hello people, this year we decided to buy a caravan [which we did] we went to look at it [damp tester in car] it seemed that good we didnt even bother to get the damp tester out [fool i know] in the shower room there was some marks on the wall but being new at this we assumed it was where the shower had leaked, ive just been out with the damp tester put it in between the boards and of course it starts buzzing, my questions are these: im not too bad at the old diy so i will mend it, 1, how much will it cost me ?, 2,if you look at my profile pics i have uploaded the affected areas on there what is the most likely cause of the problem? 3, also after this repair is done what is the best paint to paint this room out in? 4, also can you point me in the direction of a good article on repairing whatever problem it is please?
i know you must get sick of new caravanners asking you about damp etc but you are the people who know as you cannot buy experience!! thanks in advance
(1) It's difficult to say , but a guess would be between £50 to £100 if you repair it .
(2) I would say possibably the cause is the awning rail , if you could post more pictures from inside and outside it will help ( or email them to me ) .
(3) You can buy shower boarding on the internet ( think there's normally some on ebay , or try Here or Here .
wouldyou say it is necessary to replace the board near the shower because to be honest it feels pretty solid ie: it is not soft anywhere!!
also you yourself used sikaflex but other members say they have used the mastic on a roll what is the best method?
I would replace the board only if it is damp , a tick tick from the damp tester i would say suggests there is the very slightest bit of moisture there , but if the damp meter is screaming it's head off then it needs sorting out . For the awning rails i used both roll mastic and sikaflex , it depends on what part you are resealing as to what you use , i found roll mastic was very good for window hanger rails , awning rails ( i used sikaflex for improving the finish of the joint as well as making the seal the best possible ) . Sikaflex is better where the shapes or gaps don't allow for roll mastic .
Hi, I saw your post yesterday and it prompted me to put the latest page on my site, bathroom makeover, have a look HERE, as you can see I used bathroom paper and then just to be sure waterproof varnish,
Cheers,
Just looked at some of your pictures (part of my 'research' ;-)) and am SO impressed by the lovely job you have done on the flooring, especially the way you have an easy-clean surface in the kitchen/bathroom area with am amazingly neat trim between that area and the carpeted 'living' areas...
Must say I am so inspired by everyone's websites, and by everyone's willingness to help so many others who must feel daunted when faced with the dreaded damp. Thank you, Lawrence, Wizard, Al and all of you experts
Heather
------------- the tenter who became a caravanner who became a tenter :)
hello again just letting you know how i got on, resealed the back and one section of the side rails and frontas it looked a bit worn,im thinking of going over the top of all the awning railings with weathermate [which is what they use when doing roofs] it is basically the strongest clear silicone known to man with a 25 year guarantee and it also says caravan sealing on the tube, the reason i am gonna use this is my father in law works for a conservatory company and has provided it free of charge [bonus] the first day was horrendous it took me a full day just to do the back one it is like using brasso trying to get that gunk off with white spirit but now i have come up with an easy way of doing it white spirit in a bucket paint brush it comes off easy!!
also once the rails off and clean put it back on with a couple of screws and run some masking tape along the top then when you put it back on with the sealer on tighten it up wipe along it remove the masking tape and you have a nice line i found that out as it took me about two hours to get it off where it spewed out, oh well you live and learn,bathroom panel is just a couple of ticks on the old damp meter,