Rubber roofing is a term familiar to contractors or anyone who’s not a stranger to roofing jobs. The membrane is known to have benefits of great durability and cost-effectiveness. However, do you know how long do rubber roofs last exactly? Find out the answer and more details about the material below.
How Long Do Rubber Roofs Last?
Rubber roofing is a material made of plastic polymers, rubber, or a blend of both, which is often acquired from sawdust, slate dust, or recycled tires that make the material environmentally friendly.
The primary purpose of rubber roofing is to create extra impenetrable sealing and prevent leaking.
The material comes in roll form that’s primarily used on flat roofs. However, it’s also can be used on a pitched roof as a main material or top of an existing roofing structure, especially metal ones. There are also rubber shingles that can be used exclusively on pitched roofs.
The single-ply membrane roofing material can refer to three types of compounds. Here are several types of rubber roofing according to the compound it contains:
- Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer (EPDM)
The Terpolymer synthetic rubber is the favorite amongst many roofers due to its easy installation using a single, seamless sheet. This is in the opposite of using multiple, layered rubber roofing rolls. In addition, EPDM also provides the benefits of being resistant to fire and hail.
- Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO)
This compound was introduced to the USA for the first time in the 80s, making it a relatively new compound type of membrane roofing material. It has several color alternatives, unlike EPDM. A white-colored TPO rubber roofing system is preferable in hot climates due to its ability to improve energy efficiency.
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
PVC is a rubber roofing compound material with great resistance to fire, hail, and wind. It also comes in white color that offers energy efficiency purposes, along with other color options. It makes a seamless waterproof seal. However, it is less popular in the market due to the ongoing debate on its alleged risks in the health and environmental areas.
Among many questions regarding rubber roof, one of the most common is their lifespan. Commercial rubber roof life can extend to 40 to 50 years given the proper maintenance and proper weather conditions.
Of course, to get into 4 to 5 decades lifetime, the owner needs to perform regular maintenance and preventative ones. No commercial roofing product can last for half a century on its own. Even though this may come off as a hassle, the rubber roof maintenance work is quite simple, including monitoring and patchwork to observe potential damage to the roof system.
If you live in an area that’s often goes through extreme weather events, the estimation of this life expectancy may not be as extensive as mentioned. However, it is safe to say that a rubber roof is a highly durable material that only requires low maintenance work.
How Much Does a Rubber Roof Cost?
Generally, a rubber roof is cheaper than a slate roof but more expensive than asphalt. It offers more or less similar fire resistance quality to slate roofing.
The total price of using this roofing material may depend on the contractor labor costs in your local area and the specific material. On average, it can be estimated that rubber shingles cost approximately $4.25 to $8.25 per sq ft.
Now that you know how long do rubber roofs last and how much they roughly cost, you can decide if it’s going to be the right roofing material option to use. Assuming that the material is installed correctly and is maintained regularly, it can give plenty of benefits to your property.
