TPO on low pitch roof?

17 years ago

Does anyone have any experience with TPO membrane on a low-pitched roof?

We recently had this type of roofing installed on two roofs (one over the garage and one over a sunroom addition) and although the material appears to be performing (no leaks), we are having problems with the "look" since the roofs are very visible from the upper level of our house. The material is "welded" down around the edges, but "floats" in the middle and when the sun heats up the roof, the material expands and makes ripples... kind of like a poorly-made bed. The next morning it is flat again, but then the sun heats it up and we get ripples again... over and over. The roofer says that this is "normal" and it will "settle down" after the winter, but I'm not convinced.

Any thoughts or experience?

Thanks!

-Paula

Comment (1)

scubadoo97
14 years ago
I have a flat low pitch roof that needs to be replaced. One roofer wants to use TPO. First bid listed 45mil after talking with them they said they would use 60 mil which has a manufactures warrenty of 20 yrs but they only offer a 5 yr workmanship warrenty. This a peel and stick product but the heat weld the seams.

The other roofer wants to use modified bitumen which I'm pretty sure is what's up there now. They also only give a 5 yr workmanship warrenty

We have a tongue and groove layer of wood under the roofing material and some wood has rotten and so the roof needs to be torn off and any bad wood replaced.

I just don't have faith in a peel and stick product. The ones wanting to use TPO said they use the mod bitumen in the past and switched to TPO because they had problems with the bitumen. I know that TPO is easier to install and the difference between the two bids is $1000 with the TPO being cheaper.

My gut is telling me to go with the bitumen roof. It still needs to be coated every 5 yrs with an elastomeric coating to extend the life beyond the warrenty.
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