EPDM rubber roofing

EPDM roofing, ethylene propylene diene monomer, is a synthetic rubber membrane supplied in large sheets, often large enough to cover a whole garage or extension roof with no joints at all, which removes the single most common failure point on older felt roofs. It flexes with the building through temperature changes rather than cracking, and is fitted using adhesive rather than a naked flame torch, which is safer on an occupied building.

Why EPDM performs well

• Supplied in large sheets, often eliminating joints entirely on smaller roofs
• Highly flexible, so it moves with the building's natural expansion and contraction without cracking
• No naked flame needed during installation, unlike traditional torch-on felt
• Usually lasts 25 to 30 years
• Performs well across the full range of UK weather, from summer heat to winter frost

How it is installed

The existing roof deck is checked and repaired where needed, then the EPDM sheet is laid, fully adhered to the deck with a bonding adhesive, and dressed carefully into every upstand, corner and penetration. Edge trims are fitted to lock the membrane in place at the perimeter. Because the sheet is applied in one piece wherever the roof size allows, there is very little seam detail to fail over the roof's lifetime, unlike a felt roof built up from multiple smaller pieces.

Where a roof is too large for a single sheet, joints are made using a specialist tape or adhesive designed specifically for EPDM, forming a bond that is at least as durable as the membrane itself rather than a weak point waiting to fail.

Where EPDM suits best

Simpler shaped roofs with fewer upstands and penetrations get the most benefit from EPDM's few-joint advantage. More complex roofs with many rooflights or awkward junctions sometimes suit GRP better, since GRP forms around detailing as a liquid rather than being dressed as a sheet. We will recommend the material that genuinely suits your roof shape, not just the one we prefer to fit.

What you get

Every EPDM roof carries a manufacturer-backed material guarantee of up to 25 years, alongside our own 10 year written workmanship guarantee on the installation.

EPDM or GRP

See our GRP fibreglass roofing page for the alternative, and our flat roofing page for the wider comparison and typical costs.

We will talk through both materials at the inspection and recommend whichever genuinely suits your roof's shape and detailing, rather than default to one material regardless of the job.

An EPDM roof is checked for full adhesion at the perimeter and every upstand before we sign the job off, since a membrane that is not fully bonded at the edges is the most common way an otherwise sound EPDM roof develops a problem within its first few years.

Colour options

EPDM is most commonly supplied in black, which is the standard and most cost effective option, though other colours can be sourced for particular jobs where matching the surrounding finish matters more than usual. We will tell you honestly what is readily available before you commit to a specific colour choice.

Black EPDM also absorbs more heat than a lighter roof covering, generally not a problem on a garage or extension, though worth mentioning on a roof directly beneath a habitable room where that heat gain could be noticeable.

Areas we cover

EPDM rubber roofing across Wisbech, Norwich, Spalding, Thetford and the rest of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, west Suffolk and south Lincolnshire.