Commercial Flat Roof Replacement – EPDM Black Membrane, NJ

Full commercial flat roof tear-off and replacement on a multi-unit residential building in NJ. The existing built-up roofing had reached end of life with multiple failure points including large punctures, saturated insulation, and standing water causing deck damage. A fully-adhered black EPDM rubber membrane system was installed as the replacement — the industry standard for flat and low-slope commercial roofing.

Infrared scan identified over 60% of the insulation as saturated. Core cuts confirmed water had penetrated to the wood deck in three locations. The brick chimney had major flashing failure and was re-flashed as part of the scope. All rooftop penetrations (two exhaust stacks, one skylight curb) required new EPDM curb flashings.

Day 1–2: Full tear-off, debris disposal, deck inspection. Day 3: Deck repairs and dry-in. Day 4–5: Tapered insulation layout and installation. Day 6–7: EPDM black membrane layout, bonding adhesive application, and seam sealing. Day 8: All penetrations, EPDM pipe boots, curb flashings, chimney flashing. Day 9: Inspection, flood test, final cleanup.

The completed roof has a seamless black EPDM rubber surface — durable, watertight, and rated for decades of NJ weather. The flood test confirmed zero pooling and all drains functioning at capacity. The building owner received a 20-year Firestone warranty. No callbacks since installation.