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What is EPDM

Buyer Beware

It has come to our attention that there is a new company in our area selling a painted rubber product for a little less per square foot than our EPDM surfacing. Before you buy this inferior and toxic product, you should know a few things about the differences between the EPDM product we install and the painted product they sell. As a consumer, know exactly what you're getting before you spend your hard earned money on an imitation product. Ask the company you're dealing with to provide you with their ASTM test results and always make sure you're getting EPDM rubber, not granulated tires coated with paint.

Below is a comparison table which should answer any questions you may have about the differences between EPDM rubber and painted SBR.

EPDM Versus Painted SBR

Categories	Virgin EPDM	Recycled Tire Product

Product Manufacturing	EPDM is fresh from the factory where it was manufactured specifically for use as a decking surface.	Painted SBR is a recycled product made from ground up tires and mixed with acrylic paint to give it color.
Product Color	EPDM is colored with a die that runs completely through the granules and will not fade.	Painted SBR uses an acrylic paint which wears off in a few years. This is because the product is not mixed with a die in a liquid state. Instead, the color merely coats the outside of the granules.
Binder	EPDM Binder is derived from the same base chemicals that the EPDM is made from and therefore granules bond on the molecular level.	Painted SBR uses binder that was developed for EPDM, and therefore was not designed for this unstable and experimental product.
Development	EPDM was originally developed for the fast food industry by a team of chemists that know exactly what they are doing.	Painted SBR was developed by a recycled rubber mulch company with absolutely no knowledge of chemistry at all.
Consistency	EPDM colors remain consistent across the entire poured surface and amber evenly.	Painted SBR streaks as it ambers at least 50% of the time. In fact, most decks end up getting painted over with a solid color when this happens.
ASTM Standards	Our ASTM Standards can be found by clicking here	Painted SBR has never been tested by the ASTM and therefore has no results to back it up.
Softness	EPDM has a soft cushion feel to it	Painted SBR almost feels as if you were walking on riverrock or some other pebble type surface.
Traction when it's wet	EPDM never feels slippery, even when it's wet.	Painted SBR is almost as slippery as tile when it's wet.
Industry Tested	EPDM has been used around the world on literally tens of thousands of playgrounds, in theme parks, in school, at the Olympics, on hotel pool decks and more.	The Painted SBR company is falsely claiming their product has been used in all the same places. The fact is, their experimental product has never been installed outside the tri-county area in the Suncoast of Florida.
Lifespan	EPDM has proven to be a product that can last for several decades!	Painted SBR has only been in existence for approximately 2 years and we have seen the paint begin to wear off after only a year.
Toxicity after curing	When EPDM is fully cured, the product becomes completely non-toxic and is safe for humans, pets and vegetation.	Painted SBR is only safe for as long as the paint job holds up. Once the paint begins to degrade, the product begins to leech out all sorts of hazardous chemicals that are proven to damage vegetation. If it's harming the plants, what is it doing to your body?

Don't take our word for it, find out what shredded tires are doing to plants in gardens by visiting Paghat's Garden. Please keep in mind that this web site is not under the control of IRSI and we take no responsibility for the content found on it. This link is provided for informational purposes only.