Not every roof on a home is a simple pitched surface covered in shingles. Additions, porches, and low-slope sections often call for a different material altogether. Here’s how asphalt shingles and EPDM rubber roofing compare, and where each one makes the most sense.
What Asphalt Shingles Do Best
Asphalt shingles remain the standard choice for most sloped residential roofs, and for good reason. They’re well suited to shedding water efficiently on a pitched surface, come in a wide range of colors and styles, and are backed by decades of manufacturer research and widely available warranty options.
What EPDM Rubber Roofing Does Best
EPDM, a synthetic rubber roofing membrane, is built for low-slope or flat sections of a roof where standard shingles aren’t practical. Common applications include additions, porch roofs, and sections of a home where water needs a different kind of drainage strategy than a steep pitch provides.
Why Slope Matters More Than Preference
The biggest factor in choosing between the two usually isn’t which material looks better. It’s the slope of the specific roof section in question. Shingles depend on gravity and overlap to shed water, which works well on a steep pitch but breaks down on low-slope areas where water can sit longer before draining.
Durability Considerations
Asphalt shingles are engineered to handle North Carolina’s mix of sun, wind, and storms across decades of use on sloped roofs. EPDM is engineered differently, built to resist ponding water and UV exposure on flatter surfaces where shingles simply aren’t designed to perform.
Many Homes Actually Use Both
It’s common for a single home, especially one with additions or a mix of rooflines, to use asphalt shingles on the main roof and EPDM on a flatter section like a porch roof or bump-out addition. Using the right material for each section of the roof, rather than one material for the whole structure, is often the better long-term approach.
Getting the Right Recommendation for Your Roof
Because the right choice depends on the specific slope and structure of each section of your roof, it’s worth having a roofer walk the property and recommend materials section by section, rather than assuming one material fits the whole home.
Have a mix of rooflines on your home? Gonzalez Roofing specializes in both asphalt roofing and EPDM rubber roofing, backed by the same standards that built the Gonzalez Painters & Contractors reputation. Request a free quote to find the right fit for every section of your roof.
