TPO Roofing Installation With Hot-Air Welded Seams
TPO is a single-ply membrane that comes off the roll white and gets joined with hot air instead of glue. On a new roof deck it’s one of the best answers to Houston sun, as long as the welds, the attachment and the details are done by people who check them.
Veteran BuiltCypress, Texas
Thermoplastic polyolefin, TPO, is sold in sheets several feet wide and in thicknesses listed in mils, with 45, 60 and 80 mil the common choices. Thicker sheet carries more material over the reinforcing scrim and stands up longer to sun and foot traffic. On a new building or addition, the membrane is the last layer of a system: deck, insulation, cover board where it’s called for, then TPO.
Attachment is the decision most owners never hear about. Mechanically attached TPO is screwed through plates along the seam edges, with the next sheet welded over the fasteners. Fully adhered TPO is glued to the insulation or cover board across its whole surface. Wind uplift is why it matters here: a Gulf storm pulls hardest at roof corners and perimeters, so fastener spacing tightens there and the attachment pattern follows the building’s uplift design.
The seams are where TPO succeeds or fails. A hot-air welder fuses the overlapping sheets into one piece, and a good weld is stronger than the sheet around it. We probe every seam with a hand tool after it cools, because a weld that looks fine can be cold underneath. White TPO also reflects a large share of summer sun, which lowers the heat load on whatever is below it, a real benefit when the space under the roof is cooled for half the year. Pipe boots, curbs and drains get factory or field-made welded flashings, never a tube of sealant on its own.
On the Gulf Coast the weather writes most of the work orders. Hail in March and April, tropical storms later in the year, and a long hot summer that bakes a poorly vented attic. We check decking, ventilation and every penetration, because the roof surface is only one part of whether a roof is still doing its job.
The straight answer on tpo roofing installation
How we decide, written down so you can hold us to it.
- You have a new commercial building, warehouse addition or flat-roofed home with a deck ready for its first roof.
- The space under the roof is air conditioned and you want a reflective surface working against the summer heat load.
- The roof is simple enough in shape that long sheets and welded seams can do most of the work.
- A roof with heavy foot traffic around equipment may need a tougher surface or walkway pads, and we’ll say so before you pick TPO for the whole thing.
- If the deck already carries an old roof you want covered, that’s a TPO replacement question, which starts with how wet the old roof is.
- If the roof is steep enough for shingles or metal, TPO is the wrong product; single-ply belongs on low slopes.
How we run it
- I
Uplift and layout
We confirm the attachment method and perimeter fastening for the building, then lay out sheet direction so seams run with the water.
- II
Insulation and cover board
Insulation goes down to the thickness the job requires, tapered where slope has to be built, with cover board where traffic or adhesion calls for it.
- III
Membrane and welding
Sheets are fastened or adhered, then every seam is hot-air welded and probed once it cools.
- IV
Details and edge metal
Curbs, pipes, drains and walls get welded flashings, and the perimeter gets edge metal sized to hold the membrane down in wind.
What we ask before we price it
- When did you first notice the problem, and has it changed since?
- Can we get into the attic, and is there a clear path to the access?
- Does the HOA need to approve materials or colors before work starts?
- Has anyone else inspected it, and what did they tell you?
- Is anyone in the house bothered by noise, dust or early starts?
What thickness of TPO should I use?
For most buildings we start the conversation at 60 mil, with 80 mil where the roof sees traffic or the owner wants more material over the scrim. 45 mil has its uses, but it leaves the least margin for sun and wear.
Is TPO better than EPDM?
They solve different problems. TPO is white and heat welded, so its seams become part of the sheet and it reflects heat; EPDM is black rubber with taped or glued seams and handles some details easily. In a Houston summer the reflective surface counts for a lot on a cooled building.
Mechanically attached or fully adhered?
Mechanically attached is common and goes down fast. Fully adhered spreads wind load across the whole sheet, lies flatter and avoids the fluttering a loose sheet can do in wind. The uplift design and the deck type usually decide it.
How do you check the seams?
Every seam gets probed with a hand tool once it cools, looking for any gap or cold spot. Questionable spots get rewelded or covered with a welded strip. We’d rather spend an hour probing than come back for a leak.
Does white TPO stay white?
It gets dirty, especially near trees and exhaust vents, and it loses some reflectivity over time. Washing it with the right cleaner helps. It still runs cooler than a dark roof after years in the sun.
Can TPO go on a house?
Yes, on low-slope sections like porches, additions and flat-roofed modern homes. The welded seams and reflective surface work the same on a house as on a warehouse; the details at walls and shingle tie-ins just take more care.
Who you are hiring
We are a service-disabled veteran-owned company based in Cypress, verified by the Texas Veterans Commission. The person who writes your scope is the person you call if something is not right.
Google reviewers have given us 5.0 across 19 reviews, and the word that keeps coming up is honest. We would rather talk you out of a job than sell you one you do not need.
Military families and first responders take 10% off, and financing is available through Acorn Finance with a no-obligation prequalification. Ask about either when you call.