EPDM roofing is an excellent rubber roofing solution for flat roofs where inflexibility, weathering and failing joints often cause roofs to leak . If you've been struggling with a flat roof leak, or you are working on a flat or gently sloping roof project, you'll be pleased to discover EPDM rubber roofing. With billions of square feet installed, EPDM has been proven to give many years of leak free service. The best part is, it's easy to install.



EPDM is ethylene propylene diene M-class rubber with a benefit of not polluting run off water. Therefore the water coming from the roof can be re-used for sanitation purposes. Since an element of the green movement is to harvest rainwater, EPDM roofs are popular in green projects. Like TPO roofing, EPDM roofing is a membrane product. It is commonly used in big box stores with large open areas. Chances are if there's a Walmart around it uses an EPDM roof.

EPDM has been in use as a roofing material since the 1960's. Efforts to recycle it began in the 1990's. Presently there are more than 1 billion square feet of EPDM new roof coverings installed every year, with over 20 billion square feet already installed. EPA standards in 2007 raised the recycle bar calling for 50% of roofing materials used in any new project to be recyclable. The EPA conducted a study in 2007 to determine if EPDM could be recycled to that level. Although the results were positive, some questions remained as to whether the material could be produced in enough quantity to be useful.

EPDM roofing has its own trade association, the EPDM Roofing Association. According to this group, "Since the early 1960's, EPDM single-ply rubber membrane roofing products have gained wide industry acceptance and respect by providing long-term, economically efficient, dependable roofing solutions for the construction community. Their attributes include long-term warranties, low life-cycle costs, reduced labor costs, minimal maintenance and user-friendly code approvals. The sustained growth of EPDM roofing systems is attributed to the development of complementary technologies that have made it possible for EPDM roofing systems to be beneficial in a wide number of applications. Architects and contractors have come to depend on this proven track record of performance. As environmentalists and code regulators place more emphasis on the long-term performance of building materials, EPDM has become an increasingly obvious choice. The need to provide the construction and roofing communities with current and accurate data documenting the many benefits of EPDM roofing systems led to the formation of ERA."

One benefit of EPDM roofing pointed out by the EPA is wind resistance. EPDM roofs can be designed to resist winds of 120 MPH or more. For buildings in hurricane areas, that's of huge benefit.