well after reading all info on resealing awning rail, today i attempted to remove rail !! managed to get it off as far up to window, (this was the bit with green slime behind,came off quite easy) but the rest is STUCK FAST !
tried easing it with plastic scrapers , forcing it with blunt knife , but gave up in the end.seems like the bedding mastic has done its job !! any ideas on how to cut through mastic without damaging van? have taped it up for now over join, but was thinking of just re-sealing from window down to bottom . not the ideal situation .
thanks for any comments, paul
Its possible the rail has been resealed before with Sikaflex or other polyurethane sealant/adhesive. If this is the case cutting is the only way. Try using one of those cheap retractable blade knives where you break the blunt blade portion off. slide out a good length of blade & do it from the top on a step ladder.
thanks tentz.
i was thinking of a stanley knife from top edge. the rail is full of mastic on the back ..do you think the white spirits will get it off?
have been quoted £250 off repair shop !! so bought some 22mm w4 bedding mastic, and some siklafex 512 . cost me £15 !! however , after the hassle this morning, i wondered if it was worth the effort.
If its' been stuck on with Sikaflex nothing will dissolve it. You can only cut it. The throwaway knife I suggested will work better than a Stanley knife as it has a thinner blade. Buy a couple as they need to be razor sharp & gently lift the rail away as you cut.
I find that picture wire comes in handy for cutting through the mastic. Just wind the ends round some doweling to protect your fingers and slide up and down while easing the rail slowing away.
Helps if you have another pair of hands..
weve just done ours what a bugger it was too. but hay ho there you go its done now and only cost us 20quid and a bit of time, roll mastic and siklaflex my god its good stuff, we got the pleasure of knowing we had done a good job too when the rain come down and all was as tight as a ducks a-s, lol, plus got money in our pocket too, yippee that makes a change. pmsl
got myself all geared up for this saturday... its coming off , no matter what !!
just a question .....would you dry out the small area of wallboard which has become damp (its in front locker area) with a fan heater, or just let it dry naturally once rail is sealed ? the damp has only just appeared in corner behind water heater, but thankfully has not risen much higher, for now. any thoughts ?
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Topic: Help !! with awning rail removal
