Garage roofs across Brentry are still commonly covered in felt, often because that was simply the standard material when the garage was built, and many homeowners now find themselves weighing up whether to replace like-for-like or switch to EPDM rubber when the time comes for a new covering. It is a reasonable comparison to make, since the two materials behave quite differently over the life of a roof.
One of the clearest practical differences is how each material handles seams. A garage roof is usually small enough that EPDM can be installed as a single sheet with no joints at all, whereas felt roofing is typically built up from overlapping strips that are bonded or torched together. Every seam in a felt roof is a potential point of weakness, and it is very often at these joints that felt roofs eventually begin to fail, so removing that risk almost entirely is a genuine practical advantage of EPDM on a garage-sized roof.
Durability over time is another meaningful difference. Felt tends to become more brittle as it ages, especially where it is exposed to direct sun, and brittle felt is more prone to cracking, particularly at edges and detailing where it has to bend around trims or upstands. EPDM is formulated specifically to stay flexible for a long service life, which generally makes it more resilient to the kind of gradual, weather-driven degradation that affects ageing felt roofs.
As a general point of comparison, felt roofing often needs replacing within roughly ten to fifteen years as a rule of thumb, while EPDM is commonly guaranteed for twenty years or more by manufacturers, with many installations continuing to perform well beyond that. These are general industry figures rather than guarantees for any individual roof, but they do reflect a real and widely recognised difference in typical longevity between the two materials.
Maintenance requirements also differ somewhat. Felt roofs often benefit from periodic reapplication of solar reflective paint or similar treatments to slow UV degradation, whereas EPDM is generally more self-sufficient once correctly installed, needing little beyond occasional clearing of debris and an eye kept on the roof for any obvious damage.
None of this means felt is a poor material outright, and a well-installed felt roof can still perform reasonably for a number of years. But for a Brentry homeowner weighing up options for a garage roof specifically, where the roof size favours a joint-free EPDM installation and the longer typical lifespan reduces how often the job needs doing again, EPDM is generally the stronger choice for most garage applications.
Appearance is a minor but not entirely irrelevant factor too. EPDM has a smooth, consistent finish that tends to weather evenly over the years, whereas felt can become patchy or discoloured in places as it ages, particularly where sun exposure varies across the roof. For a garage roof that is visible from a driveway or neighbouring windows, this steady, uniform look over time is a small extra point in EPDM's favour.
If your garage roof in Brentry is due for replacement and you are deciding between sticking with felt or moving to EPDM, it is worth having the roof assessed so you can compare the options properly for your specific garage rather than in the abstract. Brunel Roofing Bristol can talk through both options and provide a quotation based on what would actually suit your roof.
Get a Free Quote for EPDM Roofing in Brentry
Every roof is different — the fastest way to get an accurate answer is a quick chat with our team.