Editor’s Note: As we continue to recognize Roofing Contractor’s 35th anniversary, we take another look at an innovative technology that changed the roofing industry and continues to help it evolve. This month, we look at how EPDM developed into the strong market force it remains today and why it’s still the synthetic roofing membrane of choice for many contractors and facility managers.
First introduced in 1962, EPDM single-ply roofing membranes became increasingly popular in the 1970s as the Middle East oil embargo drove up the price of asphalt-based roofs and lowered the quality of available asphalt. EPDM was cost-effective and simple to install, and quickly became known for its exceptional hail resistance, UV stability, and weathering resistance due to the cross-linked nature of its chemistry and the UV-absorbing power of its raw materials.