EPDM Roofing Installation Instructions

For a brief live demonstration on how to install an EPDM roofing system, see the video below.

1. Start by installing the sure edge trim back plate into your fascia on the gutter edge of the roof with ring shank nails.
2. Lay out the membrane all across your roof and allow it to overhang the edges by approximately 75mm. Once it is entirely laid out and is covering your roof, you should leave it to ‘relax’ for half an hour.
3. Once half an hour has passed, pull your membrane back to the centre of your roof (essentially folding it in half) and for timber decking, apply the water acrylic adhesive all over the decking. For non-timber surfaces, you should do this with bonding adhesive instead, both on the decking and on the bottom of the membrane. You should leave a 100mm gap between the edge of the decking and the area where you apply the adhesive along the trim edges of your roof if you are using the water acrylic adhesive.
4. Lay your membrane back across your roof and on top of the adhesive while it is still wet. The water based adhesive must stick to the bottom of the membrane, you could apply the adhesive and fold your membrane back onto the roof in stages to make this process more reliable. Once it has been fully laid onto the roof, you can use a broom to flatten out the membrane and remove any air pockets. After this has been completed, fold the unattached half of your membrane back and repeat this process again.
5. If you’ve been using the water based adhesive, you should now apply bonding adhesive to the 100mm perimeter gap you left clean at the beginning. This should be done to both the decking and the underside of the membrane and they should be placed back together after the bonding adhesive has been allowed to tack off.
6. Now that the membrane installation is complete, you can fix the sure edge PVC trims into position along the edges of the flat roof with polytop nails and remove the excess membrane that is dangling from the gutter edge. Not only does this add a neat finish to the edges of the roof, but it also helps secure the membrane in place.
7. Sure edge check curbs can be installed on any roof edge that doesn’t contain a gutter. The membrane on these edges should be trimmed back to allow 50mm of membrane to overhang. Like the PVC trims, these are fixed into place with polytop nails into the pre-drilled fixing holes.
8. To finish your EPDM roof installation, you must now attach the corners and joining clips. This should be done by applying a plastic adhesive on the side you’re are going to attach. If your roof is over 100m², you will need to apply RUSS tape to the perimeter of your roof however, you should also contact us directly to discuss your requirements for a roof that large.