A rubber roof installed with an EPDM single-ply system is the most common flat roofing system used in the United States. Roofing contractors choose to use the EPDM system because of the lower cost of materials needed and the unskilled labor associated with the installation, however, there are some very important reasons for choosing a more durable system. Customers in Weston and Westport CT who choose a flat roof contractor that uses an EPDM system must consider the following:
- EPDM can be installed by someone who has had only a few hours training/experience
- EPDM installs very fast which reduces contractors’ labor costs
- A special technician is not hired to advise or prevent improper processes.
- Contractors encourage customers to base their decision on total cost and short installation time rather than build their trust in the quality of the system and materials used.
- Contractors try to appeal to the a customer’s sense of logic; EPDM has fewer seams and more flexibility than other systems
[otw_shortcode_content_toggle title=”Flat Roof Problems with EPDM Rubber Membranes” opened=”closed”]Hi, my name is Andre and today we are looking at an EPDM roof, one of the most popular roofs um to ever be installed. They say there are less seams, but there are a lot of seams. Some of them are factory seams like this one here you could almost not see it and there’s also this one that the contractor installs or the roofer installs, and these are glued down together with a primer and an adhesive. Um this a little bit of an older style roof. I mean this one was probably put down maybe ten years ago, maybe eight years ago. The reason why I say this is because the roofing has changed so much in the last five years they don’t even put this roof down like this anymore. I mean it’s like you’re learning a new game every 5 years. Uh, there’s no cover tape which is a tape that goes over seams and uh, it’s supposed to last longer now that’s what the common standard is. It is just glued to itself, which it works for five years, maybe six seven years, but in the end, if it’s not a factory seam, well, it’s not gonna last. Let me show you an example over here and it may help you better understand what’s going on. This is the reason why this roof is failing because the glue is going bad. You see the yellow glue is actually just coming right off.[/otw_shortcode_content_toggle]
Leaky EPDM Rubber Roofs in Connecticut and New York, Pittsburgh, Monroeville
We have been repairing leaky EPDM rubber flat roofs in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Ridgefield and Westport that were only installed in the last ten to fifteen years. Some of flat roofs were worn through by foot traffic and ultraviolet light, but many of them had seams that just failed because of the adhesives that were used with the EPDM.
We found that in Westchester County, in cities like Brewster, Pound Ridge, Bedford, Scarsdale, New Rochelle and White Plains, EPDM rubber roofs were leaking, as well. These leaky rubber flat roofs were all installed with the EPDM and the materials associated with the single-ply system.
The problem is that most flat roofing contractors do not specialize in multiple roofing systems so they cannot offer the customer the information to make the best choice for a flat roof system.
When to Repair or Replace a Commercial Flat Roof System
If you happen to have an EPDM single-ply rubber roof system that is leaking, we can evaluate whether it should be repaired or replaced.
When should a flat roof be repaired or replaced? If we should find that the membrane is still in good condition, then a repair should be considered. The rule of thumb is, when a rubber roof is less than 10 years old, regardless of the type of materials that were used, a repair rather than a replacement is the appropriate decision. Even an EPDM rubber roof stands a chance of being repaired. Beware of contractors who do not have the know how on finding leaks and problems on a flat roof. They may be inclined to sell another new EPDM single-ply rubber roofing system.
Finding a Roofing Contractor
We have been installing and repairing flat roofs for over 30 years. We have the know how on working on any existing roofing system and many times can save the customer many thousands of dollars with both repair or replacement. We have always been able to restore a flat roof regardless of its condition or the damage caused by other contractor’s work. We started out repairing rubber roofs and became one of the pioneers installing a 2 ply system. We are qualified to make an unbiased analysis of a flat roof installation or repair. Check out our older company website: flatroofdoc.com.