It s therefore not surprising that tpo roofing systems are quickly growing in popularity and demand in both residential and commercial flat roof markets.
Pvc roof membrane vs tpo.
Pvc has been successfully used in commercial and residential roofing since the 1960 s while pvc is a newcomer and has been around since early 1990 s.
Pvc s are documented to last longer than tpo membranes who are still experiencing premature failures.
When it comes to a durable roof that is also environment friendly tpo roofing is a great option.
Tpo in a nutshell a tpo membrane is made from ethylene propylene rubber.
As noted in the chart below created from rs means data if you compare the life cycle costs of a sarnafil roof estimated to last 35 years versus a tpo roof lasting 20 years pvc is the less expensive choice.
And the reason why pvc membranes are most often heat welded at the seams is because of the strength durability and stability of the material itself which unlike tpo is very difficult to heat weld properly because of the inferior quality of the membrane.
Both membranes are heat weldable which makes them more resistant to leaks than epdm because of a reduced number of instances of seam failures.
This means that pvc is the preferred membrane for restaurants and other buildings that have grease traps on the roof.
There used to be talk about welding differences but both membranes weld well.
Two of the hardest flat roof systems to tell apart is the pvc roof and the tpo roof.
Tpo is being touted as the more improved and cheaper version of pvc and as a result has been steadily gaining in popularity.
Both are white heat welded systems that look virtually identical.
Tpo thermoplastic polyolefin to produce the tpo membrane manufacturers will polymerize polypropylene and ethylene propylene rubber.
This means that pvc is the preferred membrane for restaurants and other buildings that have grease traps on the roof.
Tpo membrane can provide combined benefits of both epdm rubber and pvc roofs but at a more economical cost than pvc.
The most obvious similarity is that tpo thermoplastic olefin and pvc poly vinyl chloride are both thermoplastic materials.
Also pvc is slightly more flexible than tpo which some contractors like.
However while the face of both membranes and their installation are virtually identical they are very different systems on the inside.
Hot air welded seams help pvc roofing remain watertight under a variety of severe weather conditions.
If you are up for a more chemical resistant roofing and are looking for a cost friendly option pvc roofing is the way to go.
Consider what you need for your commercial building s roofing.
Also pvc is slightly more flexible than tpo which some contractors like.
Moreover like pvc tpo is considered a green roofing material and can save you money on your electricity bills because both membranes are white in color and possess reflective cool roof properties.
Like pvc two tpo plies sandwich a polyester reinforcement sheet.
A pvc versus tpo comparison chart is below.
