How to Repair Camper Water Damage
If your camper has sustained water damage, you should repair it as soon as possible or it could cause wood rot, which is much harder to repair. You can pull up the flooring in the camper, such as the carpet and linoleum, and then replace it. If the walls have sustained a significant amount of damage, they are hard to replace.
Supplies:
- Face mask
- Wood hardener
- Putty knife
- Wood filler
- Fine-grit sand paper
- Repair the water leak before you start repairing your camper. Look around the camper and find where it is leaking. For example, if you are having plumbing problems, fix this first, and then repair the damage. Look on the roof and windows for leaks. Re-caulk around the windows, if needed. If you find a roof leak or a water leak in the exterior walls, you may need to contact a professional to repair it.
- Remove the water inside of the camper. Use big towels to soak it up as much as you can, and then mop up what is left over. Allow the wood to completely dry before you try to repair it. Open the doors and windows in the camper to help it dry out faster.
- Remove any wood that is loose or any wallpaper that is peeling off the walls in the areas with water damage.
- Put on your face mask and apply wood hardener to the areas with water damage. Follow the directions on the wood hardener product that you purchase on how to apply it. Some types of wood hardener you paint on and other types you spray on. Allow the wood hardener to dry for 24 hours.
- Apply wood filler to the areas with water damage, and then use a putty knife to spread it out and fill the holes. Allow the wood filler to dry, which will take approximately 5 hours.
- Use the fine-grit sand paper to sand the filler to smooth it out. Paint, put up wallpaper or stain the area that you repaired.