Had a guy on my crew once who thought he was Speedy Gonzales with the torch—let’s just say we had a few “crispy” moments before I made him switch to mop. You’re right, nothing gets the heart racing like that smell of singed plywood. TPO’s less nerve-wracking for sure, but yeah, those seams can be sneaky if you’re not careful. I’ll take a drip over a fire call any day... insurance companies don’t laugh at “oops, just a little scorch mark.”
I get the fire risk concerns with torch-down, but honestly, I’ve had more headaches with TPO seams than I ever did with a torch. Maybe it’s just my luck, but the last time I tried patching a TPO seam myself, it looked fine until the first real rain—then I was up there with buckets and a heat gun, cursing every minute. At least with torch-down, you can see when you’ve got a solid bond.
That said, I do agree insurance companies don’t mess around if you so much as singe a rafter. I’ve never had a claim denied, but I’ve heard stories. For me, it comes down to how comfortable you are working with an open flame. If you’re not 100% confident, it’s probably not worth the risk. But I wouldn’t say TPO is always less stressful—just a different set of problems.
I’m in the Midwest, so freeze-thaw cycles are brutal on seams no matter what material you use. Sometimes I wonder if we’re just picking our poison...
Yeah, picking your poison is about right. I’ve had torch-down on a couple flat roofs and honestly, the peace of mind from seeing a solid bond is hard to beat. But I’ve also had a crew nearly set a gutter on fire once—insurance guy was not amused. TPO’s seams are finicky in our weather, especially after a few freeze-thaw cycles. I guess there’s no perfect answer, just trade-offs and hoping you don’t end up with buckets in the attic.
I’ve had torch-down on a couple flat roofs and honestly, the peace of mind from seeing a solid bond is hard to beat. But I’ve also had a crew nearly set a gutter on fire once—insurance guy was not amused.
That’s exactly what makes me nervous about torch-down. I get why folks like it—when it’s done right, it’s basically bulletproof. But the fire risk just seems like a lot to gamble with, especially if you’re not watching every second or if the crew gets a little too comfortable. I had a neighbor who lost part of his siding because the torch caught some old leaves in the eaves. He was lucky it didn’t get worse, but it was a mess to deal with.
I’ve been looking at TPO and EPDM for my own flat roof, but like you said, TPO seams can be a pain. We get wild temperature swings here (upstate NY), and I’ve seen those seams start to curl after a couple winters. Not sure if it’s installer error or just the material not loving the freeze-thaw. EPDM seems less risky fire-wise, but I’ve heard it can puncture pretty easily if you’re not careful walking on it.
Curious if anyone’s tried the self-adhered modified bitumen? Supposedly you get a similar seal to torch-down, but without the open flame. I’m tempted, but I wonder if it really holds up as well over time, especially with all the snow and ice we get.
At this point, I’m just hoping to avoid the “buckets in the attic” scenario you mentioned. Has anyone actually had a torch-down job done recently? Did the crew do anything special to keep things safe, or is it just cross your fingers and hope for the best?
