Frequently asked questions

No. Coating protects a structurally sound roof. Hidden water damage, rotted sheathing, and some leak sources need repair first, and coating over them just hides the problem while it grows. That’s why we inspect before recommending coating.

Five steps, in this order: we inspect and photograph the whole roof, scrape off the failed sealant, wash and de-chalk the membrane, repair and prime what needs it, then put fresh lap sealant on the seams and penetrations. Two coats of liquid rubber go on only if the roof is sound enough to hold them. Most of the day is prep, on purpose: it’s the difference between a reseal that holds and one that peels.

No: spray-can and brush-on rubberized sealers and household silicone aren’t made for RV roof membranes. They don’t bond well to EPDM or TPO or flex with the seams, and the real repair starts by scraping all of it off. Before a visit, purpose-made roof repair tape on a clean, dry seam is a fair stopgap. Then the right sealant for your membrane does the long-term repair.

They do different jobs, and a proper reseal usually uses both. Self-levelling lap sealant, with Dicor the brand most owners know, flows out over flat joints like vent flanges, skylight frames, and the A/C surround. EternaBond-style repair tape covers seams, tears, and long runs, where a bonded strip outlasts any bead. Some lap sealants aren’t rated for TPO, so if that’s your roof, we use a sealant your TPO roof’s maker approves.

Usually half a day for a spot reseal of the penetrations and seams, and a full day for a full reseal. A full reseal means old sealant removed, the membrane de-chalked, seams treated, and two coats of liquid rubber. It can run to two days with layers of old patch sealant, or when the second coat has to wait for the first to cure. Weather decides more than the roof does, so we pick a dry day rather than force the calendar.

Repair is a core service, not an add-on. We trace leaks to their entry point, repair the problem area, and reseal it. Resealing on its own is a prevention service for roofs that are still sound.

No. We are not an emergency service. If your roof is actively taking on water, cover the area if you safely can, then request an inspection or send photos. We will help you figure out practical next steps.

Yes. We repair the whole slide-out: the roof surface, wiper seals, corners, and topper. Slide-out roofs are a common leak source because they’re nearly flat and move under a seal every time the room goes in or out. They’re also easy to neglect, because most owners never see them.

Almost always the front cap. At highway speed, rain is driven up over the front of the trailer with real pressure, into gaps a parked rainstorm never reaches. The usual spots are the cap-to-roof seam, the clearance lights, shrunken sealant along the top of the cap, and the front window frames. We reseal them with a non-sag sealant made for vertical joints and water-test the front cap before we leave.

It usually means the plywood or luan decking under the membrane is already wet, which makes it a structural water damage repair, not a sealing job. We find where the water is getting in, measure how far the wet goes with a moisture meter, replace the wet decking, and reseal over the repair. Don’t seal over a soft spot on its own: that traps the water in and the rot keeps spreading.

Almost always after. Sealing over wet or damaged structure locks the problem in. The sequence that works: stop the leak, repair the structure, then reseal to protect the repair.

We provide photos, written observations, scope details, and repair estimates where documentation is needed. Coverage decisions always depend on your insurer and your policy. We document, they decide.

It depends on your policy, your insurer, and how the water got in. Insurers most often consider sudden damage from wind, hail, or a fallen branch, and usually treat slow seepage through cracked sealant as wear. We never promise coverage. We document the damage with dated photos, written notes, and a scoped estimate, so your claim rests on clear evidence.

Yes. Mobile service is the whole model. Driveway, campground, seasonal site, or storage lot, we come to the RV across Central and Southern Ontario, subject to access and travel.

No. RV Roof Seal is 100% mobile with no physical shop location. Every inspection, repair, and reseal happens where the RV is parked. The same goes for general repairs through Ontario RV Repairs: the service comes to you.

Safe access to the RV, and permission from the campground or storage lot if it isn’t your property. Photos in advance help us bring the right materials. Power and water on site are helpful but not always required.

Yes. Park models and seasonal-site trailers sit outdoors all year and rarely move, which is exactly what wears sealant out. We can work at your site with the park’s okay, at seasonal campgrounds, trailer parks, and storage lots across Central and Southern Ontario. If the park needs notice or a gate contact, mention it when you request the estimate.

We can talk through what drives the price, but we won’t quote a number until we’ve seen the roof or good photos. Final pricing depends on roof size, roof condition, prep requirements, travel, access, visible damage, and hidden damage found during inspection.

Because prep is most of the job, and no two roofs need the same prep. Two roofs the same size can be a world apart: one clean and sound, the other with three layers of old patch sealant and a soft spot nobody mentioned. Quoting both at one price is either a gamble for us or an overcharge for you, so we look first, and you see the full estimate before any work begins.

There’s no flat rate, and we won’t quote a number until we’ve seen the roof or good photos. A spot reseal of the vents, skylight, and seams is about a half-day visit. A full reseal, with old sealant removed, the membrane de-chalked, seams taped, and two coats of liquid rubber, is a full day or more. We’ll talk through what drives the price: roof length, penetrations, old sealant, membrane condition, roof type, and travel from our Durham Region base.

Wipe your hand across the roof. EPDM rubber leaves a white, chalky film on your palm; TPO feels smoother and slicker and leaves your hand clean. If you still can’t tell, that’s normal: identifying the roof, whether it’s EPDM, TPO, fiberglass, or aluminum, is part of every inspection, because it decides which sealants and coatings are safe to use.

Yes. EPDM, TPO, fiberglass (fibreglass), and aluminum roofs each need their own compatible cleaners, primers, and sealants, and a product that bonds well to one can peel off, or slowly damage, another. That’s why we identify your roof type before anything gets opened.

On an EPDM rubber roof, yes, up to a point. The top layer oxidizes in the sun and sheds a fine white chalk that rain washes down the sidewalls, and light streaking is normal aging. Heavy chalking, especially with cracked lap sealant, means the membrane’s thinning and needs washing and de-chalking before any sealant or coating will bond. TPO roofs don’t chalk the same way, which is one quick way to tell the two apart.

Twice a year: in spring once the snow is gone, and in fall before it comes back. Call sooner if you notice a ceiling stain, a musty smell, a soft spot, or cracked sealant. In Ontario, freeze-thaw and snow load can open a small gap over one winter, and the fall check is the one that closes it before it spends five months under ice.

Yes, especially for a trailer that sits outside all year. A check finds a cracked bead of lap sealant while it’s still a small sealing job, before water reaches the decking and the ceiling. In Ontario we recommend two a year, one in spring and one in fall.

Usually, but check your owner’s manual first. Most trailers and motorhomes with a plywood or luan deck can take careful walking, but lighter units and any roof with a soft spot can’t. Stay near the edges and trusses, step around vents and the A/C, and keep off slide-out roofs and wet EPDM, which is slippery as ice. If it flexes underfoot, get off and get it inspected: that give is wet decking, not normal movement.

Late spring through early fall is the practical window in Ontario, because sealants and coatings need dry weather and workable temperatures to cure. Book ahead: it’s the same window everyone else wants.

Spot sealing, often yes. A full coating, usually no. For lap sealant, go by the minimum temperature printed on the tube and pick a dry day, while coatings need longer, warmer windows between coats. Late in the season we seal the entry points now and book the full reseal or coating for spring.

Think weight, not depth: clear it once it builds past a hand width, and always before a thaw-and-refreeze turns it to ice. Wet Ontario snow is heavy, and a foot of it in March can outweigh two feet of January powder. Use a soft-edged roof rake, not a shovel, and never chip at ice. Sagging ceiling panels, sticking doors, or new seam cracks after a big snowfall mean the load has already stressed the structure.

A breathable RV cover, yes, but not a plastic tarp. A fitted, breathable cover keeps UV, snow, and debris off the roof and lets moisture out. A tarp traps condensation against the membrane, chafes the sealant where it flaps, and invites mould. Either way, get the sealant checked before the cover goes on: a small crack in October spends five months under ice.

We cover most of Southern and Central Ontario from our Durham Region base. We go west to London, Sarnia, and Windsor, east through Kingston to Ottawa and the Valley, and north through Muskoka to North Bay and Sudbury. The farther areas run as scheduled trips. Beyond that, ask with photos and we’ll give you a straight answer.