Quote:
Originally Posted by coppercanyon252
Just found a crack in the sky light. How hard are they to replace? Thanks for any info.
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If you are talking about the skylight over the shower, there's actually two of them, one inside, and one outside.
The inside one is very easy to replace, just pull the screws.
The outside one on the roof is a bit more effort, but not terribly challenging. You will need:
- Plastic putty knife
- Regular putty knife
- Caulking gun
- 1 or more tubes of Dicor Self-Leveling Caulk
- #2 square drive screw driver or bit for your drill-driver
- Utility knife
- Old blanket
- 2x4 sections of plywood
Throw the blanket down on the roof and then put the plywood on top of it. You want to span several roof joists to give a safe working platform so you won't accidentally break through the roof. Many RV roofs are 1/2" plywood so it is not a problem, but you'll have to determine that for your self. I'd use the blanket to protect the roof regardless.
Your primary goal is to remove the old skylight without damaging the rubber roof membrane. I'd scrape as much caulk as possible off the skylight first to expose the screw heads and the edges of the skylight. Then I'd work my way around the perimeter of the skylight breaking the seal of the caulk underneath the skylight. Eventually it will come off. Then remove as much of the old caulk as possible. If some of it is tough to remove and appears sound, leave it in place rather than risk damaging the membrane.
Install the new one the same way that they did at the factory. Lots of caulk under the skylight, place it, screw it down, and lots of caulk on top around the edges.
You don't have to remove every bit of the old caulk. If it's sound and well adhered to the membrane, leave it along. Clean it well and move on. You are going to put a new layer on top of it anyway. The self-leveling caulk is great to work with because it is a bit fluid and will fill any voids, cracks, etc. You just have to make sure the surface is clean and free of any dirt or grease.
Helpful hint: Mama's hair dryer is great for softening up the caulk. Use it very carefully. If you use a heat gun, even more care is required. Also, have a large piece of plywood handy to lay the heat gun down on. Otherwise you run the risk of melting through the membrane.