EPDM Coatings Facts.

EPDM Rubber has had a long history of superior performance in hoses, molded products, tires and roofing membranes. For example, the radiator hoses in our cars and the gaskets on our freezer doors are made of EPDM rubber and show the broad temperature range the product can handle. EPDM Roofing Membranes also have more than 30 years of successful history.

EPDM is relatively inexpensive, simple to install, and fairly clean to work with when compared to conventional materials. There are not the strong odors and fumes either. The product is very stable and the resulting characteristics of Liquid EPDM such as flexibility, weatherability and chemical resistance are determined by it.

EPDM roofs are suitable for most types of facilities, offer various mil thicknesses, and can be purchased in either black or white. It should be noted that the solar reflectivity of a black roof is only 8%, which is a major factor in the Sun Belt.

Drawbacks of EPDM roofs include vulnerability to physical abuse; lack of layer redundancy; temperature sensitivity of adhesion points and sealing tape used for seams; and poor resistance to chemicals, cooking fats, and greases. As noted earlier, these roof systems don't always meet local wind uplift code requirements.

Liquid Roof Application Tips

When you want to apply liquid rubber on your roof, keep in mind that it is a 3 to 6 hrs process, excluding the surface preparation time. Once the Liquid EPDM Rubber is applied, it takes around 16 to 20 hours to dry up. Therefore careful planning should be done taking into consideration the weather conditions as well, i.e. one should plan to work on days when the rain is not expected because although Liquid Roof will immediately waterproof, even when wet, avoid heavy rain until it is completely dry to the touch which means 16 - 20 hours after application. To be on the safe side, one can say that a full cure will be achieved in 4 - 10 days after application, in consistent 70 deg. F.

A lot of liquid coatings can be seen in market but when we talk of liquid roof, its spray and application characteristics are found to be very unique and different from the other coatings. Before applying the liquid rubber, comes the surface preparation which is also a mandatory step. Surface preparation and cleaning is done to make sure that there are no holes, gaps, seams and tears on the roof and if there, they should be repaired before application. Also any potential weak areas should be reinforced and asphalts or silicone type of caulking on the roof/surface should be removed as well. The roof should be thoroughly dried prior to applying Liquid Rubber EPDM after cleaning.

Although Liquid Rubber Sealant Coating has a heavy consistency, it will self level and penetrate small crevices and pores. However before applying, catalyzing the liquid rubber with a pre-measured catalyst according to instructions is very important. The liquid roof can be sprayed or even applied with a paint brush to areas which are small and difficult to access e.g. chimneys, roof flashing, pipes, fish ponds etc. A squeegee and a roller can also be employed specially for flat surfaces where the usual practice is to pour the material, spreading with a squeegee and then leveling it with a short nap roller. Also a single application is recommended rather than applying multiple coats. For obtaining efficient results, a 20 mil layer of the liquid roof should be applied.