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Firestone Building Products Company, LLC (FSBP), a provider of roofing and building envelope solutions, recently introduced industry-first FullForce EPDM, the next evolution of Secure Bond systems. FullForce EPDM can be installed more than four times faster than standard adhered EPDM and in temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing contractors to complete more jobs throughout the entire roofing season.
FullForce is the industry's only EPDM membrane fully coated from seam to seam with Firestone's factory-applied Secure Bond pressure-sensitive adhesive. With no seam tape, FullForce can be installed more quickly than traditional EPDM, offering valuable time savings for contractors and allowing roofers to get more projects done in a year. Additionally, the solution is ideal for occupied buildings and building owners, as it contains zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
“FSBP is committed to providing contractors with innovative solutions that make their lives easier while delivering on the long-term reliability they expect from the Firestone brand,” said Taylor Cole, president, FSBP. “FullForce EPDM exemplifies this commitment by empowering contractors to optimize their operations, which results in the opportunity for more revenue in a season.”
Hoekstra Roofing Company, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was one of the first contractors to experience the time and labor savings of FullForce EPDM during a third-party time study conducted on one of its recent projects, Green Bay Packaging, Inc. According to the study, Hoekstra Roofing’s four-person crew was able to install a 10-foot by 100-foot FullForce EPDM self adhering membrane in just under eight minutes versus nearly 36 minutes to install a traditional EPDM membrane of the same size.
“We have been in the roofing business for more than 100 years and have consistently used Firestone solutions for more than three decades,” said Steve Hoekstra, president, Hoekstra Roofing Company. “When the opportunity came along to test FullForce EPDM, we could not wait to explore the solution’s features for ourselves. Our whole team was immediately impressed by the installation speed and efficiency of this solution, as well as how easy it was to handle the product.”
Hoekstra is among the many contractors identifying ways to complete roofing projects more efficiently, in the face of increased industry labor shortages.
“In addition to installing more quickly than traditional EPDM, we also anticipate a lower likelihood of re-work due to FullForce featuring factory applied adhesive, which allows consistency of application at the product’s seams,” Hoekstra said. “These benefits mean we are able to lay more squares in a day, allowing us to complete more projects in a season and take on new business we couldn’t take on before.”
