Cracks on the roof. Please help, pretty please.

[kirkman]

DavieBoot.........You have to sand it REAL good with a power sander almost to bear wood. Make sure it is all ruffed up so the coating has some thing to adhere to.

Here is one more product that might stick better if you want to try it. This one lasts for 50 years.
http://www.gacoretail.com/gacoroof.html

[DavieBoot]

I saw that stuff, but it is awfully pricey. On the bare wood, we have several coats of epoxy, 2 coats of primer, and 2-3 coats of marine topside paint, so tearing through all of that is a big job (and probably too demoralizing for us at this point). But, if it is the roughness that matters, we can certainly go at it with a low grit paper and see how it works. We are going to start with a small trial section to see how it goes.

[kirkman]

Good Luck! Make sure you put 2 coats on. Let me know how it turns out!

[Larry C]

The fact you have several coats of epoxy is a good thing. You won't have to remove everything down to the wood. If you just remove the paint down to good epoxy, and as I suggested earlier, glass the bad spots even if they are fairly large. It is not that difficult to hide these patches.
I have even had good luck using paint strippers to remove varnish from epoxy coated wood. There are several different paint strippers, many will not touch the epoxy at all, just the paint.
I really don't think your problem is as devastating as it seems right now. Don't get discouraged! Anything is fixable.

Larry C

[mezmo]

Hi DavieBoot,

I tried to post this yesterday but it wouldn't 'take': Here goes now:

As Mike/mikeschn mentioned, canvas [fabric] and glue/paint may be your
solution as the problem appears to be in the ply itself - its expansion
& contraction.

Here are some T&TTT links that I could find concerning this method:

Pg1 Of "glue info for foamies" sticky thread in the Foamie section:
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=44078 with pics
from laursand.

here's some more from her:
laursand's Album pp1-2, I couldn't find any narrative posts.
http://tnttt.com/album_ ... er_id=8603

RAYVILLIAN's 12ft Winter Warrior Build: Especially pgs 6-7-8
http://tnttt.com/viewto ... highlight=

rowerwet's thread on it; He has pics of it but I couldn't find them, maybe
you can. Try his www link, I think it goes to his Facebook page. They sure
looked good from what I recall.
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=45468 his out- line of what he did

This is first pg of the big Foamie thread that starts discussion on the method.
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=39373

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[Gage]

Did this problem ever get fixed?

[mikeschn]

Did this problem ever get fixed?

That's what I want to know...

Mike...

[DavieBoot]

It is still a work in progress. We scrapped off the elastomeric coating we put on, then sanded down the entire roof, pretty rough. We've re-painted half of it with the white roof coating stuff, and are letting that dry thoroughly before finishing up. We'll know soon (a couple days).

[Gage]

That might be well and good but if it was the ply that was causing the problem, it's going to keep happening and get worst. Good luck with your fix.

[Larry C]

That might be well and good but if it was the ply that was causing the problem, it's going to keep happening and get worst. Good luck with your fix.

I agree with Gage. The outer layer of the plywood is cracking, and I think there is only 2 ways of fixing it at this point. 1) Glass the whole top, or 2) add another 1/8" layer of plywood over what's already there. I don't think the elastomeric coating is going to solve the cracking for very long.

$.02

Larry C

[kirkman]

I beg to differ. I have the same elastomeric coating on a curved cheep luan plywood top on my coal ash trailer that has sat in the sun and cold all year for the last 4 or 5 years with no splits or cracks of any kind showing through. It was cracked and split when I applied it and it still looks good today. I could be wrong but so far I am very satisfied with the results I have gotten. Just my 2 cents.
Jason

[Larry C]

I would like to know more about this product. If it's as good as it sounds, It may just be the best choice instead of paint If this stuff can solve cracking plywood exposed to all kinds of NY weather for 5 years, I must get some and give it a try. Has anyone else tried this product? Would it be a good choice for a foamie? Does it stay white over time?

Larry

[kirkman]

Larry.... It is rubbery so it does get dirty fairly easy. There was a member here that did there hole tear in this stuff awhile back. That is where I first found out about it. The name of there tear was the Zefer, I think Mike knows them. He /she ended up painting over the coating because they could not keep it clean and it looked like most old campers a dingy white/gray color.
I also have this on the roof of my tear over the Duraback I originally did my tear in because I did not get the Duraback on thick enough. It has been on there for 2 years and so far I have not had a problem keeping it clean. I wash it with a cleaner that is for rubber RV roofs.
Jason

[crumvoc]

I know this thread has been "dead" a while, but I thought I'd just add my $.02. I've build a couple wooden boats using plywood and epoxy. Most cheaper plywood, or even some types of "marine" plywood use douglas-fir (or hemlock) veneers. Most wooden boat manuals that I have read recommend that if using douglas-fir veneer plywood, one should always laminate it's surface with a layer of fiberglass cloth set in epoxy resin to keep the wood from "checking", which it appears has happened to the OP. This checking more frequently occurs when the plywood is stressed (bent). I have followed that practice and have never had a failure of the plywood.

[Miriam C.]

Well did it work. When mine did that I sanded the finish off and epoxied before re-finishing. Worked like a charm. More than one coat of marine epoxy should glue that baby right down!