What’s in a Rubber Roof Kit? Everything You Need for a Leak-Free Roof

If you’re considering DIYing your shed, garden room or home extension roof this year, you won’t go wrong with a rubber roof kit. Designed to give you everything you need for a seamless, professional-looking installation, our EPDM rubber roof kit range provides a hassle-free approach to waterproofing for the long term.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the reasons why EPDM is the best upgrade for many domestic projects. We’ll also break down the essential components of our own rubber roof kits to show how each one plays a crucial role in ensuring a leak-free, long-lasting flat roof.

Why choose EPDM rubber roof kits?

There are rubber membranes and rubber membranes in the roofing materials marketplace, varying in price – and in quality. Genuine RubberCover EPDM membranes bring a wide range of benefits to your flat roof that historically popular flat roof coverings such as felt and other types of membrane have never been able to provide:

Longevity – with a 50-year service life expectancy, EPDM membrane offers unmatched longevity. This also makes it extremely cost effective over time compared to other systems which may need to be replaced more often.

Weather resistance – stable in fluctuating temperatures, and resistant to ozone and UV radiation, EPDM doesn’t stretch or bubble in hot weather or crack like other flat roof materials.

Large sheet size capacity – because of the method of vulcanisation used in the manufacture of EPDM RubberCover, it can be rolled and cut into huge sheet sizes – up to 15m x 60m. This means that most domestic projects can be covered in a single sheet, with no seaming required.

Safe and straightforward installation – EPDM can be installed typically faster than other systems in a single sheet and uses a cold applied method with water-based adhesive (onto timber decks). This makes it highly popular in the DIY sector and is what first led us to introduce our EPDM rubber roof kit range for sale in our online store.

To make sure you have a genuine high performance EPDM rubber membrane, it is always advisable to buy from an approved brand retailer. Ask your supplier to provide the associated certificates and declarations of performance (please visit our Corporate Resource Library to find ours or give the team a quick call and we’ll be happy to provide them).

The components of a PermaRoof rubber roof kit

EPDM Rubber Membrane – The heart of your roofing kit

The main component of any rubber roof kit is the EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) membrane. This single sheet of synthetic rubber provides a durable, flexible, and waterproof surface that can withstand extreme weather, UV exposure, and temperature fluctuations.

At PermaRoof, we include RubberCover EPDM, a high-performance membrane from ELEVATE in all our rubber roof kits.

Key Benefits:

• Long lifespan (50+ years expected)
• No seams (reducing the risk of leaks and simplifying installation)
• Resistant to bubbling and cracking

Adhesive & Primer – Ensuring a secure bond

To keep your EPDM membrane firmly in place, your rubber roof kit will include a suitable adhesive. There are typically two types of adhesive used in rubber roofing and which you choose may depend on the type of substrate you’re adhering to:

Water-based adhesive – Used for bonding the membrane to wooden roof decks. This ensures the EPDM lays flat and smooth and it is often applied using a roller.

Contact adhesive – A stronger adhesive often used in conjunction with a primer for securing the rubber to other types of substrate, edge details where needed, upstands and to brickwork. This can be used in liquid form and applied with a roller or is also available in spray format. Spray contact adhesive in aerosol form is included in our range of kits for shed roofing for ease and speed of installation.

Primer – If your chosen roof kit includes flashing tape (for sealing edges and joins), a primer will be required to ensure a strong bond.

Edge Trims & Finishing Components

A professional-looking finish is just as important as functionality. That’s why a good rubber roof kit includes edge trims and other finishing components. At PermaRoof, we include our patented roof trim system in all except our shed roof kits:

• Drip edges – Help direct rainwater away from the building.
• Perimeter trims – Secure the EPDM membrane at the edges and provide a clean, tidy appearance.
• Suitable sealant – For sealing joins, corners, and upstands to prevent water ingress.

Application Tools – Making installation easy

Some rubber roof kits come with handy tools to help with installation, such as:

• Rollers – For applying adhesive evenly
• Seam rollers – To press down edges and ensure a firm bond

How to buy a rubber roof kit

We’ve made buying a rubber roof kit as easy as possible at PermaRoof UK. We offer shed roof kits in standard shed sizes and all our other kits require just two accurate measurements – maximum length and width – to order.

Once you’ve entered these two measurements, our team does the rest and calculates just how much adhesive and trim, sealant and fixings you need.

If you have a detailed design, or wish to create your own, bespoke rubber roof kit, try our free online Kit Builder App tool. This produces a full kit list in just four simple steps, which you can send to us for a fast quote or print and save for later in your project file.

Let us help

PermaRoof UK is a company that puts its clients first – before, during and after you’ve bought your rubber roof kit. We’re here to help you choose the right approach for your flat roofing projects, regardless of size or scope. Whether you’re looking for a shed roof kit, waterproofing a garage or garden room or buying a rubber roof kit for a full-blown home extension project, let us help you.

Browse our range of rubber roof kits available to buy online >

PermaGroup has established links with some of the biggest names in our industry thanks to our reputation of excellence. Read more about becoming a supplier or stockist here.