Roof Membrane Shrinkage

What is roof shrinkage.

Roof membrane shrinkage.

This is due in part to the fact that the top layer of the material is laminated. Rather it refers to the shrinkage of the membrane that coats your roofing materials. Several factors can hasten epdm shrinkage including incorrect application poor manufacturing and faulty roof design. Its causes include aging of the material poor installation and uv exposure.

While epdm roofs are easy to install the installation must be carried out by someone who is trained and experienced in installing epdm roofing. Generally the membrane composition and properties were found to not change sufficiently to cause excessive shrinkage. When it shrinks your roofing materials be they roof shingles or metal roofing are subject to cracking tearing ripping and ridging. Roof shrinkage refers to the shrinking of the membrane of your roof.

Roof shrinkage commonly occurs on roofs with synthetic rubber membranes such as epdm. Your membrane is what protects your roof from hot and cold temperatures as well as from extreme weather. This coats the roofing materials and provides something of a protective layer for the roofing materials. A few decades ago unreinforced rubber roof systems were plagued by shrinkage problems but thanks to technological advancements and improvements to epdm roofs the problems have diminished.

Damage to the roof s surface. Although epdm is one of the sturdiest rubber membranes that you can use it s still prone to shrinking over time. To help prevent shrinkage problems the following guidelines should be followed in preparing drawings and specifications and installing built up roofs. Epdm roof membrane shrinkage.

What is roof shrinkage. Roof shrinkage affects roofs that rely on synthetic rubber membranes most commonly ethylene propylene diene monomer epdm. All insulation stops and. In some instances shrinkage can also damage wall masonry.

As mentioned earlier incorrect application of the roof membrane is one of the causes of premature epdm shrinkage. How can it be avoided. Membrane shrinkage can also cause visible damage to the roof surface. In fact it is common for some cheaper tpo roofs to develop cracks in the surface relatively quickly.

Epdm is a relatively sturdy rubber membrane and is often used to seal vehicles windows and you guessed it roofs. All components must be attached uniformly and securely including membrane to insulation insulation to vapour barrier. Some common reasons for shrinkage are. Otherwise it is all to easy to fall victim to problems caused by incorrect installation such as shrinkage for example.

This includes cracks crazing splitting and ridging of shingles. Shrinkage is most common on epdm or modified bitumen roofs. As the membrane shrinks it can begin to pull away from the flashing thus creating openings for leaks.