Ceiling panel replacement

[WinnieOnKyLake]

Sent: 4/2/2003 8:37 PM

Well, hubby got home from work and I said it was time to put the new seal around the air conditioner. Went inside took ceiling assembly down, had him try to lift AC up from inside and lo and behold there is some white (glue) substance running down where the old seal is....thick white glue....so I said, okay, let's take utility knife and cut through what has dripped down and is glued to inner ceiling....did it, and went to lift on AC again...the wonderful person whose bright idea this has effectively glued the AC to the roof itself. So no way to lift air out, so no way to replace gasket, or even caulk around since you can't get to that part of it from outside since it is stepped in under the AC as far as it is. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can cut this glue with any type of solvent or anything I can do??? Hubby wants to cut corners and just caulk the air unit to the roof, but I said no way that would be doing something just as dumb...what if water or moister traps in under that, besides the fact it wouldn't hold when the aluminum roof expanded and contracted under an object as big as the air. .

One good thing I found upon taking down ceiling assembly where I can see the inside of the ceiling itself where it has the most damage is that there was no rot, just damp...so I assume the leaking hasn't been going on too awful long and the section of ceiling I want to replace will be all I have to do
Dani

[chip]

Sent: 4/2/2003 9:25 PM

try to stay away from real aggressive solvents. the foam that they sandwich between the roof panels doesn't stand up well to the likes of acetone or lacquer thinner. my suggestion would be to try white vinegar or Liquid Wrench with the teflon in it[it's non-flammable]. Most sealants don't stand up well when heat is applied. so judicious use of a heat gun might work to soften the sealant. 

[WinnieOnKyLake]

Sent: 4/3/2003 10:16 PM

I have pulled carpet off living room ceiling in preparation for replacing the ceiling...tech helping me through email was very helpful and detailed....if anyone is interested, I have copied his instructions below in case anyone else wants to do this at some future time and is as RV illiterate as I. Mind you, after I read what the service tech had to say I had to rewrite him and let him know that not only one layer had to be replaced but both layers of luaun plywood and styrofoam. His response to that is also below the first one.

"The ceiling panels are laminated with contact adhesive. You will need to use a putty knife to remove the old panel. Only remove the damaged areas. Begin at a seam between 2 panels and chisel your way to the next seam and work out from the center of the coach towards the walls. You only need to go into the cabinets if there is damage inside the cabinets. Try to not damage the Styrofoam insulation with the putty knife while removing the old panel. Once the old one is removed use a scrap of cardboard to cut a pattern. If the Styrofoam is damage, cut out square sections and glue in new ones of the same thickness. Use your pattern to trace onto a new ceiling panel then cut it out. Take the new panel into the coach and make sure it fits and trim as needed. Remember, it’s easier to cut more off than to try to add some back on, so be careful with your cuts.

Step two

Use a paint brush and coat the entire exposed Styrofoam area with Elmore’s glue, the kind you used in grade school. The glue acts as a sealer to keep the real glue from melting the Styrofoam. Use 2 coats of Elmore’s, allowing each coat to dry overnight, you only need to coat the Styrofoam, not the new ceiling panel. Once the sealer, (Elmore’s glue), dries. Coat the Styrofoam and the back of the new panel with Contact cement; available at Home Depot or Lowe’s. Use a paint roller to apply a thin coat to both surfaces, more is not better here. You’ll need about ½ gallon per ceiling panel. Allow 20 minutes of dry time, once the contact cement is no longer tacky, take the panel into the RV. Carefully align the panel and press it into place. You only get one shot with contact cement, once it touches; it sticks so make sure it is aligned properly before allowing any part of it to touch. Next, use a 12” square block of wood, covered with carpet, and a mallet to secure the panel in place. Lay the block of wood against the ceiling panel, with the carpeted side towards the panel, and hit it several times with the mallet. Keep moving the wood block a few inches at a time and hit it again.

Step three

Now that the new panel is in place, trim it out around the cabinets with molding and cut out any light holes or ceiling vent openings that you need."
"You would use the same procedure, but you will need to cut it back to the rafters and cut the upper piece of plywood larger than the rafters, so that when you slide it place, it will lay on top of both rafters