Rain Guard Restoration & Waterproofing
After battling the heat while installing a new weather-sealed plywood floor, my challenges with weather continue.
Rain has been a huge obstacle and often brings progress to a standstill. It takes precious days away from restoration work and continues my constant fight against rust.
The most recent disappointment is that despite my best efforts with clamping a tarp through the front window, the summer rain found its way through. It heart-wrenchingly caused a little damage and discoloration to parts of the new floor directly under the window. Additionally, I discovered that the passenger side door has a serious gap at the top and allowed for water to leak from there as well. The door will need a thick foam barrier installed to steal it off from the elements. I now have the measurements and the product ready to order and install as soon as everything is professionally painted. I am just SO thankful that nothing was damaged so badly to warrant needing replacement.
Until that glorious day comes when the awning and windows are permanently installed, the solution as been to purchase a 20' x 30' tarp, although it does not help the curb appeal, it protects the entirety of the trailer down to the wheels. This will save me more interior damage heartache as well as protect both Betsy against the ravages of the weather and my sanity to not have to constantly be re-sanding and priming away rust.
Front Window Install
Opening the trailer door to find the rain had bested me again, only made me all the more determined that the front window was getting re-installed this weekend! I was waiting on yet another coat of paint to dry, but more on that to come. The drama of that window has warranted it’s own dedicated post next week!
Rain Guard
In the meantime, I focused my attentions on the rain guard around the perimeter of the roof. I have watched how areas that are dented cause the rainwater to not flow away properly, causing some of the extensive rust damage I was now dealing with. Most of the silicone that once helped hold it in place has eroded away and water was free to flow through the crack and behind the guard, trapping itself between the trialer’s roof and the back side of the guard. I was going to remove the metal strip, repare the damage and reapply it.
The first order of business was to scrape off all remaining silicone around the guard’s perimeter. Next, we drilled through the pop rivets holding it in place. What I discovered underneath was not a pretty sight! I set to work scraping off the gross mix of old caulk, paint, rust flakes and dead bugs. Only then was I able to begin sanding the area down to bare metal and, in some areas, grinding the area smooth. To protect the now beautifually geleaming bare mental, I sprayed it with rustoleum primer and allowed it to dry.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the damage and the finished product!
With the trailer portion restored and primed, it was now time to give the same TLC to the rain guard itself. I used a wire brush to remove any debris then some sandpaper to manually buff it smooth. I did not need to seal the guard with primer as it is made of aluminum and will not rust. The cleaned rain guard was re-installed with a fresh set of pop rivets, and now, the caulking can begin!
Very Sticky Fingers
The only caulking work I have done was inside around the perimeter of the floor. As that was a major learning curve and some days have passed since then, I didn’t want to jump headfirst doing the highly visible exterior. Instead, I started on the inside roof to get my rhythm - and my goodness it is not as easy as it looks in videos online. The smoothing tool I had took off most the caulk, the hole needed to be cut smaller and the excess was all over the place. I was resigned that I would need to use a razor to get most of the excess off once it dried since that would be easier than attempting to rub it off.
I had sticky caulk all over my fingers, had gone through countless paper towels and frustration had peaked. So, I took a break… and turned to YouTube because there has to be a better way. The brilliant video encyclopedia on how to do anything didn't let me down! I found great tips that carried me through the rest of my mission.
I admit, I was slightly skeptical but at this point, I was ready to give anything a try. I am delighted to report that this worked! I completed the interior perimeter around the roof and both the inside and outside of the barn door flange.
I was planning to begin around the exterior roof, but mother nature had other plans. Not only am I limited to the days that I can do this because the heat is so intense that it is beyond the max temperature for paints and sealants to work properly, but the perception is also just as unpredictable.
Even though the forecast did not call for rain, rain it did. Midway through the side, it began to downpour. It was a team effort to quickly throw the tarp over the trailer to protect the interior from further water damage.
I Did A Thing...
The following day I decided to wait on further sealing work to allow the roof to completely dry out to be on the safe side. I didn’t want to trap moisture between the trailer and the rain guard again. With plans deterred, I got ahead of myself in other matters…
Even though the front window has still not been reinstalled, I decided to take out the third window! My thought process was that I wanted to get the frame cleaned and the opening sanded to be ready for painting as well.
Also, while the window is out, ideally I want to have the tinted plexiglass replaced with real glass. This will look so much nicer since it currently has quite a few scratches and it would allow more light into the interior space. I am on the hunt for a craftsman who could possibly take on the job. If you know anyone, please drop me a line!
By the end of the day, the third window was all clean, sanded, ready to be repainted and the new screen installed. I also took this opportunity to play with the idea of “flipping” the window so that the sliding side would be on the front end of the trailer, rather than the back. My reasoning was because when the barn doors are open and secured in place, it covers the screen portion of the window and blocks the breeze. Of course, things are never easy and the rivet holes do not line up when you do this. In the long run, I will go through the hassle of drilling new holes, but for now, that can wait for another day!
I will also be waiting to install the screen or paint the frame incase the panes can be replaced to glass. Otherwise, I would have to repair the screen twice and the new paint would be scratched in the process. Not to mention I also had to wait to caulk it back into place. For now, it is held lightly with a few pop rivets which are easy enough to remove when the time comes. With the huge tarp to cover the entire trailer, I no longer have to worry about water damage until it is fully sealed.
Lastly, yet another session draws to a close and I still do not have the front window back in thanks to yet more restoration issues. Come back next week and read about the epic struggle in the name of beauty. And caulk – lots more caulk!
Lots of love,
Heather
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