Importance of Choosing Single Ply Roofing

Posted by Grisel Herrick on November 27th, 2020

In today’s economy, proper managers and owners face a challenging task to keep their facility running safely and in the right shape. One of the crucial systems in a commercial facility is the roofing system. So, if you are looking for single ply roofing, it is wise to know the advantages and disadvantages before investing it. Single-ply roofs are made of rubber sheets and various synthetics that are chemically insulated for creating a layer of protection for commercial purposes. Typically, there are two types of single-ply commercial roofing – EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer) and TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin). They vary in their chemical makeup, their installation procedure, and energy efficiencies. While the choice is up to the owner, here are a few pros that one should know.

Good track record

For more than 50 years, EPDM roofing has been used for commercial flat roofing. For such a long time in the market has allowed different laboratory and field studies to be performed and tracked. That is the reason single ply has a solid track record for being a top-performance roofing option. Even if TPO has a larger market share than EPDM, it has not been on the market as long as EPDM. This means TPO single-ply roofing is still under testing phase and evolving into more reliable roofing.

Reflective or retentive properties and Easy to install

TPO is fast rising in popularity across the commercial roofing marketplace. It is also known as White Roofs, is manufactured white and strongly reflective. TPO is also available in red, blue, green, gray, and tan colors. On the other hand, EPDM is popularly known as Black Roofs due to its natural dark color of the membrane. This high-performer rubber compound offers excellent weatherability and heat retention property beneficial for facilities situated in climates with lower cooling days.

Unlike the challenges involved with processed spray polyurethane foam roofing, installation of single-ply roofing is quite simple. After the existing substrate is prepared either by removing or cleaning the existing roof, the insulation layers are installed and covered by a cover board. You can attach the membrane to the cover board in three ways – using an adhesive, ballasted, or mechanically fastened. The major difference between EPDM and TPO is noticeable when you have to stick the membrane seams together. TPO uses a hot-air gun to melt down the membrane at the seams and fuse them, whereas EPDM is joined together using a seam tape.

Flexible, lightweight, and recyclability

Although the roofing consists of several layers, you can choose the membrane thickness installed on the roof. Single ply roofing is lightweight as compared to other commercial flat roof systems. This helps to relieve stress that is put on your building structure, excluding the ballasted systems. The flexible nature of the roof allows the contractor to accommodate unique roof designs. It also allows the roofing systems to be intact with contracting and expanding buildings. Moreover, if someone uses TPO roofing, it can be 100% recyclable, making it possible for old TPO membranes from a roof to be used again when manufacturing new membranes.

Sunwest Roofing LLC provides roofing systems for residential and commercial customers in Albuquerque, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Phoenix. Roofer specializing in TPO, single-ply (sunwestroofing.com/Single-Ply-Roofing), metal, and low slope roofing systems. To know more, visit https://sunwestroofing.com/.