remove Silicone on roof!

[lost00]

 someone put silicone on roof before i bought..  so i am work on remove old silicone off from roof  pretty Bugger jobs to remove!  i tired use heat guns, silicone remover, scrap still not remove easy.. so keep working peel off.. and need really clean good before i put M1 Sealant then dry before put Eternabond Tape cover around on RV roof ..   anyone have done remove silicone before?  i wish someone not put Silicone on roof! 

[lost00]

 Aluminium Roof  has little loose from rust clip to hold sheet so i will going use Metal Screw to hold metal sheet before use M1 Sealant for between sheets before tape. 

[Rickf1985]

Silicone is as nasty as it gets. I stay far away from it as far as using it, I only use urethane or latex caulks and sealants. As far as getting the silicone off, I have tried many different things right down to carburetor cleaner and brake cleaner, Hey, I am a mechanic and you use what you have. The carburetor cleaner seemed to work the best but you have to be careful of other things that may be damaged by it. For instance you have the open seams that it would get into and if there is foam insulation it would attack that very aggressively. I have also have had fairly good luck with Xylene. You have to apply and wipe quickly since it dries fast. You could try enamel reducer, it is just about the same chemical but drys slower. No matter what you use you have to keep changing rags since the silicone does not go away, it just softens and wipes up and stays in the rag, to a point.
It looks like the roof bit back from the looks of your hand. D:oH!

[lost00]

 should i try this?    or

http://www.silicone-remover.com/

[Froggy1936]

First off, I reccomend GLOVES To protect those pretty nails and hands , What ever chemicals you use read and follow the cautions and instuctions to the letter Then can cause serious skin and lung damage , Usually the best way is the scraper Slow and tedious , I also would not reccomend the screws to refasten the aluminum As the only thing under there is styerfoam . A very strong stapler would be best with 3/4 in staples (used by roofers ) Mabey after all the scrapping you can borrow one or pay someone to restaple it .Good Luck Frank

[Lefty]

Silicone caulk is probably the worst thing to try and remove... I had fair success using a 3" steel bristle brush wheel on a drill before... but have to be careful not to grind away the aluminum. You can also buy Professional Strength Goof-Off in gallons at hardware stores (Lowes,Home Depot..etc), and that will pretty much dissolve anything. It will take off the paint though, so be prepared to respray the aluminum roof wherever you use it.

[lost00]

First off, I reccomend GLOVES To protect those pretty nails and hands , What ever chemicals you use read and follow the cautions and instuctions to the letter Then can cause serious skin and lung damage , Usually the best way is the scraper Slow and tedious , I also would not reccomend the screws to refasten the aluminum As the only thing under there is styerfoam . A very strong stapler would be best with 3/4 in staples (used by roofers ) Mabey after all the scrapping you can borrow one or pay someone to restaple it .Good Luck Frank

Thank for Info!!!!

[lost00]

I been search on Google but i found more info and more safe to use   3M SR Plastic Radial Bristle Disc 3  will remove everything on Silicone and will not harm on metal..  i think it more safe than use chemical..   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWLmZJUfURU

[Froggy1936]

Hi, I agree safest way Make sure you use eye protection. After you go thru 1 wheel you will have an idea of how many more will be needed !  On the stapels you could hammer them in if necc . Have Fun Frank !

[circleD]

My experience with taking off anything that's a sealant is to take your time, bring all of the stuff you need up with you unless someone helps handing it up, heat either by sun or heat gun, if it takes longer than you thought make sure no rain for awhile and do sections. Oh and again TAKE YOUR TIME or you'll rush through and not care about what damage you'll do and then you'll have a future project. True story 

[JerryP]

I had good luck with the eraser wheels that remove decals.


I have been using a scraper to remove the bulk, and then the eraser wheel.
When it is a seem, or corner edge, I will use the scraper to slice down one edge, and then pry to off the other edge..

[Rickf1985]

But with silicone you have to chemically remove ALL residue or nothing will stick to it.

[Schmitti]

Remove silicone is the worst to work, there is. We have all the silicone seams on Winni removed and replaced ... and not just on the roof - which has finally turned out to be unnecessary, because we renewed it completely.

We have used a wire brush attachment to remove the worst. After fussy washed with acetone to remove any residue can.


Silicone is not suitable in the automotive industry. Most silicones are not UV stable, and take too little exercise on. If already liquid sealant, then only UV resistant EPDM based - even if it is slightly more expensive - it is worth.

Thomas

[lost00]

 update...   still wait for package come for 3M SR Plastic Radial Bristle Disc 3 inch then i will test on RV roof remove silicone then let everyone know how it goes! 

[Jonbbrew]

update...   still wait for package come for 3M SR Plastic Radial Bristle Disc 3 inch then i will test on RV roof remove silicone then let everyone know how it goes!

Howd it go?


I have to do this but i do not want to remove the paint. Can i use another "approved" RV sealant over it?

[Rickf1985]

You can use absolutely NOTHING over silicone including silicone! That stuff is junk and hard as hell to remove but it has to come off before anything else can go on. Google Silicone remover or silicone caulk remover. Some work, some are like pouring water on it. Pretty much you get what you pay for. You not ony have to remove the caulk bead but also any residue left behind.