TPO or EPDM — which one do I want?

TPO if the cooling load and foot traffic matter, EPDM if the deck moves and long, simple service life matters more. We will tell you which your building is rather than which we would rather install.

Can you install over the existing roof?

Sometimes, and code limits how many layers a deck may carry. If the insulation below is wet, a recover traps it — and you have bought a new roof over a problem that keeps working.

How disruptive is this to the business below?

TPO is mechanically fastened or adhered without a torch, so there is no open flame and no hot kettle. That is often the difference between doing the work on a live building and doing it after hours.

Commercial · single-ply membrane

TPO Commercial Roofing in Nashville

Thermoplastic single-ply for flat and low-slope commercial buildings. The seams are heat-welded rather than glued, which is the whole argument: a welded seam is a continuation of the membrane, and an adhesive seam is a bond waiting to age.

Call (615) 418-6087 Request an inspection

Type: Thermoplastic polyolefin, single-ply
Seams: Hot-air welded, not adhered
Surface: Reflective — lowers summer cooling load
Best for: Flat and low-slope commercial decks

Choose tpo roofing when

The building is flat or low-slope and the cooling bill is a line somebody looks at. A reflective membrane is the cheapest air conditioning you will ever buy.
There is regular foot traffic — HVAC service, kitchen equipment, deliveries to the roof.
You want a seam you can inspect. A weld either took or it did not, and it can be probed.

When it is the wrong answer

The deck moves a lot, seasonally or structurally. EPDM handles movement better, and that is a real reason to choose it instead.
The roof is steep and visible. TPO is a functional surface, not an architectural one.

How the job runs

Installing tpo roofing, step by step.

01
The deck survey decides everything
Ponding, soft insulation and failed drains get found before the membrane is specified, because a new membrane over a wet substrate is a warranty that will not hold and a leak that comes back.
02
Drainage before covering
Standing water is what ages a flat roof. Slope, drains and scuppers get addressed as part of the job rather than noted as a future problem.
03
Welded and probed
Every seam is heat-welded and then physically probed. That is the test, and it happens while we are still on the roof.

Questions

What people ask us first.

TPO or EPDM — which one do I want?: TPO if the cooling load and foot traffic matter, EPDM if the deck moves and long, simple service life matters more. We will tell you which your building is rather than which we would rather install.
Can you install over the existing roof?: Sometimes, and code limits how many layers a deck may carry. If the insulation below is wet, a recover traps it — and you have bought a new roof over a problem that keeps working.
How disruptive is this to the business below?: TPO is mechanically fastened or adhered without a torch, so there is no open flame and no hot kettle. That is often the difference between doing the work on a live building and doing it after hours.

Talk to us about tpo roofing.

A leak, a missing shingle, a roof that has simply reached the end of its life — describe it and we will come look. If it is urgent, calling is faster.

(615) 418-6087 · 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Other systems we install

Request an inspection

Tell us what the roof is doing. If it is urgent, calling is faster.

Choose tpo roofing when

The building is flat or low-slope and the cooling bill is a line somebody looks at. A reflective membrane is the cheapest air conditioning you will ever buy.

There is regular foot traffic — HVAC service, kitchen equipment, deliveries to the roof.

You want a seam you can inspect. A weld either took or it did not, and it can be probed.

Request an inspection

Tell us what the roof is doing. If it is urgent, calling is faster.

TPO Commercial Roofing in Nashville

Choose tpo roofing when

When it is the wrong answer

Installing tpo roofing, step by step.

The deck survey decides everything

Drainage before covering

Welded and probed

What people ask us first.

Talk to us about tpo roofing.

Request an inspection

TPO Commercial Roofing in Nashville

Choose tpo roofing when

When it is the wrong answer

Installing tpo roofing, step by step.

The deck survey decides everything

Drainage before covering

Welded and probed

What people ask us first.

Talk to us about tpo roofing.

Request an inspection