get the whole roof coated. Yes I really did question the sites marketing statements but first hand experience and now three months later I still am totally impressed with Liquid Rubber. If you are like me you will wonder about the wrinkles that can take weeks to go away as it cures. 
It does not hurt to get rained on a few hours later. It has to be above 70 degrees to cure much. The nice part of it you can stick the mixed and unused liquid in a frig and stop the chemical curing process if you run out of time, etc when applying it. Personally I would mix it one gallon at a time the first time to get your system to apply it worked out. It works like very heavy syrup on a cold day.
The Liquid Rubber costed us about $65 a gallon shipped and 42 sq foot is the recommend coverage so it is not cheap but it is good. Where the white was worn off along the edges by the RV cover used for 10 years by the PO I was able to rebuild the edge thickness better then when new. In fact you can make it as thick as you want to spend the money to buy the materials because you can recoat and recoat and it it is still just want layer of EPDM from the decking up.
* This post was
edited 07/05/08 12:52pm by Gale Hawkins *
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Saftman
Lafayette, La.
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Thanks for the quick response guys. Would it be better to puncture any existing bubbles and repair them or put a coating on top of them?
I would hate to have to do this project twice if you know what I mean.
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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Bubbles are not issues in most cases. 90%+ of RV's with rubber roofs have bubbles. The same goes for EPDM covered buildings. The Liquid Rubber did help stiffen the bubbles by making the rubber roof thicker. There are few things safe to coat an EPDM roof can you can destroy a roof system with the wrong coating material.
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