Tack Room Prep-Work

While I have the trailer in front of our house I figured I'd get the tack room prepped to receive a saddle rack.  I started removing the caulking where I plan to install the saddle rack.  I continued with caulk removal for the whole room.

It's pretty evident that the prior owners thought that just adding more caulk would solve the leaking problem with the tack room.  That totally doesn't make sense since you all probably remember the seam on the roof of the trailer.  If you don't fix the actual issue, no amount of caulk will stop the leak.

It really shocks me that one would not try to figure out that actual cause of the problem vs. "fixing" the manifestation of that problem.  A thatcher doesn't fix a leaky roof from the inside.  Remember that scene where Heath Ledger hops out to fix his dads roof in "Knights Tale"?  Same concept.  This trailer also had issues with leakage around the door of the tack room but instead of the old owners replacing the weather stripping they just applied caulk to areas they figured water was coming through. Oh and there is also evidence that duct tape was considered a solution as well!  What a mess!

After much scraping and chiseling and razor work I removed most of the caulk in some of the worst areas.  I will take a wire brush attachment for the drill and try and complete this job the best I can.  At least I can get to most of the rust in the seams and then caulk the outside....where the problem starts, and keep the area sealed.  Really since fixing the roof seam and the weather stripping on the door I haven't had issues of water getting into the tack room.  There are a couple additional areas on the tack room door that could use some sealing to make it perfect but I've fixed the leak issues that had lead to all the rust issues inside.  We'll get it fixed up nice.

While working, I'm on a stool to reach the ceiling easily.  Luckily the piping is hollow and has strategic holes for wiring so I can arrange my main tools within easy reach.  I use an old flathead screwdriver as the main tool along with box cutters and a razor blade to get at caulking that is bonded more strongly to the metal.  The pliers get tiny pieces out of the crevices and the mini wire brush cleans the grooves out really well and removes flaky rust.

And on a side note, one word of advice, before you start trailer restoration or heck...any farm work really, make sure you are up to date on your Tetanus vaccination!  Ouch!  Not as bad as it looks, nothing an angry bird Band-aid didn't fix!

With the rust now exposed I sanded and cleaned the surfaces really well and then applied Corroseal to the rusty areas.  

Hopefully I can prime and paint sometime this weekend in between assisting Steve with wiring and getting the saddle rack install. finish the rest of the tack room when I can.  After that, I'll have the horse area to finish up...including more caulk removal, oh joy!  Some areas in the horse area are exposed to possible rain so reapplication of caulk with be a necessary evil.