Quote:
Originally Posted by Mc901
For the seams where the new plywood meets - you filled with the pro star I think it was called. Do you think we could use bondo in the seams and sand to smooth it out? Anything you could recommend we could get at lowes or home depot?
Cleaning the aluminum exterior pieces, then putting back on and then doing the trim in the corner, will replace all rusty screws. Will get butyl tape to redo the corner trim, storage doors and windows. Do you have an idea on the caulking sealant to use on those areas? Again, anything I can buy at a box store to work?
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Hi Mc,
You are on a roll now. You are gaining. Good job.
On the plywood floor sheets, issue I had was new OSB next to old swelled OSB. In my case, I butted the sheets as tight as possible/practical and first I dealt with the height difference between the old and the new.
I used a 3" wide belt sander with a course belt and sanded both sheets until the joint was mechanically smooth. This way I know for sure no filler will crack under a vinyl floor tile. You can see the sanding color difference at the joints. Those seams are in a high traffic area, I did not want filler as he main leveling compound, thus the sanding to make the joints even with wood supporting, and then fill what is left over.
Next I used Prep Star as a filler for two things. OSB board is not smooth, there are lots of little bumps and the filler makes it all smooth. The next was to fill large gaps in area where not a lot to any traffic is. And to fill the entire floor are smooth.
This filler compound worked really well, and there is a learning curve to it. I am by no means an expert on this, if we have floor person who does a lot of this for a living, they can chime in to help. Make the filler in small batches. This stuff sets quick and you want it as thin as possible. I had to waste a small portion on the first batch (still small) as it hardened up to much in the pan before I could feather it all out. The next batch was smaller and better aligned with how fast I could trowel it out to it being all used up. That small square clear container was a batch of the mix. You proportion water to the amount of mix. And that was all I could trowel out before it started setting up and globing up. The directions are good. Just read and follow.
The majority of the floor is skim coated to make it smooth. Maybe 1/64" thick in the high spots.
The filler is rated I think up to 9/16", but I did not use it that thick in the high traffic areas with fear of long term cracking. There was only one odd ball spot by the slide area I had to fill up to about 3/8". Is was only about 4" x 6" and you can only about put your toe in the and not a complete shoe size.
There are other brands of floor fillers in the lumber yards, I had a flooring friend provide that one bag of PrepStar.
When you say bondo, do you mean like auto body bondo? I'm not sure how that will work on wood or under heavy foot traffic.
For caulking as a secondary seal, I will recommend ProFlex RV sealant. See this post on how to apply it. While Dicor Non sag is also a good choice, it does have a dirt stick issue the Proflex does not. Both are good options. I have used a lot of the Dicor no sag, but I'm catching up quick on the Proflex. They both apply using the same tap tap tap and soapy wet finger smooth out.
https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f...tml#post137746
A few tips on both, especially the Proflex,
Do not apply in high sun. Hot siding and hot sun makes it dry up to fast and it just drags in place of smooths out. Cloudy day or early morning or later cool afternoon etc. Best is inside a building if you have one.
Do smaller lengths of caulk, stop then smooth out instantly. Start with about 2 feet long at first, and with experience you can get to about 3 feet long. If you go too long before smoothing, it will tack up and glob trying to smooth is out.
Here is where I found the cheapest to buy Dirco non sag or Proflex RV.
https://www.rvupgradestore.com/10-Oz...#review_header
However they seem to be out of it right now in white, but other colors of clear may be available. Do a web search, or an RV dealer. I buy it by the case. It may take 4 to 5 tubes to do your entire large camper window, door etc secondary seals with fresh butyl under the flanges.
And Geocel also sells 2300 MHRV sealant if you cannot find the Proflex.
https://www.geocelusa.com/product/2300-mhrv-sealant/
Proflex RV and 2300 MHRV is just about the same thing. Neither has better performance. Color selection can be different. I called Geocel tech service to get the straight story on which was better. It is a marketing thing they have both brands.
What ever you do, do not use silicone on the outside as a window, molding, boor etc. caulk. Silicone is a good product, but RV exterior is not the right application. For camper use, I do not use any of the big box store home based caulks. They are made for stationary objects like a house so I cannot recommend any of them nor how long they last.
Hope this helps
John
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