The Materials We Buried
The Old Chemistry.
RUBBER †1995
(Click to expand.)
Rubber roofs bubble and split. They last 12-15 years maximum. The seams always fail first.
"Here lies the industry's biggest mistake"
Your grandfather's rubber roof reaches 180°F in summer sunshine. That's hot enough to slow-cook a roast. The heat creates bubbles - actual air pockets trapped under the membrane. Like burnt pizza cheese, it bubbles up and never lies flat again.
The seams? They split like old shoes. Why? Because rubber expands and contracts with temperature swings. After 12-15 years of this thermal gymnastics, the seams give up. They literally pull apart.
EPDM degradation begins at year 8
Seam failure rate: 73% by year 12
Average replacement cost: $8.50/sq ft
Hidden cost: Interior damage from leaks
PLASTIC (TPO) †2010
"TPO becomes TP 🧻"
Remember leaving toys outside as a kid? The colors faded. The plastic got brittle. That's your TPO roof after 15 years. It literally becomes toilet paper.
TPO can't handle the chemistry in our air. Acid rain from BP refineries. Industrial contamination from Gary steel mills. UV radiation cooking it daily.
The material shrinks. Actually shrinks. Pulls away from the edges. Creates gaps. Water finds every gap.
Plasticizer migration causes brittleness
UV degradation breaks polymer chains
Thermal cycling creates micro-fractures
Cannot be recoated - must be removed
SILICONE †2018
"Silly putty for roofs"
We dedicated an entire website to this disaster.Silicone is a dirt magnet. Literally attracts everyparticle in Northwest Indiana's industrial air.
Can't walk on it without slipping. Can't clean itwithout damaging it. Can't remove it without spending$3/sq ft just for disposal.
[Visit SiliconeIsSilly.com for the full horror story]
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