TPO vs EPDM Roofing: How to Choose and How to Install
Roof Directory points to one reference in depth: TPO vs EPDM Roofing: How to Choose and How to Install on the National Roofing Directory. Below is what it covers and where to read it in full.
Read TPO vs EPDM Roofing: How to Choose and How to Install →TPO and EPDM in brief
TPO and EPDM are the two most common single-ply membranes on low-slope roofs. TPO is typically white with heat-welded seams; EPDM is a synthetic rubber, usually black, with seams that are taped or adhered.
- Both come in several thicknesses, so compare the mil thickness when you compare bids.
- Attachment can be mechanically fastened, fully adhered or ballasted.
- A white, reflective membrane can reduce heat gain in hot climates.
What this reference covers
These are the sections of TPO vs EPDM Roofing: How to Choose and How to Install on the National Roofing Directory.
From the reference
One difference drives almost everything else here. TPO is a thermoplastic, so its seams are hot-air welded — heat softens both sheets and they fuse into one mass. EPDM is a cured rubber that cannot be re-melted, so its seams are made with primer and tape: an adhesive bond between two sheets that stay two sheets.
Fusion versus adhesion. That fork explains the reliability arguments, the repair arguments and most of the failure patterns on either roof. Below: the comparison, the attachment methods that decide the price, and how TPO actually goes down.
Excerpted from TPO vs EPDM Roofing: How to Choose and How to Install on the National Roofing Directory. Read the full reference for the complete treatment.