# Question On Proper Use Of Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant



## thefulminator

Last summer I found a few spots on around the penetrations through the rubber roof where the sealant has split. None of it has been peeling off the roof membrane or piece of equipment that was coming through the roof. It looked like thin spots in the sealant that had stretched a little too far. Last year I opted not to remove the old sealant since it wasn't peeling and I really didn't have the time to do all that. I cleaned the area around the splits with rubbing alcohol and applied more lap sealant, building it up about a quarter inch. In looking at those repair over the weekend, they appear to have no problems.

Is there any reason why repairing the cracked sealant this way shouldn't be done?


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## CamperAndy

As long as the base is not peeling or loose then you did the correct thing. There is no reason to remove all the old sealant.


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## Bob in Virginia

If it passes the visual test and isn't leaking, sounds good.


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## RDS

Just picked up some of that sealer and the dealer told me the same thing. If the old sealer is in good shape, clean and fill crack.


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## Jewellfamily

I would imagine that where most people fail when applying any type of new sealant is the cleaning stage. Alcohol or any kind of cleaning agent that leaves no residue behind is the ticket.


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## Bob Landry

Jewellfamily said:


> I would imagine that where most people fail when applying any type of new sealant is the cleaning stage. Alcohol or any kind of cleaning agent that leaves no residue behind is the ticket.


Has anyone checked with the manufacturer to see if new sealant will bond with the existing stuff? Some sealants will not bond with old material regardless of how well it's cleaned and has to be completely removed to make a good seal.


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## CamperAndy

Bob Landry said:


> I would imagine that where most people fail when applying any type of new sealant is the cleaning stage. Alcohol or any kind of cleaning agent that leaves no residue behind is the ticket.


Has anyone checked with the manufacturer to see if new sealant will bond with the existing stuff? Some sealants will not bond with old material regardless of how well it's cleaned and has to be completely removed to make a good seal.
[/quote]

There is no restricton, as long the old is well bonded. Dicor seems to stick to everything!!


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## Scoutr2

CamperAndy said:


> I would imagine that where most people fail when applying any type of new sealant is the cleaning stage. Alcohol or any kind of cleaning agent that leaves no residue behind is the ticket.


Has anyone checked with the manufacturer to see if new sealant will bond with the existing stuff? Some sealants will not bond with old material regardless of how well it's cleaned and has to be completely removed to make a good seal.
[/quote]

There is no restricton, as long the old is well bonded. Dicor seems to stick to everything!!
[/quote]

I have found that Dicor does stick to everything - including your fingers! But I've also found that it does not stick particularly well to existing silicone caulking. I have applied Dicor over silicone caulk, but I keep a close eye on the integrity of the sealing. If I notice any gaps, the old Dicor peels off easily and then I apply new. Normally I would use silicone on silicone, but where the front cap and the side panels meet the rubber roof membrane, there are several seams where the factory used Dicor and a couple seams the factory used silicone. I have had an issue with those two particular areas and have resealed a couple times since we've had the 2007 model trailer (new) in August, 2006. I was cleaning the roof and trailer last Friday, before our weekend trip, and found that area on the left side to be degraded, so I removed all the loose stuff, cleaned the whole area well with rubbing alcohol, then sealed with Dicor. A tongue depressor works well for smoothing and neatly spreading out the caulk.

Mike


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