Vinyl Single Ply Roofing – A TPO alternative modern roofing Material 

The vinyl roofing market has existed for a little over 40 years and is still growing. Vinyl single ply roofing or PVC membrane roofing is a leader for building managers looking for a “cool roof” leak proof solutions for low to flat roofing projects. Vinyl roof are considered a long term commercial application and require very little maintenance. Bi-annual inspection are recommended as well as occasional inspections after heavy rains or high winds to check sealant drains and possible pollution accumulation.

Focus on Green: Vinyl single ply roofing manufactures are pushing hard to get commercial property managers to understand that putting on a reflective roof saves them money in the long run. Up to a 10% energy savings can occur simply by putting on a vinyl roof that is white in color.  They also help prolong the life of cooling equipment. With these kind of cost savings it doesn’t take long for a 200,000 square foot plant to make up any difference in price. Vinyl single ply roofing has been energy rated for LEED, ENERGY STAR, Green Globes and California’s Title 24.

Fire Retardant Advantages: PVC has proven to be a fire retardant leader in flat roofing technology. PVC is naturally fire retardant but manufactures add additional fire retarders to the chemical composition of the products. In fact PVC is perhaps the only widely used commercial roof that self extinguishes after a heat source is removed, a quality not found in it’s two major competitors in the market EPDM and TPO.

Installation of Vinyl Single Ply Roofing Systems

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Installation Advantages: As with TPO Vinyl roofs can be mechanically attached(screwed down) or adhesive laminated to the deck of a roof. Another option is loose setting the material and using pebble or some other form of ballast to hold down the roof. Some manufactures thought their ability to factory weld seams creating a faster install, this can create HUGE sheets of material. Of course, you must have a way to get that material to the roof deck often with the use of a crane. While a perfectly done site seam(hot air welding) should be just as good as anything the factory can do, in reality factory seams tend to last longer and perform better.

Repair work: Should the need arise to repair a vinyl single ply roofing system  it’s a breeze. Simply cut out the effected area. Cut a patch to overlay the existing product 2″ on all side and weld it in place – being a thermoplastic they are now permanently fused together and literally as good as new.