What Is EPDM Roofing?
EPDM is a synthetic rubber membrane. The letters stand for ethylene propylene diene monomer — a mouthful, which is why most people just call it rubber roofing. It comes in big sheets, and on most domestic flat roofs we can cover the whole roof in a single piece with no joins at all. The sheet is bonded to the deck with adhesive, dressed up the walls and over the edges, and finished with neat trims. That's it: one continuous layer of rubber between your home and the weather.
Why EPDM Has Taken Over From Felt
For decades, a flat roof in London meant torch-on felt. Felt does a job, but it has a built-in weakness: seams. Almost every flat roof failure we get called to starts at a join, an overlap or a detail — and a felt roof is full of them. An EPDM roof on a typical extension or garage has none.
It lasts, too. Manufacturers commonly rate EPDM membranes at 30–50 years, because the rubber stays flexible through summer heat and winter frost instead of going brittle and cracking the way old felt does. There's no naked flame involved in fitting it — no torch anywhere near your timbers — and once it's down it needs next to no looking after. That's why EPDM is now our first recommendation for most domestic flat roofing work.
Where EPDM Works Best
EPDM is ideal for extension roofs, garages, dormers, porches, bay tops and sheds — big, simple shapes where one seamless sheet does the whole job in a day or two.
Where it's not the best choice, we'll say so. Roofs that get regular foot traffic, and roofs with lots of complicated upstands, outlets and awkward details, are usually better in GRP fibreglass — cutting and joining rubber around fiddly shapes starts to undo its main advantage. We fit both, so the advice you get is about your roof, not whatever happens to be on the van.
How We Install It
A membrane is only as good as what's under it, so we never lay rubber over a tired deck and hope.
- Strip the old coverings right back to the deck
- Check the boards and replace anything soft or rotten — usually with new OSB3
- On full replacements, upgrade the insulation to current Building Regulations with a warm-roof build-up
- Bond the membrane, then take proper time over the trims, upstands and outlets — the details are where flat roofs live or die
EPDM Roof Repairs
Already got a rubber roof with a problem? Most EPDM faults are very fixable. Punctures from dropped tools or foot traffic can be patched with bonded rubber, and lifted or flapping edges can be cleaned back and re-bonded. There's usually no need for a whole new roof.
How Much Does an EPDM Roof Cost?
As a rough guide, a new EPDM roof in London works out at around £80–£120 per square metre, supplied and fitted. Where you land in that range depends on the condition of the deck, whether the insulation needs upgrading, and how much edge and upstand detail there is. As a worked example, re-covering a typical single garage of around 15 m² usually comes in somewhere around £1,200–£1,800 all-in.
Treat those figures as a ballpark, not a price — every roof is different, which is why every job gets a written quote before any work starts. Free quotes, no call-out charge, no obligation.
Want a price for your roof? Call 020 4578 5836 or send a photo through the form — we cover the whole of Tower Hamlets and East London, 7 days a week.