- Totally agree about pre-warming, makes a noticeable difference.
- I'd add that going too hot can be just as tricky—around 1000°F is usually the sweet spot, but TPO brands differ slightly.
- Also, nozzle distance matters more than people realize; even an inch closer or further can throw off your weld quality.
- Learned the hard way—had a seam fail inspection once because I rushed it and overheated. Lesson definitely learned...
Good points here, especially about nozzle distance. I've found that even slight variations can really mess things up. Had a similar experience once—thought I'd speed things along by bumping the temp up just a bit past 1000°F, and ended up with some nasty blistering. Had to redo the whole section, which wasn't fun. Now I stick strictly to manufacturer specs and keep a close eye on distance...lesson learned the hard way too.
"thought I'd speed things along by bumping the temp up just a bit past 1000°F, and ended up with some nasty blistering."
Yeah, I've seen that happen too. But honestly, isn't 1000°F already pushing it for TPO? I mean, manufacturer specs usually recommend somewhere around 800-950°F depending on conditions and equipment. Have you tried dialing it back closer to the lower end of that range and adjusting your speed instead? Sometimes slower and steadier gives better results than cranking up the heat.
Also curious—were you welding in direct sunlight or shade when you got those blisters? I've noticed surface temps can spike pretty quickly on sunny days, making the material more sensitive. Maybe that's another factor worth considering...
"Sometimes slower and steadier gives better results than cranking up the heat."
Haha, learned that one the hard way myself. I remember one summer afternoon, figured I'd save some time by nudging the temp just past 950°F—ended up with bubbles big enough to float away on. Shade definitely helps, but honestly, dialing back to around 850-900°F and keeping a steady pace usually does the trick for me. Live and learn, right?
"ended up with bubbles big enough to float away on."
Haha, sounds familiar... When I first tackled my garage roof, I thought hotter meant faster sealing. Nope—just warped seams and frustration. Lowering the temp slightly and slowing down actually gave cleaner welds and fewer headaches overall.
