EPDM rubber roof vs Insulating rubber roof

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10MinuteHappyHour

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Joined
May 25, 2018
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Getting ready to tackle the "Rubber Roof" challenge.  I live in Calif. (El Dorado County) and seek advice on if I need the insulated rubber roof? Its more money but is it worth it? Roof is on a 30' class A 2004 Hurricane, Thor etc. etc..
Redoing the roof because it is peeling in many places. NO LEAKS so i thought i better get this done..
Question, Do I need to peel the entire roof or just where the old rubber is loose? Any tips/heads up on this challenge i will be grateful for!
Cheers,
Bill
 
What's "insulated" about it?  Can't be much and remain pliable.  How much R-value does this insulated material supposedly add?  I'm skeptical that it could be enough to pay any extra for...

 
If you want to get rid of more heat, you may want to consider replacing the rubber roof with aluminum sheet metal. The aluminum will help reflect heat rather than absorb it. For 30 feet, you're looking at about $500.You can likely reuse the vents.

However, I would highly recommend investing in a variable speed oscillating multitool for the job if you don't have one. I had to remove everything from my roof to apply new sealant and it saved me hours. I used the dullest blade I could find at Harbor Freight so I didn't cut the sheet metal. We did almost the whole roof in an afternoon. However, I would recommend a corded model instead of cordless. I was going through batteries faster than I could use them.
 
I would never put a metal roof on a camper of any sort, let alone how one would do it. I have a metal roof (galvanized) and it gets hot even with reflective white paint. There are good products out there for RV's that have been tested and improved over the years, go with them
 
The difference is on the underside, not the upside. Research has shown that a reflective surface will reflect more heat away from the structure than absorb it, in addition to heat dissipation. That's why foil faced insulation boards are more effective than unfaced.

In addition, aluminum doesn't weather nearly as bad as rubber in the sun.
 
Well, white is white and the reflective is the same, but a smoother surface (sheet metal) is somewhat more reflective than a textured one (the rubber). TPO is somewhere in-between, since it was a smoother, shinier surface than EPDM.  Much of the heat barrier comes from the insulation underneath, though.  I don't think you can evaluate any surface material out of context with the rest of the roof.

Unpainted and polished aluminum sheet may be higher in reflectivity than white surface. All of them lose reflectivity when dirty, though.

If I were totally replacing a roof, my choices would be fiberglass or aluminum, followed by TPO. Then EPDM rubber.  Galvanized is far last. EPDM is a high maintenance roof material, even though it does fine at keeping the weather out.  It chalks badly, gets dirt & mold in the pores, and is more susceptible to physical damage than any of the others.
 
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