TPO Roofing Tips
TPO Roofing was invented by the chemical company DOW in the early 1990's. TPO is a trade name for a variety of polymer roofing blends. TPO membranes are made from ethylene propylene rubber, and are a combination of rubber and hot air welded seams. They have excellent resistance to ozone, are algae-resistant, are eco friendly and safe to install. The material is commonly advertised as a monolithic (seamless) roof. TPO is highly tear resistant, resists impacts, and resists punctures with good flexibility to allow for building movement. TPO's are available in white, light gray, and black with thicknesses of either 45 mils (.045") or 60 mils (.060"). Membrane width depends on the manufacturer but they usually come in widths of six to six-and-a-half feet and are one-hundred feet in length.
TPO Roofing is a fully-adhered roofing. In other words the roofing membrane is already attached to the substrate material with adhesive, thus it forms a strong chemical bond. TPO is highly heat reflective, fire resistant, and energy efficient. It also resists UV rays and dirt. TPO is used in the automotive industry where it is known for impact resistance. Because of the potential for hail damage this same property is important in the roofing industry.
roofing contractors and manufacturers love the shift from some lower priced materials like EPDM to pricier TPO materials. Commercial roofing sales were $3.3 billion overall in 2007 with single-ply products comprising the largest segment. TPO has been taking more of that large share.
TPO is becoming more popular as the green movement grows, especially because it's recyclable. Not only can it be recycled for roofing materials, but it can be burned as a fuel. TPO burns very cleanly with no toxic emissions when no flame retardants are present. It therefore has a high potential as a high energy fuel for waste-to-energy programs.
TPO roofs are categorized as “cool roofs.” A cool roof is defined in many ways by people or by different municipal codes. Basically, a cool roof reflects and emits the sun’s heat back to the sky without allowing it to pass into the building or home. The more sun a roof reflects and emits, the cooler the roof. The Cool Roof Rating Council, CRRC, maintains an on line database of cool roof products. Some TPO roofs score high on the scale, some do not, so be advised.
It may seem silly to say, but for many TPO roofing is the way to go.
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