What is the TOP roof?



TPO Roofing was invented by the chemical company DOW in the early 90s. TPO Roofing means roof in Thermalplastic Olefin . TPO membranes are made from ethylene-propylene rubber and are a combination of rubber and hot-air welded joints. They have excellent resistance to ozone, are resistant to algae, respect the environment and easy to install. The material is sometimes presented as a monolithic roof (seamless). TPO is highly resistant to rips, impacts and punctures with good flexibility to allow movement of the construction. TPOs are available in white, light gray and black, with thicknesses of 0.045 (45 mils) or 0.060 (60 mils). The width of the membrane depends on the manufacturer, but their width generally varies from six to six and a half feet and their length is one hundred feet.

TPO Roofing is a fully bonded roof. This means that the roofing membrane is already attached to the substrate with an adhesive, which creates a strong chemical bond. TPO is highly reflective heat, fire resistant and energy efficient. It also resists UV rays and dirt. TPO is also used in the automotive industry where it is known for its impact resistance. This is reflected in the roofing industry, where hail damage to roofs is a common concern.

Another advantage of TPO, at least for the roofing contractor and the manufacturers, is that some less expensive materials, such as EPDM, are being replaced by more expensive materials. Commercial roof sales totaled $ 3.3 billion in 2007, with single-ply products being the largest segment. TPO takes more of this important part.

As the green movement grows, the TPO becomes more and more popular, especially because it is recyclable. Not only can it be recycled for roofing materials, but it can also be burned as fuel. TPO burns extremely clean without any toxic emissions in the absence of flame retardants. It therefore has high potential as a high-energy fuel for waste recovery programs.

TPO roofs are considered cold roofs. A cool roof can be defined in many ways by people or by different municipal codes. But basically, a cold roof reflects and returns the heat of the sun to the sky without allowing it to pass into the building or the house. The more the sun reflects and emits, the colder the roof is. The CRRC, the Cool Roof Rating Council, maintains an online database of cold roofing products. Some TPO roofs have a high score, some do not, so be advised.




Comments (0)

Leave a comment