When TPO is past recoating
TPO is worth recoating far more often than it is worth replacing, and our first question on any single-ply roof is whether a recoat will do. What rules it out is usually one of two findings: the reinforcing scrim is exposed across the field, meaning the membrane has weathered past the point where anything can reliably bond to it, or the insulation beneath is saturated and cannot be dried from above.
Where either is true, replacement is the honest answer. In that case we document the condition, write the specification, put it out to licensed roofing contractors and manage the project. The installation is carried out by those licensed contractors; our role is the evaluation, the specification and the oversight.
Replacing a large single-ply roof is also the moment several long-standing problems can finally be corrected. Insulation value can be improved, drainage can be re-designed rather than reproduced, and the attachment pattern can be specified for the wind exposure the building actually has rather than the one assumed twenty years ago.
- Recoat ruled out on evidence. We establish why the membrane cannot be recoated rather than asserting it.
- Insulation value revisited. Replacement is the opportunity to improve thermal performance, which matters on large-format buildings here.
- Attachment specified for real exposure. Wind uplift requirements at edges and corners, specified rather than inherited.
- Drainage re-designed. Tapered insulation and revised drain placement, at the only point in a roof's life when it is practical.
- Comparable contractor bids. One specification, several licensed contractors, quotes that describe the same work.
What our involvement covers
Establishing that recoating is not viable
Scrim exposure across the field, saturated insulation, or membrane degradation beyond bonding. We document the finding rather than simply reporting a conclusion.
Moisture mapping
On a large single-ply roof, water from one failed seam can travel far inside the assembly. Establishing how much of the insulation is wet determines whether partial or full replacement is appropriate.
Specification
Membrane type and thickness, insulation value and layering, attachment method and pattern, edge and corner uplift provision, drainage corrections, detailing and warranty requirements.
Bidding and contractor selection
Issued to licensed roofing contractors so the bids are directly comparable, and reviewed with you rather than handed over as a stack of PDFs.
Oversight during installation
Progress monitored against the specification while the licensed contractor performs the work.
Why building owners choose us for this
Recoat considered first, always
Most TPO we see is recoatable. Replacement is what we recommend when it genuinely is not.
Wind exposure specified properly
Edge and corner uplift is where large single-ply roofs fail in storms, and where specification matters most.
Insulation improved, not replicated
Rebuilding the same thermal performance you had in 2005 is a missed opportunity on a large roof.
Bids you can actually compare
One specification, several licensed contractors, like-for-like numbers.
TPO Replacement Questions
Two findings rule it out. If the reinforcing scrim is exposed across the field, the membrane has weathered past the point where a coating can reliably bond. If the insulation is saturated, coating seals water into the assembly. We check both, and if neither applies we will recommend a recoat instead, which is cheaper for you.
No. Our role is the evaluation, the specification, contractor selection and project oversight. The replacement is carried out by licensed roofing contractors.
Sometimes, and moisture mapping is what determines it. If saturation is confined to identifiable areas, partial replacement of the insulation with a full new membrane over the whole roof can be appropriate. If moisture has traveled widely through the assembly, partial work leaves wet insulation under a new roof, which is a problem you have paid to conceal.
It depends on the building, the drainage and the exposure, and that is a specification decision rather than a default. What we would avoid is choosing the membrane because it is what a particular contractor installs most often, which is how the decision frequently gets made in practice.
Partly, and considerably less comfortably than during a recoat. Replacement means sections of roof are opened, so work is sequenced in areas that can be made watertight each day, and there are real weather-risk windows. This is one of the main practical arguments for recoating while the option still exists.
Several times more in most cases, and the multiple grows with roof area, because replacement includes tear-off, disposal, new insulation and new membrane rather than preparation and coating. That gap is exactly why we look hard at whether a recoat is viable before recommending anything else.