Flexirub reinvents the waterproofing of flat roofs with an innovative concept under technical review

“The concept is changing, moving from a traditional method to a modern process which takes into account the constraints of companies to simplify their lives”, explains Patrick Régnier, president of Flexirub.

EPDM, an innovative material

The construction of houses with flat roofs has been developing for several years, with waterproofing using membranes which until now were essentially bituminous, leading to implementation difficulties and an ecological footprint that is not compatible with current market expectations. To overcome these shortcomings, Flexirub launched in 2012 an ambitious strategic research and development program on waterproofing, based on an innovative material, EPDM (synthetic rubber), for applications in construction, civil engineering and the environment. “The research focused on the prefabrication of waterproofing in the factory, thus eliminating any welding and installation intervention on site, in favor of simple installation,” explains Patrick Régnier.

Flexirub thus obtained, in November 2016, the first technical opinion issued by the CSTB (CCFAT 5/16_2516) for the first innovative concept of prefabrication of flat roof waterproofing in 3D EPDM. This opinion was issued by the committee of experts responsible for formulating technical opinions for terrace roof waterproofing processes (CCFAT).

Reinventing the waterproofing of flat roofs

New generation sealing technique, 3D EPDM constitutes a simple, quick and economical solution. This tailor-made waterproofing process ensures perfect waterproofing of all forms of roof, including green roofs, thanks to major advantages such as:

• taking digital measurements (avoids errors and facilitates reporting to the design office),
• supply facilities (a single supplier, a single part and a single delivery of very little material, without any charging port),
• easy and quick installation (installation time divided by 4 or 5), without risk of errors or poor workmanship (a single piece ready to install with details prefabricated in the factory),
• reduced cost of materials, labor and accessories,
• a durable and environmentally friendly material (EPDM), which can be reused and has a lifespan of more than 50 years without maintenance…
• waterproofing parts ready to install by a waterproofer or any other building professional (roofer, mason, etc.)
• no constraints of arduousness…

"3D EPDM offers a turnkey, one-piece, ready-to-use solution that adapts to all substrates. All accessories are provided, from geotextile to installation tool kit, and the prefabrication makes it possible to perfectly match all the shapes and surfaces of the area to be waterproofed., summarizes Patrick Régnier.