If you own several commercial buildings, or even if you’re just the owner of the building that you do business from, you know how important it is to keep your property in good condition. No one wants to do business in a drafty old building with a leaky roof and bad plumbing, and who’s going to shop in a retail store that looks like the last time it was painted was the Reagan administration?
Of course, constant upkeep can cost a ridiculous amount of money. This makes it crucial to make sure that when you do undertake serious maintenance or renovations that you do it right the first time so you don’t have to revisit things in another few years and have to do it all over again, as it will cost you even more money down the road. When it comes to the roof for your commercial building, there’s only one choice that will let you rest easy – an EPDM roofing solution that’s tough, energy efficient, and resilient enough to last for decades.
EPD-What?
EPDM stands for ethylene, propylene, and diene monomer, the major components that go into a roofing material of this type. A synthetic rubberized membrane, EPDM is created from the byproducts of crude oil distillation and has been one of the most widespread long-term commercial roofing products since the 1970s when it first began to be used. It’s especially popular when it comes to flat-roofed commercial buildings or those with only a slight pitch, but EPDM roofing solutions can be adapted for any pitch roof.
Long-Lasting Protection
Unlike other roofing materials like simple tar paper, EPDM is known for its heightened durability. It’s highly resistant to both high and low temperature extremes and can maintain its flexibility in even the most harsh of weather conditions, and it can last for decades without needing replacement thanks to its natural resistance to ultraviolet light, which is the part of sunlight that causes fading and brittleness over time to most other types of material. In fact, EPDM roofing solutions are so resilient that a single installation is expected to last 30 years at minimum, though its longevity usually stretches anywhere from 10 to 20 years past that point. This makes it an ideal choice for any business owner or commercial property landlord, as an EPDM roof might outlive your tenure as owner of the building!
Additional Benefits
While the pure durability of an EPDM roof is already a good enough reason to choose it over another roofing product, there’s added benefits to using the specialized membrane. It’s easy to recycle an old EPDM roof, which means that responsible landlords don’t need to worry about adding to already overburdened landfills when the roof is finally ready to be replaced decades from now. Additionally, EPDM membranes can be formulated to reflect sunlight as well as absorb it, reducing your heating and cooling bills during the winter and summer months.