FAQ: ROOF LIFE CYCLES
Rick Langheim answers some common questions. Have others? Give us a call!
1. My EPDM roof is 20 years old — should I replace it?
It depends — just because it’s 20 years old doesn’t mean you should replace the roof, but you should be thinking about it.
If the integrity of the seams is still good, and membrane shrinkage is minimal, you can probably get several more years out of your roof with proper maintenance. When seaming starts failing, however, or if there is significant physical damage from rooftop activities, it can cost a lot to fix.
Another consideration is what’s in your building. If you have valuable equipment or if you have recently invested in some major interior renovations, you might want to minimize your risk and replace the roof. On the other hand, some EPDM roofs are warrantied for up to 30 years and do last that long.
2. How long does a flat roof last?
Flat roof systems typically last from 10 to 30 years depending on:
- Design — complexity, number of layers and robust quality of the construction
- Materials used — most roof products are available in a range of thicknesses or grades with some outperforming others
- Accessories — includes things like quality of the metal flashing and walk pads in traffic areas
- Flashing details — lower quality flashing might fail before the rest of the system, or vice versa
- Quality of installation — the better the installation, the longer it will last
- Slope — roofs that shed water more effectively last longer
- Maintenance — maintained roofs typically last at least 25% longer than roofs that are not maintained
