San Diego, California - A new market has opened up for polyurea coatings: the repair of the roofs of America's widely used recreational vehicles (RV). And, with a typical roof being about 200 sq ft (over 18 m2), there is plenty of business around, suggests Rhino Linings Corp, a major supplier of polyurethane, polyaspartic and epoxy resin-based coatings and linings.
The recreational vehicle (RV) industry in the United States has been enjoying solid growth as baby-boomers swell the quantity of potential buyers, the firm said in a 24 Nov announcement. Rapid growth led to faster production schedules for RVs, campers, Fifth Wheels and trailers so, in some cases, fewer resources were applied to ensuring long-term waterproofing and, after a few years of exposure to sunlight and the elements, many owners reported leaks and internal damage to their insurance companies.
In addition, traditional repair materials such as Dicor rubber or sheet plastics require renewed UV protection every two years and they generally fail or gain an undesirable appearance within eight years, Rhino says. But its new spray-applied 100-percent solids polyurea coating, with aluminium pigment, forms a seamless, long-term barrier against water intrusion and degradation, the firm claims.
Designated EcoCoat, the material is now being supplied to San Diego RV Center in California with great success, Rhino says. The monolithic polyurea coating forms a tight seal around all the protrusions, gaps and bolts on the roof, thus preventing water leakage, it also cuts UV/sunlight degradation while giving a desirable silver-like finish.
In the repair process, the failing rubber roof of the vehicle is stripped down to the existing plywood roof. At this point any seams and large gaps are filled, while any previous adhesives on the wood are removed and sanded down. After all of the wood is sanded, the entire area is primed with Rhino 161 primer and then sprayed with EcoCoat in a single coat multi-pass application at thicknesses from 1/16" to 1/8" (1.5 - 3.0 mm) depending on area.
From start to finish, San Diego RV Center can have an owners RV repairs and ready for the road within three days.
The Rhino EcoCoat process costs significantly less than replacing the previous rubber roof or replacing the vehicle roof every few years. Best of all, Rhino Linings adds, even though it is an aromatic polyurea and will undergo a slight gloss change when exposed to UV light, the coating will not chalk, crack or degrade with normal service.
Rhino EcoCoat quickly and easily solves the problems of rejuvenating aged recreational vehicle roofs, Rhino Linings claims, adding that the San Diego RV Center has not received one customer complaint since they have been using the system.
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