clean roof pre waterseal

[Jem]

The rain is damn dirty round here...

[how] should I clean the roofy bits before watersealing/fabsiling the baby?

PS the roof's in fairly good nick.

J

[raceboy]

Would you polish the car without washing it 1st
Depending how dirty it is, a good wipe with a sponge and some soapy water should do it, or if it's a bit more ingrained a stiffish brush, another handy tip is if your roof has collected whiteish linty bits on it, defuzz it with gaffer tape, wrap a piece sticky side out around a roller and watch those fluffy bits stick to it

[Jem]

cheers raceboy,

will clean as per - any special products?

other than that, I knew my ronco fuzzaway would come in useful sometime.

J

[raceboy]

Oddly enough the advert at the top of this screen is for Renovo which is a good roof reviver
But if your roof isn't that discoloured a good wash should do

[tvrbob]

Yes good soaping with a stiff brush, washing up liquid is fine for this. What I do then is drench it with a water hose whilst agitating the surface with the stiff brush. Keep doing this until no more suds can be made. You need to get all the soap out before you apply Fabsil

[hut49]

Best way to get all the airbourne crud out of the fabric is a good vacuum cleaner with a bristle attachment.

[Philf329]

I used a foaming upholstery cleaner from Halfords which worked well & when rinsed off well it came up a treat. First time I did it though I didnt rinse off enough & got a very patchy finish, so had to do again..

For waterproofer I used Thompsons waterseal as recommended in the bible & IMHO it works fine.

Out of interest you guys - when washing your car normally do you do wash the roof aswell or not? I wasn't sure if regular washing through the winter would effect the waterproofing qualities when you need it most?

Phil

[hut49]

After you've sealed it with Thompson's etc avoid any detergent since any residual traces will reduce the surface tension of any water that falls on it and cause it to seep through.

[tvrbob]

Philf329 said:

Out of interest you guys - when washing your car normally do you do wash the roof aswell or not?

Don't wash it. If you've got a good depth of water proof applied in liquid form (not the spray on stuff) then muck won't stick anyway. You can vac it of use wide masking tape to blot the dust off. I like to use masking tape because it lifts the fibres up and gives the roof an 'as new' appearance.

[tvrbob]

hut49 said:

avoid any detergent

Don't use detergent shampoo. There's plenty of good non-detergent stuff available. I use The Polishing Co. for my supplies. If my washing water goes on the roof it doesn't leave any marks.

[philf329]

Bob / Nick - thanks for the advice. I gave the roof 3 or 4 coats of waterseal & have avoided washing it, although I did give it a very quick rinse last weekend for the first time.

I just wondered if it was only me that hoovered the roof!!

Incidentally, when I applied the waterseal & saw it soak in / through the fabric it makes you realise just how much you rely on sealing the roof properly to prevent leaks.

Phil

[cliff123]

About to treat and give the hood some attention, so, which is the best product to treat the roof and back window area with? Several seem mentioned here, are there any others? Just like opinion on which is the best!

[hut49]

Renovo to restore the fabric colour, occasional application of Thompson's Water Seal on the fabric to waterproof it and Meguiars Mirror Glaze 17 clear plastic cleaner to remove the opaque white film that develops on the rear screen

>> Edited by hut49 on Wednesday 15th September 11:57

[tvrbob]

cliff123 said:

.....which is the best product to treat the roof?....

You really need to apply a brush on treatment, the spray on versions don't go in they just sit on the surface. I use Fabsil and I'm sure there's no difference between this and other silicon sealers. Brush it on liberally and quickly. Brush it on in lines and don't let the previous line dry before you paint the next. Best to mask off the window and bodywork on the rear section. Do the roof off the car.