Old Market sits right at the historic heart of Bristol, and its mix of older commercial premises, converted upper floors and residential buildings means a lot of the area's flat roofs are considerably older than the roofs you'd find on a typical modern estate. Fitting EPDM rubber roofing to one of these buildings brings a few specific things worth thinking through.
Many older buildings in Old Market have been altered and extended over the decades, sometimes multiple times, which means the flat roof areas can be a patchwork of different ages, pitches and construction methods rather than one uniform structure. Before specifying EPDM, it's important to understand exactly what's being covered — what's original, what's been added later, and how those different sections meet each other.
The condition of the roof deck is a particular consideration on older Old Market properties. Given the age of much of the building stock, it's common for timber decking to have been repaired, replaced in sections, or in some cases quietly deteriorated over years without anyone noticing from inside. A proper EPDM installation always involves stripping back the existing covering and inspecting the deck, replacing any timber that isn't sound before the new membrane goes down.
Older buildings also often have a mix of upstands, parapets and penetrations built up over years of alterations — old flue outlets that may no longer be in use, disused vent pipes, changes in roof level between an original structure and a later addition. Each of these needs to be properly assessed and detailed as part of an EPDM installation, since simply covering over unresolved junctions is a common cause of leaks on older commercial and residential buildings alike.
Where a building in Old Market has any commercial use, access and working hours sometimes need to be planned around the business operating below, which is worth discussing early with whoever is carrying out the work, so the installation can be scheduled with minimal disruption.
The upside of EPDM for older Old Market buildings is that, once properly installed over a sound deck with correctly detailed junctions, it offers a durable, low-maintenance covering that copes well with the area's mix of building ages and roof configurations, generally outlasting felt and requiring far less ongoing attention.
It's also worth thinking about how the roof might need to be accessed in future, whether for maintenance of the building itself or any equipment mounted on the roof. Planning sensible, durable walkway protection into an EPDM installation where regular foot traffic is expected can help the membrane keep performing well over the years, rather than wearing prematurely in one heavily used area.
If you're responsible for an older building in Old Market and are considering EPDM for a flat roof, Brunel Roofing Bristol can carry out a proper assessment of the roof's history, structure and detailing needs before recommending the right approach.
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