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WATERPROOFING:  EPDM ROOFING

The Conservation Technology EPDM roofing system offers any homeowner, builder, or roofer the means to reliably and permanently waterproof low-slope roofs, rooftop decks, and green roofs. In most cases we custom fabricate a single sheet the size of each roof, eliminating the risks associated with field seaming. Installation is clean, simple, quick, and safe: no heating torches or hazardous adhesives are required. Conservation Technology EPDM will outperform and outlast most other quality waterproofing products on the market, including metals, rubber-modified bitumens (torch-down or self-stick “rubber roofs”), thermoplastics (TPO, Hypalon, polypropylene), as well as other types of EPDM rubber.

EPDM RUBBER: EPDM rubber is a class of synthetic rubbers made primarily from EPDM polymer, shorthand for Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer). Although there are many ways to formulate EPDM rubber from EPDM polymer, all EPDM rubbers share a chemical structure that gives them extraordinary resistance to heat, cold, sunlight, and air pollution, ideal characteristics for a roofing membrane. EPDM will remain flexible throughout the coldest winters, it won’t crack or dry out in the hottest summers, and it will withstand permanently ponded water. It is ideal for roofs with poor drainage or where the waterproofing is to be covered by gravel, soil, decks, or pavers. In addition, since it is fully UV stable, it can be used for fully exposed applications provided the heat gain from a black surface is not an issue.

Although EPDM rubber has been used successfully to waterproof large commercial buildings for more than thirty years, the low-cost types of EPDM favored for commercial roofs offer many pitfalls for inexperienced installers. These EPDM roofing sheets shrink significantly as they age, creating stress at walls and edges that can tear the sheets or shorten their lives. Sheet sizes are limited, so field seaming is usually necessary. The mineral talc coating used in the manufacture of this type of EPDM makes it difficult to properly clean the sheets for effective seaming and flashing; adhesives and cleaners are often hazardous and restricted to professional applicators.

Conservation Technology EPDM is a premium-grade of EPDM rubber that is superior to other types of EPDM. For example, it has less than one-tenth the shrinkage of other EPDM, so if the roof is to be covered with a wood deck, masonry pavers, concrete, gravel, soil, or other heavy materials that will prevent the rubber from blowing away, the sheet can simply be laid on the roof and adhered for a few feet around the perimeter. The unique properties of Conservation Technology EPDM make it heat-weldable with our specialized equipment, so we can custom-fabricate a sheet of Conservation Technology EPDM to the size required for each roof, eliminating most field seams and minimizing waste. Since our sheet is free of talc, where flashing or field seaming is unavoidable, minimal cleaning will yield reliable results.

SYSTEMS APPROACH: The Conservation Technology EPDM roofing system is sold as a complete system of compatible components. Along with the custom-fabricated rubber sheet, we ship all materials required for successful installation including an easy to use water-base bonding adhesive, self-adhering rubber flashing, sturdy black alumimum perimeter termination bars, termination tapes, sealants, fasteners, and roof drains. The system is so simple that the first-time user can obtain a perfect job, as thousands have over the past twenty years.

Conservation Technology EPDM is fully root resistant as certified by the German FLL green-roof testing agency, so it does not require a supplemental root barrier when used as waterproofing for green roofs. We stock a full line of green roof components made by Optigreen of Germany, world leader in green roofs, and can provide a complete package including specialized fabrics, drainage products, edgings, engineered soils, and even plants. We can also supply height-adjustable paver supports to simplifiy construction of rooftop patios.

PRICING: For a price quotation, please fax, email, or mail a sketch or drawing of the roof that includes the following information:

• dimensions to the closest inch
• roof slope (inches per foot) and direction of water flow
• description of surface on which EPDM will be applied
• description of each edge (building wall, parapet, open edge, gutter)
• description and location of all penetrations (pipes, skylights, drains)
• covering material if any (wood deck, gravel, green roof, pavers)

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