Shrinkage repair
Membrane pulling from walls is released and reflashed so the roof can move.
Flat Roofing
Rubber Roof Repair Englewood, NJ
A Englewood roofer who works on EPDM can fix peeling seams, punctures, blisters and membrane shrinkage at walls and curbs, so the roof stays watertight for more seasons. Call (551) 355-3321 to reach a local roofer.
A rubber roof is tough, but its weak points are well known. Seams are first on the list, especially on older roofs where the sheets were glued together with liquid splice adhesive that dries out and lets the laps peel open. After that, punctures and torn flashing at walls and penetrations cause most leaks.
Over time, EPDM slowly shrinks, and that causes its own kind of damage. As the sheet contracts, it pulls on the flashing at walls and edges, lifts the membrane off inside corners and can tear the rubber where it bridges between the roof and the wall. Lasting repairs relieve the stretch and add fresh flashing material.
One mistake makes rubber roof repair much harder. Tar and asphalt products damage EPDM and leave a surface that proper patches cannot stick to. In the meantime, catch drips in a bucket and keep off a wet, slippery roof.
Rubber Roof Repair is often paired with rubber roof installation and flat roof repair, depending on the cause.
Looking for Englewood rubber roof repair? Call (551) 355-3321 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Englewood.
Call nowThe process
The rubber roof repair process
Here is how a roofer usually handles a rubber roof repair.
Find the leak
The inspection traces the leak from the stain back to seams, flashing and penetrations. Wet insulation under the leak is checked with a moisture meter or a small core.
Prepare the surface
Weathered EPDM is scrubbed with a membrane cleaner to remove dirt, chalking and oxidation. Incompatible old patches come off before anything new goes on.
Apply primer
Primer goes on in a thin, even coat over the cleaned area. Primer turns old, weathered rubber into a surface that tape can grip.
Seal the damage
The patch is laid over the primed area and rolled so it bonds completely. Uncured flashing is used around pipes and corners because it stretches to fit.
Reseal the seams
Failed laps are reopened, cleaned and resealed with modern seam tape. Edges of every patch and seam get a bead of lap sealant.
Reflash the walls
Shrunk membrane at walls and curbs is released and reflashed with new rubber. A termination bar holds the new flashing in place.
What is included
Repairs a rubber roofer can handle
Lap sealing
Open laps are resealed with seam tape along their full length.
Tear repair
Damaged rubber is covered with new membrane rolled for a full bond.
Surface renewal
Compatible coatings can extend the life of weathered EPDM to add years to the roof.
Penetration flashing
Damaged collars around penetrations are renewed with pre-molded boots or uncured flashing.
Related service
EPDM Roof Repair Englewood, NJ
Repairing EPDM is simple in concept but unforgiving of shortcuts. Dirt, moisture or skipped primer are the usual reasons an EPDM patch fails. Lap sealant finishes the edges.
A Englewood roofer will time EPDM repairs for dry weather, because moisture ruins the bond. In an emergency, a temporary seal can stop water until conditions allow a proper patch. Temporary seals are not a substitute for a primed patch.
Related service
Rubber Roof Replacement Englewood, NJ
There comes a point where patching an EPDM roof stops being worth it. If the roof has many patches and still leaks, or the insulation is wet in many places, replacement is the better choice. A moisture survey helps decide.
Replacement options include new EPDM or a heat-welded membrane like TPO. If the existing roof is a single layer with dry insulation, a recover may be possible, but wet insulation means a tear-off. In Englewood, ask for both options so you can compare.
Local help
Rubber Roof Repair Near Me
In Englewood, EPDM is one of the most common membranes on low slope sections of homes. Across Englewood and nearby towns like Englewood Cliffs, Leonia, Tenafly and Bergenfield, older rubber roofs most often need seam and shrinkage repairs, while newer ones mainly need puncture and flashing fixes, which keeps small leaks from becoming big ones.
Searching for rubber roof repair near me from Englewood or Englewood Cliffs, Leonia, Tenafly and Bergenfield? Call (551) 355-3321 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
Roofs in this climate
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, building ice dams that push water up under the shingles. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. Most homeowners in Englewood, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why fix it now
Drier ceilings
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Englewood
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Englewood and nearby towns.
Straight answers
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Rubber Roof Repair questions
What is the lifespan of an EPDM roof?
Rubber roofs often last two to three decades. Thickness, installation and maintenance all affect its life. Timely repairs to seams and flashing help it get there.
Is roof cement safe for an EPDM roof?
Roofing tar and roof cement are not compatible with EPDM. They attack the membrane and make future repairs much harder. The right fix is a primed EPDM patch.
What is the right way to patch EPDM?
A proper EPDM patch is a cleaned, primed and rolled repair. Cover tape with rounded corners goes over primed rubber and is rolled for a full bond. The edges get lap sealant.
Why is my rubber roof pulling away from the wall?
Shrinkage is the usual cause. As it shrinks, it pulls on the flashing, stretches across inside corners and can tear at the wall. New flashing and termination bar fix it.
Can a rubber roof be coated?
Coatings can work on rubber roofs with proper prep. The roof must be repaired first, cleaned and primed with an EPDM-compatible primer before an acrylic or silicone coating goes on. Coatings do not fix wet insulation.
More questions? Call (551) 355-3321
Often needed together
Rubber Roof Installation
New EPDM rubber roofs laid in wide sheets over insulation and a cover board, with primed and taped seams, planned around the slope and the building.
Learn moreFlat Roof Repair
Fixing open seams, blisters, splits, ponding and failed flashing on flat and low slope roofs, with the patch made from material that bonds to what is there.
Learn moreRoof Coating
Liquid-applied roof coatings that seal seams, reflect heat and add years to a roof, as an option before a full tear-off.
Learn moreRoof Leak Repair
Stopping water at the pipe boots, flashing, valleys and nail holes where roofs actually leak, with the damage underneath checked too.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesGet rubber roof repair help in Englewood
Call (551) 355-3321 to talk to a roofer serving Englewood, NJ.