we have resealed the awning rail on our van and have done it all as the pros on here explain, we have one prob thou, we cannot get the sealant off the van that has squeezed out the sides of the rail, please help the van looks a bugger at mo,
Hi,
I just cleaned some old mastic out of an overlapping joint with a soldering iron. Very slow but with a screwdriver in the other hand to lift off the softened goo it was possible to clear it. I used a ridiculously small soldering iron but it might be possible to find something with a chisel type tip.
Best of luck
HuwCanvey
Use a sharp blade and cut the mastic next to the rail but just lean hard enough to go through the mastic and not into the aluminuim skin. Then take a sharp chisel and try to get underneath the mastic and prize it off. There will be some left on the van so use a cloth with white spirit and a plastic scrapper and you should get it off.
It will take some time to do but you should get a good finish.
Why didnt you clean it off when you were doing the reseal while it was still wet?
you need to cut a line between what you want to remomve and the part you want to remain.( the mastic under the rail) If you try and pull it you will also pull mastic away from under the rail you have sealed. If it was mastic on a roll it will come away easy enough, but if it was sifalix 512 ( cant remember how to spell it) it is also and adhesive, making it harded to remove, but the best stuff for the job. It is expensive at £8 a tube but worth it in the long run.