How to repair a Rubbermaid resin shed roof

Question

I picked up one of these rubbermaid resin sheds used a few weeks ago.

It needed a good powerwash, and someone had lost the original hardware so they put a bunch of screws in, no biggies. Topping off the screw holes with some caulk should prevent leaking there.

But they failed to mentioned there were two cracks in the roof, so water leaks into the interior space. There's a weep hole that drips inside of the shed too, so it's no good.

Any ideas on a good way repair the larger roof cracks? I'd hate for the interior to fill with mold. We get cold winters here so it needs to be water/snow resistant.

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Repair options depend somewhat on the material the shed is made of: polyethylene plastic in particular is difficult for many things to stick to. So, first step is to try to determine what the material is. Look on the inside surfaces of the part. You may find a recycling symbol with a number or text that indicates the material, or possibly text that reveals the same. Text might include terms like PC, ABS, PVC, or PE.

I think PE is the most likely. Unfortunately the best way I know to work with this is to weld it. It can be done with hot air but the equipment for that tends to be unavailable to the DIY crowd (hot air solder/re-work station, for example). Your local discount/imported tools retailer may have a plastic welding tool that looks strikingly similar to a soldering iron or woodburning tool. You'll need some material to use as a patch or as filler rod. In my area milk jugs are often made of LDPE which might work. If the roof is double walled you might be able to cut out material from the interior wall and use it for repairing the exterior. In any case, the idea is to heat the plastic just enough that it starts to melt and then add filler material and/or join it to a repair section.

PVC and ABS both can be joined by solvent welding. Materials are available where plastic plumbing supplies are sold. A craft or hobby shop could have good materials also.

Answer 2

Rubber roofing membrane would seal it up and may just stick to the plastic, too.

Something like this stuff:

^{Image courtesy of lowes.com. No recommendation of brand or retailer implied or intended.}

You would have to double check the installation instructions to see what it will stick to. At a minimum, the roof would have to be very dry (unlike in your picture), and it might need to be warm (above 50°F or so). Again, checking the instructions, this is probably not designed for long-term weather exposure, so it may need to be covered with something else.

Of course, the item shown is a bit pricey, and for that cost, it might be cheaper to buy a whole new plastic shed...