Elevate (Formerly Firestone) Membrane on Ann Arbor Roofs
Elevate is the current name for what most roofing crews in this market still occasionally call by its former name, Firestone Building Products , the company rebranded to Elevate after Swiss building-materials manufacturer Holcim acquired the roofing business in 2021. The membrane itself, and the RubberGard EPDM and UltraPly TPO product lines it's built on, carry the same engineering pedigree the roofing trade has worked with under the Firestone name for decades.
The Rebrand, and Why It Doesn't Change the Membrane
A manufacturer name change can understandably make owners nervous about product continuity, but the underlying manufacturing facilities, formulations, and quality control that produced Firestone-branded membrane carried forward under the Elevate name. We explain this directly to owners on Ann Arbor projects where an existing roof carries a Firestone warranty or product history, since the rebrand affects labeling and corporate structure more than it affects the physical membrane going onto a roof today.
Holcim's ownership brought a global building-materials manufacturer's scale to what was already one of the larger roofing membrane producers in North America, which in practical terms tends to support consistent product availability , a relevant factor on larger institutional reroofs around Michigan Medicine and North Campus where waiting on a specific membrane thickness or accessory can hold up a project schedule.
RubberGard EPDM's Track Record in This Climate
RubberGard is Elevate's EPDM line, and it's one of the more established EPDM products we still find on older Ann Arbor roofs from installs going back decades under the Firestone name. That longevity matters when we're evaluating an aging EPDM roof for repair versus replacement , a lot of accumulated field experience exists with how this specific product line ages and where it tends to show wear first, which helps us set realistic expectations for owners deciding between a repair program and full replacement.
On new EPDM installs where thermal-movement tolerance and splice-based seam repair matter more than heat-welded seam strength, RubberGard remains a straightforward, well-understood option, whether the application is ballasted, mechanically attached, or fully adhered depending on the building's structural capacity and wind exposure.
- EPDM product line: RubberGard, black membrane with a long field track record
- TPO product line: UltraPly, reflective membrane including fleece-backed options
- Former name: Firestone Building Products, rebranded to Elevate following Holcim's 2021 acquisition
- Parent company: Holcim, a global building-materials manufacturer
- Manufacturing continuity: same production standards carried forward through the rebrand
- Common use here: both EPDM replacement-in-kind projects and TPO reroofs
UltraPly TPO on Current Reroof Work
UltraPly is Elevate's TPO line, and it competes on the same basis as other major manufacturers' TPO , membrane thickness options, fleece-backed variants for recover projects, and hot-air-welded seams that perform consistently through the cold-weather welding conditions we manage on late-season Ann Arbor installs. We evaluate UltraPly against other manufacturers' TPO the same way we evaluate any product: against the specific roof's traffic, wind exposure, and budget.
Fleece-backed UltraPly comes up on the same category of recover projects where fleece-backed membrane from any manufacturer earns consideration , older buildings with substrate irregularities, or roofs where added puncture resistance matters because of mechanical traffic density.
Fitting Elevate Into a Multi-Building Campus Plan
On a campus with several buildings at different reroof stages , a common situation across the buildings we service tied to U-M and Michigan Medicine , using one manufacturer's compatible system across multiple buildings can simplify long-term maintenance and warranty tracking, since facilities staff are working with one set of product specifications and one warranty administration process rather than several. Elevate's combined EPDM and TPO range supports that kind of standardization for campuses that want it, though we don't push standardization where a specific building's roof genuinely calls for a different membrane chemistry.
We also look at how Elevate's insulation and cover board products fit alongside the membrane when specifying a full assembly, since sourcing insulation and membrane from the same manufacturer generally simplifies compatibility questions compared to mixing components from different manufacturers on the same roof.
What We Don't Claim About Elevate
We install Elevate membrane where it fits a project's requirements, without representing any specific dealer tier, certification level, or exclusive relationship with the manufacturer beyond that. Warranty terms and installer qualification requirements for Elevate products are reviewed on a project-by-project basis rather than assumed from general brand familiarity.
Holcim Elevate Questions
Is Elevate the same company as Firestone Building Products?
Yes , Elevate is the current name for the roofing business formerly branded as Firestone Building Products, following its 2021 acquisition by Holcim. The manufacturing and product lines carried forward under the new name.
Does an existing Firestone warranty still apply after the rebrand to Elevate?
Existing warranties issued under the Firestone name remain in effect according to their original terms; the rebrand affects the manufacturer's name going forward, not warranties already in place. We confirm specific warranty status when evaluating an existing roof.
What's the difference between RubberGard and UltraPly?
RubberGard is Elevate's EPDM product line, splice-bonded at seams. UltraPly is the TPO line, hot-air welded at seams. They're different membrane chemistries for different project needs, not two versions of the same system.
Does Holcim's ownership affect where Elevate membrane is manufactured?
We don't track manufacturing location changes as part of our roofing work; what matters to us on a project is current product availability and specification, which we confirm directly with distributors at time of order.
Is RubberGard EPDM still a good choice for a new install, or is it an older product?
It's still an actively manufactured, current product line , its long field history in this market is a point in its favor for owners weighing EPDM against newer single-ply chemistries, not a sign it's outdated.