But you might be wise to embrace the process of roof specification because they are likely to face such situations numerous times during their lifespan. In each case, their decisions will have long-term effects on the organization and its bottom line.
If you consider that your building is going to last 50 years, and an TPO roof has a service life of about 14-20 years, you're going to replace your roof any number of times over the life of the building. If you have a plan to inspect and repair and stay ahead of things, you can increase the service life of your roof to the extent that you're fiscally responsible and able to plan for the inevitable replacement.
On The Upside
Single-ply roofing systems come in a number of different types, including EPDM, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), and they offer a range of potential benefits.
For most, the benefits include that they're economical, relatively cost effective to install to provide you with the reflective savings sought in our hot Florida environment. They can also withstand a large amount of stretching and elongation before failure.
They also offer installation benefits. They're generally more cost effective to install than multi-ply roofing systems. Typically, the installation consists of a single-ply membrane and adhesive or fasteners, not multiple membranes and layers or hot adhesives, such as hot asphalt. This creates a situation where the general advantage is lower cost. The installation cost is generally cheaper, due to reduced labor costs for installing a single layer of membrane, shorter construction schedule, schedules, and related installation costs.
Single-Ply Roofing Systems Do Have Unique Challenges
Single-ply roofing systems also can present you with some serious challenges. For one thing, they are very susceptible to damage from rooftop activity.
If you're up there servicing HVAC equipment and you drop an access panel, they can be easily punctured.
It's a single-ply membrane, so you don't have the redundancy of multiple plies of membranes. If you get a breach in the membrane, your cover board and insulation are immediately getting wet because there are no additional layers of protection. Moisture in your roofing system can result in curling or degradation of the insulation or cover board, and it will immediately impact the membrane. You can get adhesion loss or some other type of failure. They're less forgiving systems, in comparison to modified bitumen or asphalt roofing systems, which have inherent redundancies.
Design Specification Matters
The task of determining whether a single-ply system is the most appropriate choice depends on several factors. The first involves the design and landscape of the roof. Single-ply rolls are larger and wider than those for other types of roofing systems, so they also have fewer seams, but they also are more difficult to manage around penetrations.
For that reason, single-ply systems are probably extremely advantageous on large roofs with minimal penetrations. We advise our clients to consider other common elements of rooftops that can result in more foot traffic.
Ask yourself, are there mechanical systems that constantly need to be maintained? Is there going to be a lot of foot traffic? Are there many roof penetrations? Are there complex penetrations to flash? Do you need a more durable membrane? Those factors are really the most important aspects to consider when choosing whether a TPO membrane is truly most effective and cost efficient over the lifespan of the roof.
But in some cases, the type of facility can affect roof specification. Every building occupant will tell you that their facility is sensitive to water penetration, but some are more so than others. Say it's a critical-care facility or a hospital, where the ability to tolerate water penetration is absolutely zero. Then there may be a consideration regarding the lack of redundancy that single-plies bring to the table.
So yes, single-ply roofing systems offer several competitive advantages, however they are not always the right solution, nor are they always more cost effective over the lifespan of the roofing system. When you’re planning your next roofing project, give RAMCON a call and we’ll help you run the numbers and select the roof that’s both best for your needs and budget.
The roof serves as your home's greatest protector. It's the main thing keeping the elements from destroying your greatest asset. Roof costs can be high. But they're a fraction of the price you could pay for ignoring roof problems.
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