TPO roofing for Oklahoma City commercial buildings
Our usual recommendation for low slope commercial roofs, for three practical reasons: availability, installation and how serviceable it is in ten years.
Three reasons it is our default recommendation
Not a specification argument, a practical one about the life of the building.
Availability
The material is readily obtainable in this market. That matters when a roof needs to go on to a schedule, and it matters more when a repair is needed in five years.
Installation
It installs well and predictably. A system that goes down cleanly is a system with fewer places for a future problem to originate.
Serviceability
When something does need attention later, a TPO roof is straightforward to repair. Over twenty years of building ownership, that is worth more than most spec sheet differences.
And the case against TPO, for the buildings where it is wrong
We recommend TPO more than anything else, so it is worth being clear about where we do not. The owner names the obvious case directly: you do not want to use TPO on a restaurant.
Grease discharging from kitchen exhaust onto a roof membrane is a genuine compatibility problem. Where that is the situation, PVC or EPDM is the correct specification and that is what we will put in front of you, even though it is not the system we install most.
- Restaurants and commercial kitchens. Grease exhaust means PVC or EPDM instead.
- Certain chemical exposures. Where rooftop discharge is incompatible with the membrane.
- Specific project specifications. Where an architect or owner has specified otherwise for a reason.
- Steep slope roofs. TPO is a low slope product. Steeper sections want metal or a steep slope system.
- Residential houses. This is a commercial system. Houses are a different conversation.
What a TPO installation involves, and what makes one last
TPO is a thermoplastic single ply membrane. Sheets are laid over the roof, mechanically fastened or adhered depending on the system, and the seams between sheets are heat welded to form a continuous surface. Done properly, the result behaves as one piece.
The seams are the roof
A heat welded seam, done correctly, is as strong as the membrane either side of it. Done poorly, it is the first thing to fail, and on a large commercial roof there is a great deal of seam. Weld quality is a function of equipment, temperature, speed and the person operating it, which is why it is worth asking who is actually going to be on your roof.
Penetrations, and the equipment above them
Every pipe, conduit, curb and unit that passes through the membrane is a detail that has to be flashed and welded individually. On a commercial roof carrying substantial rooftop plant, that is a lot of individual details.
It is also worth knowing that rooftop equipment gets serviced by other contractors over the years, and not all of them treat your membrane carefully. That is a strong argument for scheduled maintenance rather than waiting for a problem to appear on a ceiling tile.
Drainage
A low slope roof depends entirely on its drains and scuppers doing their job. Ponding water finds every weakness a membrane has, and standing water on a roof that was designed to shed it is a warning rather than a cosmetic issue. Drainage gets assessed as part of any survey we do.
Insulation and the assembly below
The membrane is the visible layer of an assembly. What sits beneath it, including insulation and cover board, affects both the thermal performance of the building and how the membrane behaves over time. On a re roof, the condition of what is already there determines whether a tear off is required or whether the existing assembly can be built on.
Restoration as an alternative
Where a membrane roof is weathered but the assembly beneath it is sound, a liquid applied coating can extend service life significantly without the disruption of a tear off. Champion Roofing is a GAF CoatingsPro liquid applied roofing contractor. On an occupied building, avoiding a tear off has real value beyond the direct cost.
We will tell you when a coating is not appropriate. Coating over a roof that has actually failed is a short delay with a larger bill attached to it.
Working on an occupied building
Most commercial roofing happens over people who are trying to work. One or two foremen stay on site through the day managing deliveries, site safety and the areas beneath the work, including caution taping where people move in and out. Coordination with your tenants and with other trades on the building is handled by somebody watching it rather than assumed to sort itself out.
TPO roofing questions
Including when we would tell you to use something else.
Why do you usually recommend TPO?
Three practical reasons: availability, installation and serviceability. The material is readily obtainable in this market, it installs well, and when something needs attention in several years it is straightforward to repair.
Over the life of a commercial building, those three things matter more than a marginal difference on a specification sheet.
When is TPO the wrong choice?
Restaurants are the clearest example. Where grease exhaust is discharging onto the roof, TPO is not the right membrane and we will recommend PVC or EPDM instead.
More generally, the building's use, its rooftop equipment and the project specification all bear on the decision. TPO is our usual starting point, not an automatic answer.
What kinds of buildings is TPO suited to?
Low slope commercial roofs: offices, retail, industrial buildings, multifamily properties and institutional buildings. It is the most commonly specified single ply membrane on this kind of structure.
It is not a residential steep slope product. For houses, see our residential roofing pages.
Can a TPO roof be repaired rather than replaced?
Usually, yes, and that is one of its advantages. Membrane repairs, seam work and penetration detailing are all routine on a TPO roof that is otherwise sound.
Where the membrane is weathered across the whole roof but the structure is fine, a liquid applied coating may also be an option. We hold the GAF CoatingsPro credential for that work.
How disruptive is a TPO installation to a working building?
Less than most people expect, and we plan around your operations. One or two foremen stay on site through the day managing safety, deliveries and the areas beneath the work, including caution taping where people are moving in and out.
Coordination with your tenants and any other trades on the building is handled rather than left to you.
Get your low slope roof surveyed
We will tell you whether TPO is right for the building, and what to use instead if it is not.