Everything you Need to Know about EPDM Rubber Roofing

You might have heard people talking about EPDM roofing, but what exactly is it? We’ll shed some light on the rubber roofing material and its pros and cons.

What is EPDM?

EPDM is a durable synthetic rubber roofing membrane called ethylene propylene diene terpolymer. It’s a popular choice of roofing material all over the world.

Ethylene and propylene are made from oil and natural gas. The roofing material is available in black or white and it can be cut to fit your roof.

How is EPDM roofing installed?

You can install EPDM yourself, but you’ll get a better finish if it’s done by a professional.

You can install rubber roofing fully adhered, mechanically attached or ballasted. You can then seal it with liquid adhesives or tape which has been specifically made for the job.

Pros

Long-lasting

Rubber roofing is long-lasting. It has proved to be the roofing industry’s product with the longest average service life (Source: EDPM Roofing Association) and is the top choice for lots of architects and contractors.

Durable

Rubber roofing is durable. It’s highly weather resistant and resilient against corrosion. It’s also resistant to extreme heat, fire and UV light.

Relatively cheap to repair

Rubber roofing is cheap and easy to repair. In many cases, you can use liquid rubber from a tube or tape to repair a rubber flat roof quickly. Even if more extensive repairs are necessary, this shouldn’t be difficult or expensive.

EPDM roofing
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Lightweight

Rubber roofing is lightweight. This means it’s suitable for relatively weak roofs and buildings, as well as stronger ones.

Cons

Made with non-renewable materials

Rubber roofing is made with natural gas and oil, which are non-renewable materials. This means that the manufacture of rubber roofing is reducing the earth’s natural resources and is unsustainable.

More expensive than felt roofing

Rubber roofing is more expensive than felt roofing. So while rubber costs less than other roofing materials, like asphalt, fibreglass and PVC, it’s not the cheapest roofing material available if you want to save money.

So now you should know more about EPDM rubber roofing, and its pros and cons. If you need a new EPDM rubber roof, use our service to get up to 4 quotes from trusted roofing companies.

If you’d like to learn more about other flat roofing materials, take a look at our information on felt, asphalt, GRP fibreglass and PVC.

Emily Rivers

Emily Rivers is the Customer Experience Manager at Quotatis. She informs customers of the latest developments in a range of products so they can make the best choice for their homes and ensures they get the best out of our service.