# How Do I Remove & Re-Seal Roof Edge Strips please?



## Double-Entendre (May 19, 2009)

Hello to you all. I'm new to the Forum & Mototrhomes in general and I wonder if anyone can help with my issue on my new (1996) Royale?

I need to remove the alloy strips from the corner edges of the sides of my roof as they have just come up as a damp problem in a "Habitation check" (And whilst I'm at it, I'll work my way round the whole van re-sealing these joints, ensuring water-tightness).

My questions are: 
1. How do I remove the Alloy strips and their faulty sealant 
2. What method & product should I use to re-seal and "Bed down" the alloy strips again?

Any tips appreciated but a "Fools step-by-step guide" would be invaluable.

Muchas G in anticipation


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

Double-Entendre said:


> Hello to you all. I'm new to the Forum & Mototrhomes in general and I wonder if anyone can help with my issue on my new (1996) Royale?
> 
> I need to remove the alloy strips from the corner edges of the sides of my roof as they have just come up as a damp problem in a "Habitation check" (And whilst I'm at it, I'll work my way round the whole van re-sealing these joints, ensuring water-tightness).
> 
> ...


Depends on how bad the original sealant is.

You can cut the sealant with a stanley knife but you could bend the ally strip when removing it.

You can cut the edge of the sealant and apply a fresh bead od Sikaflex along the edge using masking tape.

You can use a product called creaping crack sealer or water leak sealer available on ebay or websites.

Peter


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## Rainbow-Chasers (Sep 2, 2008)

The trick here is to be gentle! The strips will have a plastic insert which can be removed by inserting a small screwdriver into one end and lifting to strat it off - the rest will pull out. 

What you will find then, is lots of small screws that hold the alloy strip down. Undo these, some may be awkward - in which case, use the small screwdriver to lift the screw head as you unscrew. Gently remember!

Next stage is to lift the strip - this is where you have to be careful not to bend it. Gently lift, pry with a covered end screwdriver so you don't damage the fibreglass (masking tape over the tip) and genlty work your way round until loose. This is the messy bit mind! Trim any selaer from the strip with a knife blade to free it from the old sealer bed. Store somewhere safe.

Using the covered ended screwdriver or a blade if you are competent and gentle, remove the old sealer bead from the join, and again on the ally strip - making sure you do not apply to much pressure and bend it. It will be messy but fairly simple.

After this clean with some thinners or similar, dry off. Make sure you know where the screw holes are by using a marker such as a peice of tape, pencil line or similar - as long as it polishes off! lol! Take some new non drying seam sealer, and reapply a bead the length of the join - anywhere the join as lifted you need to apply underneath. Offer the ally strip back into position - use an assistant if need be. Pop in some screws top middle and bottom, and just start them off to position it.

Then just put all the screws in and screw done alternately and evenly along the strip. The sealer may ooze out, this can be cleaned off later with mutton cloth soaked in thinners. Once srcewed up, them you can reseat the plastic centre moulding - use a small blob of sealer every so often as a means of sealing the strip down so it doesn't fly out as you drive.


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## trackerman (Aug 16, 2005)

To [email protected] - which Sikaflex do you recommend for this application.

Thanks in anticipation.

Stuart


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## Melly (Jul 5, 2007)

I used Sikaflex 512 when I did my van conversion and that never leaked despite a few really good downpours to test it


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Slowly, slowly*

I've been there with damp patches on the ceiling and the answer was very easy once I'd investigated it.

First off, the question is whether the damp is entering under the existing sealant or through one of the screw holes that keeps the trim in place. In my case, this was what was happening and I bought a couple of hundred stainless steel screws from Screwfix and some new plastic insert for the metal trim and then set about replacing all the screws, injecting sealant into the holes before inserting the new screws and smearing a small amout more over the screw head. Where the damp had been entering the screws were rusty when removed and in a couple of cases were so rusted removal was impossible. Heads drilled off, holes filled with mastic and new holes drilled for new screws. I was quoted £40/metre for doing the work of removing and re-installing the trim. Cost me say £25 in the end. That was last Spring. A year on, two European tours and an English winter later and all is still fine.

Sealant. Watch out for the difference between sealant and a sealant/adhesive. If you may need to get it apart again, use a sealant only. Sikaflex 512 is a sealant/adhesive. 521 UV is a sealant and difficult to source (OK, someone will now tell me where I can get it easily!). I've just started using Carafax Caraseal IDL 99 which is a non-drying bedding sealant bought from a local dealer in Norwich.

Ray


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