Hi Leslie,

I repaired the roof of a travel trailer in a humid/hot/rainy area of California.

Do you have any building materials other than 10# of nails?

I used a product called Sno Seal, now owned by Henry’s. Lay a couple of layers of Fiberglas with a Sno Seal/Henrys product. Lay a couple of layers of another Sno Seal/Henry’s product.

I do not know your challenges nor your supplies. Maybe you have Costco/Lowe’s /HomeDepot/Target.

How can we help you, helpyour folks?

Thanks, Jim! It's a large roof -- 1,000+ sq feet, and I have to make sure that the rain running off it is potable. We don't have any building suppliers near by. I have access to more elastomeric paint. Trying to decide if we remove the rusting galvanized nails, or if there's something we can use to cover them and the new stainless nails to protect them.

We use the elastomeric as the top layer. The whole roof is covered with the Grace Ice/water shield, then the rolls of tarpaper, then the elastomeric. The Ice/water shield was all that was available after the hurricane.

The main question is -- do we remove the galvanized nails or can we do something to stop them from rusting, or coat them, in a way that keeps our water supply safe and the roof from further deterioration.

Leslie:

I can't believe your nails were hot dipped. It would be a huge PIA to pull them all and replace, but there is no coating that is going to stop those nails from rusting.

Oops, I just reread that you're using the roof runoff. No galvanized nails of any kind please.

Joseph does that mean the nails have to be removed?

I seriously doubt that nail manufacturers test for lead and other toxic impurities in their coatings. Why would they? They aren't expecting their fasteners to be used in a process to collect drinking water.

In areas close to salt water, 304 stainless won't last, the extra molybdenum and nickel in 316 stainless is the only way to go.