Elastomeric coatings are available at most big box stores, as well as hardware stores and many lumber yards. The better quality products will have a 10 year or better warranty, the others about a six or seven year warranty. A five gallon bucket commonly costs ~$90, and will provide two coats on a medium sized trailer. Ace hardware has an excellent product.

The coating is easy to apply and is definitely a DIY project, for someone who has previously painted a floor or wall. A long napped roller attached to a broom handle quickly covers large areas, an inexpensive 4" chip brush can be used for the smaller details. It dries rapidly, so two coats applied in a single day will complete the job. The coating can be later recoated if it needs to be renewed.

Because the product is white, it will greatly reduce the amount of heat that the original metal roof absorbed. Like white paint, it will reflect much of the sunlight hitting a dark roof or one that is bare aluminum, greatly reducing the inside roof temperatures. It is also beneficial for problem roofs with chronic leaks. Combining  the product with a mesh during the installation, can result in the sealing of gaps that would be difficult to caulk. It has the ability to greatly stretch without failing, which will greatly lower maintenance time for trailers subjected to extremes of temperatures.

." beneficial for problem roofs with chronic leaks. Combining  the product with a mesh during the installation, can result in the sealing of gaps that would be difficult to caulk."

  I had a travel trailer I coated, years ago. The hardest part was climbing up and down the ladder. The mesh sounds interesting, can you explain a little more?

The mesh sounds interesting, can you explain a little more?

If you have cracks that quickly develop in your caulking or any open seams that caulking won't seal, adding a mesh to an Elastomeric coating will provide a stronger surface and a reinforcing bridge for the product across an open seam. It is made to mimic the elongation properties of the Elastomeric coating.

The mesh is a material supplied in rolls, that looks like nylon bug screening for doors and windows. Various widths are available, the one I use is 4" wide. After you apply the first coat of surfacing and before it dries, push the mesh into the mixture, using a cut off brush with half the length of the bristles cut off. After that layer dries, apply more Elastomeric coatings until the mesh's weave is no longer visible. This may take one or two more coats where the mesh is used.

The mesh will allow the surfacing to bridge a gap that ordinarily could not be adequately caulked. Because the Elastomeric coating can both expand and contract much more than caulking can without failing, whilst providing a reflective surface, this is an excellent product to use on a metal or a dissimilar materials roof. If you have fiberglass seams contacting various metals, the differences in the expansion/contraction of the materials will cause many joints to eventually leak, as the OEM caulking ages, hardens, becomes brittle and untimely fails. The Elastomeric products can be used on any horse trailer roof, steel, aluminum, fiberglass or any mixture.

Gard,

Does the roof need to be cleaned with anything in particular before applying the coating?

Thanks,

Kim

Yes. To achieve the best bonding and ensure a long life span, the roof should be as clean as possible. On fiberglass and aluminum roofs, I use a green Scotchbrite sheet affixed to a random orbit sander using a H & L pad, to remove the dirt and oxidation from the roof's surface. Any loose caulking should also be removed. Then the whole lot is power washed and allowed to dry. After masking any particular edges, whilst using a roller and an inexpensive "chip" brush, the Elastomeric compound is easily applied. Before it dries, pull the tape, usually within the first hour.

If you are recoating a steel roof, you may have to pretreat any rusty areas with a rust converter such as Ospho. The coating will do little to stop the spreading of existing rust. Any air feeding from below will allow it to continue and cause the bonding to fail.

Elastomeric coatings are easy to work with, do a great job stopping leaks and cooling the roofs of aluminum trailers.

An update... I purchased 5 gallons of elastomeric roof coating with a 10 yr guarantee from a big box store.  I've applied three coats to the roof with one more coat to go.  4 coats is what it will take to use up the 5 gallons.  I figured why not use it all up.  It's been an easy process.  So far, my one rat study shows that the temperature in the dressing room, while the trailer is sitting under cover, is 8 degrees cooler.  Will do a few more one rat studies this weekend while trailer is under cover and out in sun. 

Kim Huck