DOES PONDED WATER HAVE ANY AFFECTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF EPDM MEMBRANE?

June 3, 2018

Since its infancy, when EPDM was used primarily for pond lining and canals, it has demonstrated excellent resistance to moisture absorption. This characteristic made the membrane a candidate for many underground waterproofing applications where the material was buried in saturated soil. (EPDM meets ASTM D 3083 “Resistance to Soil Burial for Underground Application.”)

Moisture found in ponding areas has caused decay of organic felts (built-up roofs), algae growth (light colored roofs), granule loss (modified bitumen roofs), and premature curing and surface cracking (non-vulcanized thermoplastic membranes). This moisture has absolutely no affect on EPDM membrane.

While it is always good roofing practice to provide positive drainage for any roofing assembly, EPDM membrane offers greater safety margins in the event of deflection and subsequent ponding.