{"id":3690,"date":"2014-09-25T18:40:21","date_gmt":"2014-09-25T23:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.choiceroofcontractors.com\/?p=3690"},"modified":"2020-10-22T06:25:39","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T11:25:39","slug":"epdm-roof-coating-vs-replacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.choiceroofcontractors.com\/epdm-roof-coating-vs-replacement\/","title":{"rendered":"EPDM Roof Coating vs. Replacement"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"epdmToday\u2019s blog post provides an overview of the benefits involved with coating EPDM rubber roofs<\/a> compared to roof replacement. It will be of interest to commercial property owners and facility mangers, as it covers how a white coating system can strengthen an EPDM rubber roof\u2019s durability and longevity.<\/p>\n

The National Roofing Contractors Association reports that EPDM rubber roofing accounts for 25% of the roofing market. It is also estimated that over 1 billion square feet of EPDM rubber roofing is applied on new projects each year, making it a leading option in the roofing industry today.<\/p>\n

Like all commercial roof systems, EPDM roofing can be susceptible to a number of problems, such as water seeping into a building through an exposed seam or other vulnerable area. A roof coating offers a solution to these problems, as it covers these vulnerabilities and builds on the natural strengths of the EPDM rubber roof system.<\/p>\n

Here are a few ways in which a roof coating system<\/a> can enhance this great-performing roof system\u2019s value.<\/p>\n

Benefits of an EPDM Roof Coating<\/h3>\n

\"epdm\u2022 Seamless roofing protection. <\/strong>Many EPDM rubber roofs come with seams. While they are often sealed off with high-performance product such as strong seam tape, over time the sun\u2019s powerful energy can cause the seams to come apart. Water can then infiltrate the building through these exposed areas and form leaks.<\/p>\n

A roof coating system will take care of this potential trouble, though. When applied, the roof coating hardens and forms a seamless, monolithic barrier over the existing EPDM roof surface. With this new, seamless membrane covering it, the old EPDM roof will be sealed off from the elements. Notably, a highly reflective coating will dramatically reduce roof temperatures to prevent expansion and shrinking in hot\/cold weather as well as cracking. Additionally, a Conklin roof coating membrane system can offer further value with the extra seam reinforcement it delivers. On top of durable roof coating products, a Conklin roof coating membrane system makes use of Spunflex, a high-performance fabric product with military-grade strength. Spunflex is applied over the seams, along with the coating products.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Savings on expensive roof tear-off and replacement. <\/strong>When an EPDM rubber roof suffers damage, the default option is to have it replaced. But industry studies confirm that many commercial roofs in general are replaced prematurely. In fact, some studies have found that as many as 70-80% of commercial roofs are replaced before they need be. With tens of thousands of dollars in expenses involved with a complete roof replacement<\/a> \u2013 notwithstanding the delay in business operations and the sunk costs that come with it \u2013 it is important to consider the full drawbacks on top of the merits of a replacement job.<\/p>\n

In many cases, a roof coating is better than a roof replacement. On top of shoring up an EPDM roof\u2019s trouble areas like seams, a coating membrane system extends the life of the old EPDM roof. Since the coating forms a new membrane over the existing EPDM roof, in effect the new coating membrane system is equivalent to a new commercial roof.<\/p>\n

This means it will keep the old roof safe for years to come. And the cost of re-coating the coated EPDM roof in the future will be dramatically less than a replacement job. It has been estimated a building owner can save around 50% on avoided roof replacement costs with a Conklin roof coating application.<\/p>\n

\"epdm\u2022 Greatly enhanced potential for energy savings. <\/strong>With the emergence of energy-efficient roofing on the scene, there have been some great energy-efficient roofing products that have come-to-market. White roofing systems<\/a> are one such innovation\u2014a building\u2019s energy consumption can now be reduced with the help of a reflective, white roof system installed on the building\u2019s overhead. In the case of EPDM roofing, the vast majority of which are black in color, there is room for strong energy savings.<\/p>\n

Here are a few things our Conklin white roof coating systems do for EPDM roofing:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Reflect up to 85% of the sun\u2019s rays off the building, which helps it stay cool without greater energy consumption
\n\u2022 Instantly takes care of dark EPDM roofing\u2019s tendency to absorb most of the sun\u2019s heat and then release it at night
\n\u2022 Reduces the consequences of the \u201cUrban Heat Island Effect<\/a>\u201d
\n\u2022 Can save a building owner anywhere from 30-50% on annual cooling costs
\n\u2022 Reduces the strain put on the building\u2019s HVAC equipment, which leads to reduced costs for HVAC equipment maintenance, repairs, or replacement
\n\u2022 Makes old EPDM roof ENERGY STAR\u00ae certified with all those associated benefits
\n\u2022 Can reduce a building\u2019s electricity use during seasons of peak electricity demand
\n\u2022 Reduce the building\u2019s reliance upon the electricity grid
\n\u2022 Lessen the building\u2019s environmental footprint
\n\u2022 Room for saving on heating costs in wintertime with a white-colored Conklin spray polyurethane foam system<\/p>\n

In short, there are many energy-saving possibilities that arise when an EPDM roof is coated so it has a white, reflective membrane over it.<\/p>\n

Protect Your EPDM Roof with Conklin Roof Coatings<\/h3>\n

At Choice Roof Contractor Group, we chose Conklin coating products<\/a> because of their track record and extent of use. Over the past 40+ years, Conklin products have been applied on 2 billion square feet nationwide. In fact, many of the Conklin coating systems installed back in the 1970s are going strong and on the job today.<\/p>\n

On top of the benefits above, Conklin roof coatings can offer you the following:<\/p>\n