Removing Rubber Foam Roofing

Rubber foam roofing is installed by many homeowners on flat surfaces that cannot support other traditional roofing materials, including asphalt shingles. Although it’s durable and weather resistant, rubber roofing can degrade overtime, requiring the need for a replacement membrane. This is especially true of improperly installed or inferior roofing, which generally requires replacement after 12 to 25 years. Tear down your rubber roofing membrane in a matter of hours without the need for specialized tools or professional intervention.

Work gloves
Utility knife
Heat gun
Dumpster
Metal putty knife or paint scraper

Instructions

- 1
  Hold off removing the roof until a warm day when there is no precipitation in the forecast. The heat softens the latex adhesive used to secure your roof, making the membrane’s removal easier.
- 2
  Slip on a pair of heavy-duty work gloves and cut the rubber roofing membrane into 10 inch-square sections with a utility knife. Locate the roofing seam and use this as the first cut of the section. Grab a few extra blades for the knife, as the cured adhesive breaks and coats the blades often.
- 3
  Grasp the edge of the first section and slowly begin to peel it away from the roof. If the adhesive is holding strong, point a heat gun at the section for 10 to 15 seconds to soften it before once again slowly peeling away the rubber. Toss the removed sections onto the ground or inside a waiting dumpster.
- 4
  Continue to pull away the sections of roofing membrane in the same manner, using the heat gun when necessary. Remove any adhesive residue from the exposed roof’s surface with a metal putty knife or paint scraper before installing a replacement material.

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