TPO roof. Do i need a new one (pics here)

[stanleyz]

15 year old Mobile Suites. Cleaned and maintained reasonably well. It is not leaking. But today I gave is a quick wash down and I'm seeing several areas where it appears worn. So can anyone look at the pics and give me an EDUCATED opinion about the condition. If not would a close up picture help? Does anyone know of a cover or sealer product that would prevent leaks or extend life of roof. And is anyone familiar with roof replacement places (home base is ATL) that do good work. What should a recover cost me? Thanks for the response.

[Stripit]

Are you sure the black spots are not mold? If not there are many do it yourself roll on roof coatings. I would certainly do that before comitting to a complete roof replacement. Cost for do it yourself will be in the very few hundreds, and you labor or hiring someone for their labor and you supply the product.

[stanleyz]

Stripit, thanks for the reply. How would I tell if it is mold. Whats the cure vinegar and water? Is that right?

[Discusdano]

The black spots are the backing material. The top layer is worn through. You probably have a white EDPM roof. That is what was on my 2011. You can coat it using recoating materials available at you local RV dealer for a couple hundred dollars. If you hire a professional to do it look for the bill to be around $650. You will probably need to repeat the process ever other year until you decide to replace the roof. The price I got was from the guy who washes my unit each year.

I just had my roof replaced due to hail damage for $8000. Thankfully it was covered by insurance.

I hope this helps.

[stanleyz]

The black spots are the backing material. The top layer is worn through. You probably have a white EDPM roof. That is what was on my 2011. You can coat it using recoating materials available at you local RV dealer for a couple hundred dollars. If you hire a professional to do it look for the bill to be around $650. You will probably need to repeat the process ever other year until you decide to replace the roof. The price I got was from the guy who washes my unit each year.

I just had my roof replaced due to hail damage for $8000. Thankfully it was covered by insurance.

I hope this helps.


I am sure the roof is TPO. Please don’t ask me to spell the long name. I think TPO is white on the bottom and EPDM is black on the bottom. But my memory being what it is I could have them reversed. Somebody on the forum will tell us, I’m sure. Or maybe Ill google it.

[porthole]

15 year old Mobile Suites. Cleaned and maintained reasonably well. It is not leaking. But today I gave is a quick wash down and I'm seeing several areas where it appears worn. So can anyone look at the pics and give me an EDUCATED opinion about the condition. If not would a close up picture help? Does anyone know of a cover or sealer product that would prevent leaks or extend life of roof. And is anyone familiar with roof replacement places (home base is ATL) that do good work. What should a recover cost me? Thanks for the response.


Looks like mold. Once in not easy to clean off. Any chemicals you use could damage the material while removing the mold.

If the material is worn through the top protective layer you would probably see black underlayment, not a grayish color.

[Discusdano]

Regardless, you've worn through the top coat.

[Stripit]

Yep lets all make assumptions, I would go up with a soft brush, some diluted bleach or a mold killing soultion and try a small area. Then I would know if it is mold, or totally worn out TPO roofing material. I used to clean my 2004 36 TK3 with a low pressure pressure washer, Murphy's Oil soap and a softer brissel brush every year. Depending on the climate we were in and the amount of wet weather,when I had small mold spots and they washed off when I cleaned the roof. I sold my trailer in 2015 and the roof was white and clean when I sold it with no signs of failure.

[stanleyz]

Yep lets all make assumptions, I would go up with a soft brush, some diluted bleach or a mold killing soultion and try a small area. Then I would know if it is mold, or totally worn out TPO roofing material. I used to clean my 2004 36 TK3 with a low pressure pressure washer, Murphy's Oil soap and a softer brissel brush every year. Depending on the climate we were in and the amount of wet weather,when I had small mold spots and they washed off when I cleaned the roof. I sold my trailer in 2015 and the roof was white and clean when I sold it with no signs of failure.

I use murphys at least twice a year sometimes more with just a splash of bleach. I am now sure that TPO is white on the bottom so there is no black to wear down to. Been sitting in Fort Myers for two months with plenty of humidity and I guess that provides a good opportunity for mold to grow. So, I'll try a mold solution first and see what happens. I'll reply here when I get done.

[Notanlines]

I'm betting it is simply a little mildew growing on your roof. Try the above methods on a small section and see what you get, about a 10% solution with real bleach, not the cheap stuff.
Keep us informed please.

[stanleyz]

I'm betting it is simply a little mildew growing on your roof. Try the above methods on a small section and see what you get, about a 10% solution with real bleach, not the cheap stuff.
Keep us informed please.

I'll try that first. I am going to go back up and take a magnifying glass and a light to see what I can see. My old eyes don't focus as well as they once did,

[stanleyz]

Just to close this out, I finally got around to cleaning the roof again. I added a small amount of bleach to the Murphys and the roof cleaned up white as can be. Thank you all for the help.

[Cummins12V98]

Yep, I was going to suggest more aggressive cleaning.

Happy you didn't spend $ for not!!!