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EPDM Rubber Roofing

Quick and clean to lay, more environmentally friendly, and highly cost effective, EPDM rubber has, over the last forty years, become the leading roofing material chosen by designers and architects for domestic and commercial flat or low-pitched roofs in the UK.

In the 1960s, the roofing material of choice for flat commercial buildings, sheds, garages and home extensions was three layer built-up felt, laid using hot pitch. Although a system still in use today, the life expectancy of felt roofs is around twenty years. One of the big drawbacks, the felt is prone to cracking after a period, in areas with hot summer and low winter temperatures. 

About EPDM
EPDM is a single-ply, rubberised sheet available in various widths and thicknesses, comes in black or white and is extremely durable. It was in the United States in 1965 that the first EPDM roof was laid. Fifty plus years later, the original EPDM membrane is still doing its job, without the need for any repairs or patches. Unlike Butyl rubber, which is a popular lining for garden ponds, EPDM is fully infrared and ultraviolet stable, meaning it doesn’t crack, and retains its flexibility whatever the weather throws at it.
Choosing your flat roof material
Most flat roofs have a slight pitch in one direction, designed to allow rainwater to fall to the lowest point and into the gutter or drain pipe. Roofing felt is available in one metre wide rolls, usually eight or ten metres long. This means that, except for the tiniest of roofs, the lengths of felt have to be overlapped and sealed with hot bitumen. In a short space of time, without regular maintenance, leaves and other debris begins to accumulate on the roof. Because of the build-up of rubbish, rainwater often sits for days or weeks, slowly seeping into the joins and under the felt, before finally showing itself as leaks or ceiling damage.
On most jobs, EPDM membranes are laid in a single sheet, meaning there are no man-made joins to allow rainwater to ingress under the rubber. Where felt has to be laid using almost boiling pitch in order to properly weld the felt layers together, EPDM rubber is bonded directly to the roof using cold resin adhesives or tapes, making the whole process quicker, cleaner, more environmentally friendly, and very cost-effective.
EPDM is only available in black or white. If you have a building you want to keep as cool as possible, white EPDM will reflect most of the UV rays back into the atmosphere. If, on the other hand, you want to retain the heat, black EPDM will absorb the rays. If aesthetics are more your concern, there are a number of acrylic, specially formulated paints on the market, in a number of attractive colours. These can be applied directly to your EPDM membrane, allowing the roof to blend in with your chosen colour scheme.
EPDM membranes for specific jobs
EPDM rubber is available in a variety of thicknesses, depending on the project to be covered. Thicknesses range from 45ml to 60, 75 and 90ml. For a small garden shed, workshop, man cave or garage, 45ml thick may be adequate for the job. For a balcony or roof-top garden, 90ml would probably be a better option. Nowadays, with its forty plus years lifespan, EPDM membranes are being increasingly used in towns and cities up and down the country for a large variety of projects; from re-lining gutters to flooring balconies to roof-top flower gardens.
If you would like more in-depth information on whether an EPDM roof membrane would be the best covering for your next project, please contact us today.