Long-term Weathering Study Shows 30-Year Roofs Perform Well
All samples were performing like new—after up to three decades in the field.
EPDM withstands the effects of various climates extremely well.
Properly designed, installed, and maintained EPDM systems can successfully withstand extreme weather cycles.
Indications that EPDM systems can approach or exceed 40 years of service life.
A state-of-the-art study of roof systems conducted on behalf of the EPDM Roofing Association (ERA) provides tangible proof of the long-term performance capability of EPDM. The study examined five roof systems, ranging from 28 to 32 years of in-field service, and concluded that all of the systems examined were still performing as intended. In fact, the study found that all of the samples were essentially performing "like new" with physical characteristic properties above or just below the minimum characteristics of newly manufactured 45-mil EPDM membrane. The roofs were first inspected in the field to get a good sense of their condition, and then samples were sent to Momentum Technologies, a testing facility for the roofing industry. The laboratory testing examined five critical performance characteristics of the EPDM membrane.
The Elongation Test Results showed that four of the five roof samples exceeded the minimum characteristics for aged EPDM, and one exceeded the minimum for new EPDM. For Tensile Strength, all five samples exceeded the minimum standard. For Thickness XD, three samples exceeded the manufacturer minimum, while the other two missed by one-thousandth of an inch. For Thickness MD, three achieved or exceeded the minimum, while one missed by one one-thousandth of an inch and another by four one-thousandths of an inch. For Factory Seam Strength (Figure 5), it was only possible to test two of the samples and both easily surpassed manufacturers' minimums.
This is the fourth study conducted on EPDM that supports the long-term performance of the EPDM membrane. "The first field studies of EPDM were done in the late 1980s, and we are finding a pattern," says Thomas W. Hutchinson AIA, FRCI, RRC and Principal, Hutchinson Design Group, Ltd., Barrington, Ill. "The pattern is that these roofs can really last a long time. By using today's advanced design techniques and proper roof maintenance, it is reasonable to expect that an EPDM roof will approach or exceed 40 years of service." To help prove that theory, the samples from the latest study are being heat-aged and tested at prorated "life spans" of 40, 50 and 60 years. Updates from this study will be posted on www.epdmroofs.org.
More Information on the EPDM Long-Term Service Life Study:
Why EPDM?
FAQs
ERA Research & Resources
Press Room
Who We Are
Continuing Education
Links
Contact Us
