Many garages in Ridgeway were originally finished with felt roofing, and as that covering ages it becomes increasingly common for homeowners to ask whether the existing structure can simply be upgraded to EPDM rubber roofing rather than starting again from scratch. In most cases, the answer is yes, provided the roof is assessed properly first.
EPDM is well suited to garage roofs because it's a single, flexible sheet that can often be laid directly over a sound existing structure once any old covering has been stripped back. Its flexibility allows it to cope with the small movements a garage roof experiences over time, and because it's typically installed with far fewer joints than felt, there are fewer potential weak points for water to find its way in.
Many Ridgeway garages were built decades ago to a fairly basic specification, often with a single layer of felt and minimal attention to detailing around the edges. Upgrading one of these to EPDM isn't simply a like-for-like swap of materials — it's usually an opportunity to correct some of these original shortcomings at the same time, giving the garage a genuinely more robust roof than it started with.
The key question when upgrading a Ridgeway garage isn't really whether EPDM will work — it's whether the roof deck underneath is sound enough to take it. Before any new membrane goes on, the old felt or other covering needs to come off so the timber decking can be properly inspected, since years of minor leaks can cause hidden deterioration that isn't visible from below.
Where the decking has held up well, upgrading to EPDM is often a relatively contained job: the old covering is removed, the deck is prepared, and the new rubber membrane is bonded and dressed around the edges, upstands and any features like a soil pipe or roof light. Where the decking has suffered rot or delamination, that timber is replaced or repaired first so the new membrane has a solid, stable base.
It's also worth having a professional look at the garage roof's falls and drainage at the same time as any upgrade. A garage roof that has never drained particularly well will still have the same issue after a new membrane is fitted unless the underlying falls are addressed, so this is often a good opportunity to correct minor drainage problems rather than simply re-covering like for like.
Upgrading rather than starting from a full rebuild is usually more cost-effective for Ridgeway homeowners, since the existing structure, walls and roofline can typically be retained. It's not always the right approach, though — if the deck has deteriorated extensively or the roof's shape is causing persistent problems, a fuller replacement may actually be the more sensible long-term option.
It's also worth thinking about how the garage is actually used when planning an upgrade. A garage that's purely for parking has fairly straightforward requirements, but one that doubles as a workshop, storage space, or occasional living area may benefit from additional insulation or ventilation improvements carried out at the same time as the new membrane goes on, since it's far more disruptive and costly to add these later once the roof is finished.
Because every garage is different, the only way to know for certain whether your Ridgeway garage roof is a good candidate for an EPDM upgrade is to have it looked at directly. Brunel Roofing Bristol can assess the existing structure, decking and drainage and advise honestly on whether an upgrade or a fuller replacement makes the most sense, then provide a clear quotation for the work involved.
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