Determine Whether to Renew or Replace Your EPDM Roof
EPDM, short for Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer, is a rubber roofing membrane for commercial buildings. This commercial roofing membrane that people use in Minnesota is durable, tough, and long-lasting. This is one of the commercial buildings’ most common and less expensive membranes. Having said that, there are some usual drawbacks of this membrane. Some people renew their old EPDM roof with a silicon roof coating and install it over the existing roof membrane. If your EPDM roof experiences destruction, this article gives you some cost-effective ways to repair it. Commercial roofing in Orlando mostly has EPDM roofing, and looking at the roof's current condition; you can decide the route you want to take.
What is EPDM?
You must have noticed the inner tubing in bike tires; just like that recycled rubber product is useful to make EPDM, and manufacturers add many other things to make the membrane more durable. Lighter shades of this membrane are gaining quite some popularity in commercial roofing. This is because these can reflect light away from the roof but cut down the UV protection ability and the roof's durability. The most common method of installing this membrane is to glue it down around the perimeter.
Characteristics of EPDM Roof
EPDM membranes in commercial roofing are usually black, but you might see white ones too. They also come in various lengths. They get mechanical fastening around the surrounding of the roof, or adhesive helps to join it to the cover board. Or loose gravel or rock assists in keeping the EPDM down, namely “ballasted roof.”
Drawbacks
Though the EPDM membrane is an inexpensive commercial roofing membrane, it has its drawbacks. Explore some of those disadvantages below:
Flashing Failure- Sometimes, people who have commercial roofing in Orlando say that their flashing has failed, which allows water to come in.
Shrinkage- This rubber is prone to shrinkage, which can make the membrane get pulled away from the wall
Water damage- If any seam opens, it lets water reach the decking, which can cause more serious damages
Seam failure- The adhesive tends to fail after lots of wear and tear, which leads to the destruction of seams.
Inspection
All commercial roofing in Minnesota needs a roofer to do a visual inspection at least once a year to determine if it is in the best condition. If any problems are present, they have to understand how it is functioning to decide what steps are compulsory. They also need to see if there is any saturated area of insulation under the membrane.
Contact Us to Discuss
If you still have questions regarding this roofing system, you can contact ReRoof America Contractors. They work hand in hand with the insurance company so that you can get the best offers. Call to request your estimate.