Rubber roofing in the domestic sector has been increasing in popularity in recent times, with sales surging for some of the UK’s biggest suppliers.

Ease of application, cost-effectivity and eco-friendlier than many other roofing materials, rubber roofs are outperforming their rivals in pretty much every way. Let's take a closer look…

Overall growth in the UK home improvement market

Across the UK, the home improvement market has been growing overall since the start of 2020 and it is expected to continue the upward trend over the next five years. Taking a comprehensive view, it appears that a growing number of people are spending more time at home and paying closer attention to their immediate surroundings.

Homeowners are also thinking outside the box when it comes to the use of space and resources and they’re much more environmentally aware in their improvement projects. This is leading to the development of previously specialist systems for the domestic market and bringing a wider range of projects within reach of the skilled DIYer – including flat roofing.

The rise in domestic rubber roofing

Residential rubber roofing is one of the fastest-growing sectors of this surging home improvement market in the UK. Popular in the commercial roofing sector for decades, EPDM is perhaps one of the best known high performing rubber roofing membranes available today.

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With wide ranging benefits from longevity and value to installation, EPDM rubber membranes are fast-becoming the replacement for more traditional flat roof coverings. Some of the benefits include:

Cost vs. value

With a cost of living crisis, many homeowners are turning to materials that provide a more cost-effective approach. Rubber roofing is less expensive to install than some other common roofing materials and is easier to install, reducing labour costs overall.

High performance EPDM also has an impressive 30-50-year service life expectancy. Compared to other membranes, this can spell a big reduction in the overall life cycle cost, offering much better value over a much longer term.

Low maintenance

Once installed correctly, rubber roofing remains stable and reliable throughout its service life, requiring little maintenance. Hard to damage and easy to repair, EPDM membranes need no more than a visual inspection following bad weather.

Fast and straightforward to install

The ease of installation of some rubber roofing systems is one of the biggest drivers of its popularity in the domestic market. Ideal for smaller projects, such as shed and garage roofing, rubber roofing kits are available to further simplify these jobs for DIY.

Lower environmental impact

As more homeowners grow increasingly environmentally aware, they are spending more time planning and choosing their materials. Rubber roofing ticks many eco boxes in terms of its longevity, stability and reduced life cycle impact compared to other traditional materials, such as felt. At the end of its long service lifespan, EPDM can be fully recycled to minimise landfill waste.

How to buy residential rubber roofing systems

Today, rubber roofing systems are much easier to buy. EPDM is widely available and complete kits can be purchased online in standard sizes for shed and garage roofing projects. It is, however, important to ensure that you're buying a high quality rubber membrane to gain the maximum value and performance from your system.

PermaRoof UK is one of the largest importers and distributors of rubber roofing. Being one of the premier suppliers of Firestone (now Elevate) EPDM for both domestic and commercial roofing sectors, its stocks some of the best membranes on the market today. Rubber roofing is available to buy online at PermaRoof Store by the metre or in complete standard or bespoke roofing kits.