How To Tell The Difference Between Tpo And Pvc Roofing
Similarities of tpo and pvc roofing membranes.
How to tell the difference between tpo and pvc roofing. Tpo is the most popular rv roofing material today because of two reasons it is cheap and it is already colored white. In the current single ply roofing market the two most popular options are thermoplastic membranes pvc and 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. Yeah 20 years ago and further back a bunch of junk thermoplastics were made.
Peak roofing construction explains in this blog post the difference between tpo and pvc materials when it comes to commercial roofs. If it s right it s right. Two of the hardest flat roof systems to tell apart is the pvc roof and the tpo roof both are white heat welded systems that look virtually identical. Polyvinyl chloride pvc used since the 1960s pvc membranes are popular for their easy installation and cheap cost.
The primary difference is that tpo has been on the market for only about 20 years and has a history of material failures recalls and formula updates while pvc has enjoyed a solid reputation in the roofing industry for over 30 years. It is typically white in color and has a rubbery feel. It instantly became very popular as it was economical and cost efficient. I don t really care.
Tpo is thin compared to other membranes usually around 1 1 2 millimeters in thickness. I tell em it s either tpo or pvc and if they re interested in knowing which they should find out who installed it and give em a call. When being attached to the roof material it is either nailed or glued on. Tpo which is short for thermoplastic polyolefin came into the roofing market in the early 1990s as a viable alternative to pvc roofing materials.
However while the face of both membranes and their installation are virtually identical they are very different systems on the inside. One team one fight. I don t try and figure it out. Helping you see the differences between different types of roofing systems.
If it s wrong i write it up and let the roofing contractor figure it out.