EPDM Roofing System Provides Durability for Freemasons

Over the years, the Freemason lodge has seen many construction improvements and restorations. While the lodge has tried to maintain as much of the original building materials as possible, some of the building elements have deteriorated over the years, not the least of which was the roofing system, which has been replaced more than once.

By 2017, the lodge trustees began considering enhancements to their existing Carlisle SynTec Sure-Seal 60-mil EPDM roofing system which had been installed in 1985. Because the existing EPDM system had performed so well over the last 30+ years, the lodge trustees decided to install another Carlisle EPDM system to provide lasting performance and ensure watertight building integrity.

The lodge trustees and R. Adams Roofing chose to install a 60-mil Sure-Seal EPDM membrane with Factory-Applied Tape. Carlisle’s FAT technology applies tape to the edge of the EPDM membrane sheets in a factory-controlled setting, increasing the reliability of a rooftop’s membrane seams, as well as reducing the installation time.

The first step in this roofing installation was to tear off the existing EPDM membrane and wood fiber insulation. The installation crew left the existing built-up roof system in place and mechanically attached a one-inch layer of Carlisle’s InsulBase polyiso insulation using plates and fasteners. Providing one of the highest R-values per inch of commercial polyiso insulation, Carlisle’s InsulBase is composed of a polyiso foam core bonded on each side to fiber-reinforced paper facers. Because of its unique construction, Carlisle’s InsulBase polyiso can be applied directly over a myriad of substrates and has proven to significantly reduce the amount
of energy used to heat and cool a building.

Once the insulation was in place, the installation team rolled out the seamless pre-cleaned 60-mil EPDM membrane and fully adhered it to the insulation using Carlisle’s CAV-GRIP III Low- VOC Adhesive/Primer. Manufactured with a low-VOC, chloride-free formula, CAV-GRIP III significantly minimizes flash-off time. CAV-GRIP III is applied using a spray system ensures even, consistent coverage for an optimum bond, and has minimal odor.