Commercial Roofing Experts

A white thermoplastic single ply roofing membrane. This type of coating can typically be seen on big-box stores. The product comes in 10’ x 100’ rolls with 6” overlapping courses that are welded together with a robotic hot air welder to create a monolithic system. The product was originally developed in the automotive industry (impact & UV resistant bumpers and dash boards) and is now the preferred premium roofing system for flat roofs. The white single ply membrane reflects UV and related heat gain making the interior of the structure cooler during the high heat seasons. By lowering the temperatures on the roof, it reduces the stress on rooftop air conditioner and extends their life. This roofing system has an average life cycle of 15 – 20 years depending on the thickness of material. It comes in 45, 50, 60 and 80 millimeters thick and has become the most desired single ply roofing system for new construction and retrofit applications.

A black rubber single ply roofing membrane that is considered more economical than TPO, but also holds a 15 – 20 life cycle. It has been argued that EPDM rubber single ply roofing systems are superior due to the flexibility of the membrane during thermal shock, or otherwise known as expansion and contraction, due to wide temperature swings that occur from morning to evening.

It’s important to note that both TPO & EPDM, in most cases, can be installed over an existing roof without the need for tear off.

During the 1980’s construction boom, the commercial roofing market utilized metal roofs because of their economical price point and durability. Later architects and building owners discovered there was a high failure rate in the metal roofing products, because of thermal expansion. The expansion caused the roofs to leak and proved to be of too great of maintenance.

The solution has now been found to apply a TPO single ply roofing system over the existing metal roof.  With the innovation of the TPO metal retrofit system, it eliminated the need to remove & replace metal roofing panels. This reduced the risk of plant shutdowns or business interruptions, while adding considerable insulation qualities reducing interior heat gain.

Roof coatings are the most economical way to extend the life of an existing single ply roofing system. The coating can be applied to both TPO & EPDM single ply roofing systems. Roof coatings are the perfect solution for the building owner who wishes to preserve an asset but does not intend to own the building long term, 5 – 10 years. There are two classes of products for roof coatings: elastomeric & silicone. Both can be applied over nearly any existing TPO or EPDM membrane roofing system. The coatings can be reapplied every 5-10 years, and in most cases the coatings will eliminate the need for roof replacement.

the main cause of EPDM or TPO roof failures is due to ponding water, a result of low spots in the roof or collected debris. Condensation discharge of air conditioning units can also be extremely destructive to single ply membrane roofing systems. Additionally, water ponding on roofs for more than 72 hours automatically voids the manufactures warranty and is a local code violation. These problems can easily be prevented with proper roof maintenance.