Low slope
Single-ply membrane roofing
EPDM, TPO and PVC membrane roofs are A&M's specialty, installed by manufacturer-licensed crews to meet or exceed the manufacturer's specifications.
Chapter 01
Where a single-ply roof lets go: laps, flashings and the places people walk
A single-ply membrane is a thin sheet doing a big job, and almost every failure on one starts at a joint rather than in the field of the roof. Seams are the first place to look. On EPDM they are bonded or taped, on TPO and PVC they are heat-welded, and in every case a lap that was rushed, contaminated or cooled too fast can open years later as the membrane moves with the seasons.
Next come the terminations. The membrane has to be flashed up walls, around curbs, over parapets and onto every pipe, drain and rooftop unit that pokes through it, and each of those is a hand-built detail. Pipe boots, pitch pans, corner patches, termination bars and sealant lines all age faster than the sheet they protect. When a commercial roof leaks, the water is usually entering at one of these details and showing up somewhere else inside.
The third cause is traffic. Service technicians walk to the same rooftop unit every quarter, set down tools, drag ladders and drop screws, and a membrane without walk pads takes a puncture from each of those habits. Shrinkage finishes the job on older sheets, pulling the membrane tight against its edge terminations until the fasteners or the sealant give way.
A wide field of new white single-ply membrane on a flat commercial roof
How A&M specifies and installs EPDM, TPO and PVC
Single-ply membrane is A&M's specialty, and the crews working out of Andover are licensed by Carlisle, Sika-Sarnafil, Firestone, Johns Manville and Duro-Last. That matters on the roof because each manufacturer publishes its own details for seams, flashings and attachment, and a licensed installer builds to those details instead of improvising.
The choice between EPDM, TPO and PVC is made for the building. In general, EPDM is a rubber sheet valued for flexibility and a long record in the field. TPO is a heat-welded white membrane often chosen where reflectivity and clean seams are priorities. PVC is also welded and is often specified where the roof sees grease, chemicals or exhaust from the equipment on it. The right answer depends on what sits on the roof, how it drains and what the owner needs from it.
A&M's specially trained staff plan each job before the first roll is opened, and the roof is installed to meet or exceed the manufacturer's specifications so it is covered by warranty. On any single-ply roof that standard comes down to the same details: a prepared substrate, laps that shed water away from low spots, and flashings at every curb, wall and penetration.
Chapter 03
After the membrane is down: warranty support, maintenance and what to watch from the ground
A new roof is not finished when the last seam is welded. A&M provides field support for manufacturers' warranty programs, so the installer who built the roof is also the one standing behind the paperwork when the manufacturer's representative asks a question about it.
Scheduled maintenance is what carries a single-ply roof to the end of its life. A&M's crews inspect the roof and note drainage, roof traffic, weather damage and moisture infiltration, then build an inspection schedule and repair program for that particular building. Clearing debris from drains and conductor heads and fixing small deficiencies early is far cheaper than finding them through a ceiling tile.
Owners can do some watching without a ladder. Look for water that is still standing a couple of days after rain, leaves and grit collected around drains, stains on interior ceilings below the same corner each time, and any new equipment that went on the roof without a walk pad under the path to it. If you see any of it, call (978) 475-4500 and A&M will schedule a look.
A&M Roofing Services is a licensed installer for Carlisle, Sika-Sarnafil, Firestone, Johns Manville and Duro-Last, and was recognized in 2017 with Carlisle's ESP Award, Firestone's Partner in Quality and Sika-Sarnafil's Elite Roofing Contractor.