How To Tell Whether A Roof Is Pvc Or Tpo

It is typically white in color and has a rubbery feel.

How to tell whether a roof is pvc or tpo.

Tpo which is short for thermoplastic polyolefin came into the roofing market in the early 1990s as a viable alternative to pvc roofing materials. The top ply contains additives that make the membrane uv resistant. The choices are tpo roofing and pvc roofing the two are both very effective in their jobs but are slightly different when it comes to the material they re made of. Thermoplastic polyolefin tpo this is one of the most common types of membranes used on flat roofs.

However while the face of both membranes and their installation are virtually identical they are very different systems on the inside. What is this white flat roof pvc or tpo i went to look at this roof and i think it is pvc but not sure. Yeah 20 years ago and further back a bunch of junk thermoplastics were made. Two of the hardest flat roof systems to tell apart is the pvc roof and the tpo roof both are white heat welded systems that look virtually identical.

The top layer is typically white to reflect as much heat as possible but several colors are available and contains plasticizers making the sheet flexible. When being attached to the roof material it is either nailed or glued on. Unlike tpo and pvc roofs that are often mechanically attached an epdm roof is most often fully adhered. While it is true that tpo and pvc are both single ply membranes for low slope and flat.

Basically i can do a test weld with either a piece of pvc or tpo but don t want to drive back there just to determine what it is. The seams are either glued with the rest of the roof different process same result or they are taped. In recent years tpo roofing has been steadily gaining its share in the flat roofing market. Several bad pvcs most of the hypalon products and tpo which at that time was a very new product to the market so new that most manufacturers actually called it tpa thermo plastic alloy since they would routinely change the core supplier ingredients and percentages of each component.

Pvc roof material is composed of two layers of pvc with a polyester reinforcement scrim in between. Both commercial and residential customers are increasingly choosing tpo roofs because they are advertised as being similar to pvc in terms of the benefits and installation but offering a more competitive price. This means that it requires glues to adhere it to what s underneath. It instantly became very popular as it was economical and cost efficient.