interior ceiling in slide out

Sonders · 05-30-2023, 10:19 AM

Well, thought we were getting a really good deal on our recently purchased 18' Hideout 28BHS purchased from an individual. We knew going in that they had some water enter through the top of slide out and cause some damage to trim and the dinette bench face from camper sitting in their yard unlevel with slide up-hill. They had all new seals installed around the slide out at dealership near them right before we purchased it. This was over the winter. Fast forward to now, it's warmed up and we now have some water dripping onto the dinette table from the light fixture in slide out ceiling above it. Keep in mind that the camper has been under roof in building at our house since purchasing it, so absolutely no water is getting on it. I dropped the light fixture in slide out and can see that it's all wet in the ceiling. I'm assuming the water was froze in there from winter and has now thawed and dripping down.

I want to pull the ceiling down in slide to dry it out and make sure there is no mold forming. How do I go about doing this? Do I just pull the trim panels, and simply pry the ceiling panel down? It looks like it is stapled in place. There is 1 cabinet above the couch; it looks like it is just screwed in. Thanks in advance for any tips/suggestions before I tear into it.

**chuckster57** · 05-30-2023, 11:11 AM

Once you remove the cabinets you can remove any batten trim used to cover the seams. Then remove the trim on the edges and you should be able to pull the panel down. Blue painters tape and a marker to label where each piece went is much easier than trying to remember.

Sonders · 05-30-2023, 11:30 AM

ok, kind of what I figured. Wish me luck. Hopefully I can get it out without tearing anything up. Once it's out I'll run a dehumidifier inside for a few days.

**chuckster57** · 05-30-2023, 11:39 AM

Slow and steady.

Sonders · 05-31-2023, 03:26 AM

got started lastnight by removing the face trim of the slide out, no problem, it was all just finish nailed on. Backside of the trim pieces were damp, so they'll be laying out to dry for awhile. Now, there is plywood pieces; are they supposed to come off as well? All 3 pieces have 3 screws each in them. I removed the screws but they're still stuck on, so I'm assuming they're nailed as well. I still have to remove the upper cabinet and the window valances, then should be able to pull the 2 ceiling panels down. There was also a trim piece along the outer most edge of the ceiling that was stapled on, and a piece covering the seam of the 2 ceiling panels. I removed both those trim pieces as well; they were both wet on the backside as well. Not sure if you can really tell from the picture, but the ceiling dips down in the middle a little bit. Can't tell from the outside roof; just on the inside.

I sure hope it was just an isolated incident of the water running in on the previous owner. I looked all around on the slide out roof before we purchased it and it all looked to be in mint shape. Once I get it all dried out, I'm also adding a slide topper. Hopefully won't have any more water issues with it after this.

**chuckster57** · 05-31-2023, 03:39 AM

Those 3 pieces that are screwed on are what keeps the slide from extending too far. You should be able to remove the ceiling panels without removing them.

Sonders · 05-31-2023, 04:00 AM

ah ok. The top piece is damp and has some mold spores on it. Thought it would be best to pull it off to dry completely as well. Guess I'll just give it a good scrubbing to remove the mold and leave it be.

**chuckster57** · 05-31-2023, 04:15 AM

You can remove them, take the screws out and then gently pry them off. Just be careful about extending the slide with them off.

**flybouy** · 05-31-2023, 05:25 AM

. It's very difficult to kill mold on raw wood. The only sure way is to remove the wood, clean it with a moldicide then encapsulate it with a paint like Killz. It's easier IMO to just replace the damaged wood. I've had a bit of experience with contracting and witnessing mold remidiation when I was a construction project manager for a nationwide resturant chain.

Sonders · 05-31-2023, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

. It's very difficult to kill mold on raw wood. The only sure way is to remove the wood, clean it with a moldicide then encapsulate it with a paint like Killz. It's easier IMO to just replace the damaged wood. I've had a bit of experience with contracting and witnessing mold remidiation when I was a construction project manager for a nationwide resturant chain.

I was planning on hitting the plywood with Killz after everything has dried out. May just replace the pieces though as I have plenty of plywood laying around the garage.

jxnbbl · 05-31-2023, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

. It's very difficult to kill mold on raw wood. The only sure way is to remove the wood, clean it with a moldicide then encapsulate it with a paint like Killz. It's easier IMO to just replace the damaged wood. I've had a bit of experience with contracting and witnessing mold remidiation when I was a construction project manager for a nationwide resturant chain.

+1 on this advise. Most people think, bleach it. The only way to really kill it is to soak it with a vinegar and water solution (or other commercial product without bleach). This has an acidity level to kill the spores without defending themselves.....these buggers are live and if bleach hits them they "burrow" into the wood to save themselves.

**JRTJH** · 05-31-2023, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jxnbbl

+1 on this advise. Most people think, bleach it. The only way to really kill it is to soak it with a vinegar and water solution (or other commercial product without bleach). This has an acidity level to kill the spores without defending themselves.....these buggers are live and if bleach hits them they "burrow" into the wood to save themselves.

^^^ This !!!

We learned (the hard way) after Katrina, that bleach does nothing but make mold "turn a lighter shade"... The mold spores have a defense mechanism that creates a "waxy outer shield" around itself if exposed to bleach. Once that "danger to the spore" is gone, the waxy coating breaks away and the spore germinates to begin reproducing again.

White vinegar (distilled 5%) mixed 50/50 with water will saturate the wood and linger long after the water evaporates. The acid in vinegar is weak enough to not activate the mold spore's defense mechanism, and is strong enough to kill it over time.

So, no bleach spray, use vinegar/water spray. Straight vinegar will activate the spore's defense mechanism and not kill it, the same as bleach does.

All that said, if you have clean, dry wood to construct new pieces that are not contaminated with mold, I'd skip trying to "kill/control mold" but simply replace it to begin with.

Lots of people in and around the area affected by Katrina found out 5 to 10 years after rebuilding, that the "snake oil Clorox based mold killers" didn't do much but "cover up the seeds" until the new drywall was installed, and in Louisiana's hot, humid climate, was a perfect environment for the spores to germinate and begin growing inside the walls again....

That was also around the time that people were using the contaminated drywall from China, which multiplied the problems, but that's another story for another day....

All that said, if you're going to use anything to spray/treat the old wood before painting it with Kilz, vinegar/water mixed 50/50 is the best option and it as good as the "big bucks commercial stuff". Spray it on, let it dry and paint over it with Kilz.

wiredgeorge · 05-31-2023, 11:15 AM

As far as removal of the trim that keeps the slide from overextending; I believe that ours was secured by wood staples and had a bit of glue to keep them in place. I knocked one of ours loose when extending and it hit something. Removal wasn't a big deal and I re-secured using finishing nails (no glue or staples) and countersunk the heads and filled with matching putty.

Sonders · 06-01-2023, 08:12 AM

definitely going to replace those 3 plywood pieces that keep the slide from over extending, so no concern of dealing with mold. I started pulling ceiling panels down a little bit ago. It looks way worse than I was expecting; fountain of water came dripping down as soon as I got the first corner started to pull down. Not happy at all.

New question, how the heck does that corner rubber trim come off between the wall panels and ceiling? I can't get it to budge. Is it just glued in place? If you zoom in, it's the lighter grey trim in the corners in picture. As you can see from picture, it' s pretty nasty up there. The top layer of plywood is still dry, as well as the outermost area towards windows; so never got wet out that far.

Dacheedah · 06-01-2023, 09:04 AM

You have a roof leak, I rebuilt a slide and the 1/8" thick ceiling paneling is put on first and that frame has supports every 16" with thin fiberglass insulation. My suggestion would be to remove any trim and use an oscillating tool to follow the wall around the perimeter. Investigate the source of the leak and refresh materials. My project grew and was a lot of time and labor however materials were not that expensive. Most likely cause would be the eternabond failed on the outside edge. I know people swear by Eternabond and at the same time it needs to be maintained. Good luck

**chuckster57** · 06-01-2023, 09:17 AM

That “trim” on the edge is stapled on. I wouldn’t try saving it, and I’d replace it with 1/4 round.

Sonders · 06-01-2023, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

That “trim” on the edge is stapled on. I wouldn’t try saving it, and I’d replace it with 1/4 round.

I’m not seeing any staples in it. It’s rubber and has an I backing to it, almost like it was slid on the panels before they were installed. There was thin wooden trim around edge and at the seam that were stapled on; I already pulled it all off. We have another trip in 2 weeks. I’m going to leave the ceiling opened up for that trip and see if it rains any; that way we’ll see if any water comes in. If no rain, then I guess I’ll be hitting it with the hose.

**chuckster57** · 06-01-2023, 11:37 AM

I’m trying to look at it on my phone at work. Maybe a closer pic?

Sonders · 06-01-2023, 12:16 PM

closer pic attached. This is the upper left corner. It's actually like a T strip. The top of the T runs between the wall panel and ceiling panel. Also is a pic of the slide out with the top stopper board removed. It sags quite a bit. Hopefully if I push up on it in the center when nailing a new board in place that will help eliminate a lot of the sag. Does that sound plausible?

Sonders · 06-01-2023, 12:20 PM

also, that dang upper cabinet is being a pain in the *** to remove. I've gotten all the screws out around the top, but there still seems to be something holding it to the walls on the side and back. I can't see anything though??? I don't want to just rip it off and destroy it and the walls. The ceiling panels were destroyed once I started removing them. This is ok though, as I'd rather replace them with some white panels to match the rest of the ceiling throughout the camper and brighten it a little more.

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