# Help with EPDM Membrane Identification



## Apex Roofing Inc.

We are going to be doing a repair job on a roof that currently has an EPDM 
membrane that we are having trouble identifying. I have attached a photo of the 
front and back of the membrane and am hoping that someone may be able to 
tell me what brand of membrane it is.

Thank you for your help.

Sergio Rodriguez
Apex Roofing, Inc.
817-239-8744
www.apextx.com
[email protected]


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## 1985gt

Doesn't look like any EPDM I've ever seen, looks like duro last to me.


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## Apex Roofing Inc.

*Thanks*

Thanks for your help. The owner stated that it is some type of EPDM roofing membrane, but maybe they have it wrong. Anyone else have any ideas?



Sergio


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## Pie in the Sky

Pretty Sure its J.P. Stevens TPO, a heat Weldable membrane.. They Called it EP.. Hope that helps...


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## Pie in the Sky

JPS is no longer in Business they were recently purchased by Dow, im sure they can help you find some.


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## Apex Roofing Inc.

*Thanks!*

I found an old brochure online for that type of TPO and it looks like that is definitely the right one. It looks like that company went out of business several years ago. Does anyone have an idea of what kind of TPO we could use to do repairs on this roof?

Thanks!


Sergio Rodriguez
Apex Roofing, Inc.
817-239-8744
www.apextx.com
[email protected]


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## 1985gt

Your best bet is to just try to weld to it, or use a cover tape. Clean the area really good i'm not sure how well any tapes will stick depending on how old and weathered the membrane is.


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## Billy Luttrell

1985gt said:


> Your best bet is to just try to weld to it, or use a cover tape. Clean the area really good i'm not sure how well any tapes will stick depending on how old and weathered the membrane is.


Pretty much what he said...clean the chit out of it and try to weld to it. If you cannot weld to it....might have to sell em a replacement.


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## Grumpy

Try to weld a tpo and a pvc to it. If neither stick, look into cover tape or eterna bond.


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## pro exteriors

Epdm? haha. Hey storm chaser why don't you educate yourself a little before coming on a forum with real roofers and sounding dumb. Lol.


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## Pie in the Sky

I was on an 18 year old sarnafil a few weeks ago. It looked like it was 5 years old. The vents were all banged up from hail with no damage to the membrane. pretty impressive. We shot some video of the contractor welding to it. Ill try and post them here when they are done. I am putting together a library of repair videos for presentations. Also, the underside of the membrane is almost always weldable if its a Mech attached roof system.


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## freeroof

That's not an EPDM as you know now.
You should be able to get the insurance co to pay for a full replacement of that roof especially if the insulation is wet. Try that route first if that fails then you can try to repair .


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## cnysbestroofer

*def jps*

This is def a old jps tpo membrane. Don't waste your time trying to weld to it, i have done repairs on it before, the membrane is to old and brittle. Depending on damage and if they can afford it, do a recovery system . If its just minor leaks and damage, you can actually use Carlise primer and flashing for there white epdm systems to do repairs on a old jps tpo roof. yes it will eventually fail but this roof is prob all ready past its life expectancy.


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## cnysbestroofer

*actualy*

Oh, i just remember carlise has a peel and stick tpo cover strip and tpo primer. you might be able to use that to patch holes. Tpo is not a pvc like sarnafil, so its prob most likely to cured to weld to.


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## Pie in the Sky

TPO doesn’t "Cure" like hypalon. I’ve welded 15 year old TPO as well (and remember I don’t really like TPO). It is a thermoplastic which by nature should always be weldable. PVC actually has more issues with aged weldability due to plascizer migration. Hypalon on the other hand was a little different. It was a thermoplastic which cures into a thermoset.

And even if the top has chalked and scaled out, like they say it doesnt do, Welding to the underside is still an option.


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## Bill andresen

I'm almost positive that is an old JP Stevens Hi-Tuff membrane (it was blue on the backside). Forget about getting anything to weld or stick to it with any success.


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## Bill andresen

By the way, I just inspected an old Firestone MARS NP "button down" EPDM roof system. Does anyone know when Carlisle discontinued this system?
Membrane marking is 9496045 1. I know its 45-mil but I'm not sure when it was manufactured.


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## Pie in the Sky

Just ran into one of these today. JPS TPO. It was over another single ply which I couldn’t identify. Looked like IB PVC but the membrane it was right over EPS and I would think as old as it was it would have leached out all the old plasticizers by now so I’m thinking it’s an old Carlisle Hypalon. The weathering layer was well weathered like hypalon gets. 

Unfortunately I cannot tell you if this one welded because the contractor patched it with that Foil tape from home depot... :laughing:


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## 1985gt

Was it foil tape or *shudder* eterna bond? Its been awhile since I've seen eterna bond patches around here. Thankfully.


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## Pie in the Sky

1985gt said:


> Was it foil tape or *shudder* eterna bond? Its been awhile since I've seen eterna bond patches around here. Thankfully.


I would have way rather seen eternabond. To me, that’s a legit temporary patch if it is actually replaced. A guy I used to work for would say "there’s nothing more permanent than a temporary patch" :no:


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## 1985gt

The problem is who is defining "temporary". To me its a few days or until the roof is dry,ect to put a proper patch on. To others it's years.


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## Grumpy

Eternabond sticks well if it's A. a clean surface and B. a primed surface. I see it fail alot and no doubt because the hack stuck it without first cleaning and without priming. 

I however prefer the various covertapes and flashing membranes I can get from the suppliers like Firestone and Carlisle which are actually cheaper. I do love the eterna spray primer though for repair work. Fast and EZ and really sticks.


When I do a temp repair I expect it to lasts a year or two, or else I'll just caulk it or dope it. That's truly a temp repair which I'd be surprised in most cases if it lasts through a winter.


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