- Q.I have to strip off an EPDM
roof. Is there anything special I need to
know?
A.Roofer Joseph Bublick
responds: No, there's nothing special about
tearing off EPDM roofing. You use the same
procedure you would use with any other roof. In
fact, EPDM is probably the simplest roof covering
to remove, because you can easily cut it with a
knife and just pull the material up.
Just like with any other roof system, though,
there's no telling what you'll find when you look
under it. If there's a substrate applied under the
EPDM -- typically, we apply a rigid insulation
board with a tough protective skin -- you'll want
to strip that off, too, so you can inspect the
structural deck. The substrate is usually screwed
down, so you'll have to either back those screws
out or cut them off.