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Hi, I'm re-opening this thread because I have questions about vapor barrier repair and roof repair, and some comments on the companies who do that work around Lake County (and I presume it's the same all over FL).
So we had a leak in our roof, luckily a trustworthy handyman put some sealant on a few screws which stopped the leak before it came through the ceiling! Whew! Note: last year a trustworthy inspector said the roof is good for 20 years, so I am pretty certain we do NOT need a new roof.
**So I had a few roofer people come out and give estimates to prevent further problems.
1 guy said we should replace all the screws on our 1344 sq ft 1981 mobile home (metal roof). $3000.00! I almost laughed in his face. Seems insane to me, especially after my trusted handyman said all I need to do is re-seal all of them. However he is super in-demand and I can't find anyone to do that. (more on that later)
The next guy who came out said all we really need is paint it with elastomeric paint, and that will seal it good enough. Cost of that is $1500. The paint itself is about $400-500 of that cost, the rest is labor. He says he'll give it 2 coats and pre-seal any bad screws he finds. Sounds reasonable but more than we'd like to spend. I'd like to just have someone re-seal all the screws but no one I can find so far wants to do that work. Very hard to get handymen here. Seems to me a handyman could do it in about 2 or 3 hours at a cost of $200-300 max...?
So my question is: Is this elastomeric paint worth it? The reviews seem pretty good - especially as far as it reflecting the sun so reducing a.c. costs, but also many reviews state that it stopped their leaks. Just wondering if anyone here has experience with elastomeric roof treatment stopping leaks.
** Vapor barrier. I'm new to mobile homes so I gather that the vapor barrier is a plastic or nylon type material that attaches to the subfloor and prevents moisture from coming up from the ground and warping/ruining the particle board type subfloor. (the stupidest thing ever to make a sub-floor out of!)
So our new (last year) luxury vinyl planks in one part of the home is giving out due to sub-floor damage.
I hired a trustworthy inspector to come look at my vapor barrier. He said it looks fine, just needs a 100sq ft area patched. So I called vapor barrier repair places to give me an estimate.
Vapor barrier company guy #1 came out and said we need to put a ground barrier in (not attached to subfloor but just on the ground) and repair a big tear where the floor has a problem. $3,000. Seems outrageous to me. Laying plastic /nylon on the ground and fastening it costs that much? Really?
Vapor barrier guy #2 came out and said the whole vapor barrier is bad and needs replacing and I have an animal making a nest over there where the barrier is torn and the floor is warping from moisture. He said he saw poop and fresh leaves there. His estimate to do that: $9,000.
Okay, so guy#2 is a liar. He even seemed to me to have the personality of a used car salesman who will tell you anything... My recent inspector said it just needs to be repaired in that one place mainly and a couple other smaller places. I asked the salesman for the photos of the poop and "nest" which he took and he won't give them to me. That was a test to see if he even had real photos. I told him I could not pay $9k so I guess he won't give me his photos. I wonder if he has "stock" photos of things like animal poop and fresh leaves so that he can convince you that you have a major problem when you don't. I suspect that's the case -
We have heard no animal noise and have plugged up all holes around the house where they could get in so I am quite sure the guy was lying about it. He is certainly lying about needing a whole new vapor barrier.
So it seems to me these vapor barrier and roof (oh, and a.c. people too - I will leave that story out for now) service people are all con artists whose job it is to SELL you on the idea you need to spend thousands of dollars even when you do not. And they refuse to take a job doing just a simple repair like sealing screws in roofs or repairing tears in vapor barriers.
If they can't convince you to spend at least $3k then they'll move on and lie to the next guy who is more gullible, it seems to me. No one will do simple repairs it seems! Not enough gouging to be done with that!
Comments? Advice?
The one thing I've learned from all this is if you can find an HONEST inspector (I did) who will check your roof, a.c, vapor barrier etc for you, then do that first so some lying salesman can't come along and convince you that you need a NEW roof, vapor barrier or HVAC, when you do NOT.
The problem is finding anyone who will do a simple repair (simple for those who know how at least!).
Could I seal the screws myself? Yes, probably but
a) I'm 73 and have a bad back, and
b) I am reluctant to invest time and money in doing work myself that I have no experience in and I may not do it the correct way thus wasting my time and money.
Last edited by movingvanmorrison; 12-27-2023 at 07:14 PM..
Elastomeric paint is a high build coating that is designed to protect masonry surfaces. These coatings help protect your stucco from wind driven rain, and can create a waterproof system if applied correctly.
However, elastomeric paint may not be suitable for every surface. It may not adhere as well to other materials, such as wood or metal, and may require proper preparation and priming to ensure proper adhesion and longevity. In terms of cost, elastomeric paint tends to be more expensive than traditional acrylic paint."
Get some recommendations for contractors from the mobile home parts stores in your area. They hear from their customers which ones are good and which ones to watch out for. I located a fantastic roofer/contractor that way.
You could also want to ask them about the paint idea. My guess is roofing tar works better, but I don't know.
Get some recommendations for contractors from the mobile home parts stores in your area. They hear from their customers which ones are good and which ones to watch out for. I located a fantastic roofer/contractor that way.
You could also want to ask them about the paint idea. My guess is roofing tar works better, but I don't know.
Thanks. I will try that.
So far, my experience here in Florida is that 95% of people who do mobile home repairs are crooks. Even some recommended to me by honest people.
Elastomeric paint is a high build coating that is designed to protect masonry surfaces. These coatings help protect your stucco from wind driven rain, and can create a waterproof system if applied correctly.
However, elastomeric paint may not be suitable for every surface. It may not adhere as well to other materials, such as wood or metal, and may require proper preparation and priming to ensure proper adhesion and longevity. In terms of cost, elastomeric paint tends to be more expensive than traditional acrylic paint."
Thanks for going to the trouble to research that.
However there must be different types of elastomeric, because several people have told me that it is indeed good for metal roofs and there are many positive reviews. This link will show you that elastomeric indeed is good for metal roofs.
My only question is whether or not it works well to STOP AND PREVENT LEAKS, and that's why I'm looking for personal recommendations from people who have used it.
Thanks again for your input.
Our manufactured home has a metal roof. My neighborhood has several homes with metal roofs. Everyone we've spoken to has told us that eventually, the screws on a metal roof have to be replaced. It might only be needed once every 5-6 years, or if the previous person did a bad job of it, a year after the last time it was done. It depends on the type of screws they use.
In addition, not all roofing companies service metal roofs, and handymen should NEVER be trusted on your roof, ever, for any reason.
Lastly - regarding the sealant. Our roofer didn't use the term "elastomeric" - but your description and the cost of the product itself sounds like it was probably the same thing. Our roofer used it but only on the seams and around the screws. Our roof extends to the carport and laundry shed, but there are seams, and we've had some leaks in the shed. The sealant seems to have resolved almost all of that, but we still keep two empty buckets to place on the floor where leaks sometimes come through anyway. We might get half a cup of water during a 2-hour torrential downpour, so it's not a big deal, plus it's in the laundry shed which has a concrete foundation. I think if the leak was coming into the house, we'd look into replacing the roof completely.
Go to the closest Lowes or home depot. Find a Latino guy that looks good. Pay him by the hour to go up and tighten all the screws with a cordless drill.
Then buy a gallon of the good elastomeric paint and touch up all the screw heads.
See if it leaks.
Or price out the screws can't be that expensive and replace them all. But unless the current ones are all rusty the tightening and paint should work.
We have that kind of issue here in Costa Rica all the time with our metal roofs. Usually always a simple fix.
Best of luck to you.
Our manufactured home has a metal roof. My neighborhood has several homes with metal roofs. Everyone we've spoken to has told us that eventually, the screws on a metal roof have to be replaced. It might only be needed once every 5-6 years, or if the previous person did a bad job of it, a year after the last time it was done. It depends on the type of screws they use.
In addition, not all roofing companies service metal roofs, and handymen should NEVER be trusted on your roof, ever, for any reason.
Lastly - regarding the sealant. Our roofer didn't use the term "elastomeric" - but your description and the cost of the product itself sounds like it was probably the same thing. Our roofer used it but only on the seams and around the screws. Our roof extends to the carport and laundry shed, but there are seams, and we've had some leaks in the shed. The sealant seems to have resolved almost all of that, but we still keep two empty buckets to place on the floor where leaks sometimes come through anyway. We might get half a cup of water during a 2-hour torrential downpour, so it's not a big deal, plus it's in the laundry shed which has a concrete foundation. I think if the leak was coming into the house, we'd look into replacing the roof completely.
Interesting. That's why I come here - to get differing opinions.
Where I live we have 40 year old manufactured homes that have never had the screws changed out, just sealed. I had a leak recently and the handyman found the one bad screw, sealed it, and no more problem. That's why I'm thinking of using elastomeric roof "paint", and yes I'm thinking of just rolling it over the seams and screws with a 4" roller.
I'm curious why a handyman should not be trusted on the roof, while a roofer should be. The handymen I know are much more trustworthy than the roofers, and do good work.
I'm thinking of doing the elastomeric treatment myself on the roof, but if I could get a handyman to do it at a reasonable price I would pay him to do it instead.
Since my roof is white, if I just paint stripes along the seams and screws with the white elastomeric sealant paint it won't be noticeable I don't think. But I still am not sure the elastomeric will do the job I want it to do.
You say that the elastomeric seems to have stopped almost all of your leaks. Why do you think it didn't stop a couple of them? Were two coats applied?
Go to the closest Lowes or home depot. Find a Latino guy that looks good. Pay him by the hour to go up and tighten all the screws with a cordless drill.
Then buy a gallon of the good elastomeric paint and touch up all the screw heads.
See if it leaks.
Or price out the screws can't be that expensive and replace them all. But unless the current ones are all rusty the tightening and paint should work.
We have that kind of issue here in Costa Rica all the time with our metal roofs. Usually always a simple fix.
Best of luck to you.
Thanks. I lived in Costa Rica for 8 years, and we had the construction supervisor put in MANY of the best screws, and we never had a problem with our metal roof.
Do you happen to know which elastomeric treatment brands are the best in the United States?
Being that our current home is a manufactured home, and the ceilings are irreplaceable, it is imperative that we prevent the roof from leaking. The one leak caused part of the ceiling to get soft, but it didn't leak nor did the ceiling catch enough water to cause it to fall through. The handyman sealed a screw or two in that area and we haven't had any further problem.
But I am looking for a long-term preventative measure and the more I hear I am leaning towards thinking the elastomeric paint will work.
Where we live, it's not like in some other places I've lived where there are people standing outside Lowe's or home Depot looking for work. Here there are none. So I'm thinking of painting the elastomeric on myself. From what I hear, it is just applied with a roller like paint, so even at 73 I think I can do that.
My concern is that I get it done right, and I'm not sure I could trust just any handyman to go up there and do a good job. And the good handyman I know are not available to do it.
Interesting. That's why I come here - to get differing opinions.
Where I live we have 40 year old manufactured homes that have never had the screws changed out, just sealed. I had a leak recently and the handyman found the one bad screw, sealed it, and no more problem. That's why I'm thinking of using elastomeric roof "paint", and yes I'm thinking of just rolling it over the seams and screws with a 4" roller.
I'm curious why a handyman should not be trusted on the roof, while a roofer should be. The handymen I know are much more trustworthy than the roofers, and do good work.
I'm thinking of doing the elastomeric treatment myself on the roof, but if I could get a handyman to do it at a reasonable price I would pay him to do it instead.
Since my roof is white, if I just paint stripes along the seams and screws with the white elastomeric sealant paint it won't be noticeable I don't think. But I still am not sure the elastomeric will do the job I want it to do.
You say that the elastomeric seems to have stopped almost all of your leaks. Why do you think it didn't stop a couple of them? Were two coats applied?
I'm guessing he missed a spot. Or the sealant absorbed and spread, becoming too thin to protect that one little spot (it's 2 spots total and as I said - a half cup of water total, within a 2-hour period of torrential downpours - which is a nothingburger).
You never use a handyman, because handymen don't have insurance. If they fall off your roof and hurt themselves, YOU get sued. If they misstep onto the laundry shed and their foot goes through your roof, YOU pay for the repairs and your insurance won't cover it.
The previous owners used a handyman to install the dishwasher in my house. The handyman also put new flooring down. He didn't put a barrier between the particle board and the planks, which he should have done, so the planks slip and there are gaps between them. So we can't wash our floors as we would like - because the particle board is exposed and that can't get wet. He also slipped the dishwasher under the counter while the floor was uncovered - which means the only way to replace the dishwasher now is to remove the kitchen counter - or rip out our flooring.
Never - ever - ever - hire a handyman to do anything in the house other than trim your hedges. It's just not worth the efforts in fixing whatever he screws up, because he's not qualified, insured, or licensed and there's zero accountability.
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