Haha, been there myself. First TPO job I ever did, thought I had it dialed in—nice and hot, seams looked tight. Felt pretty proud until the homeowner called me after a storm saying his roof was "flapping like laundry on the line." Went back and saw seams lifting everywhere... learned real quick that hotter definitely ain't always better. These days, slow and steady wins the race for me.
Yeah, totally agree with going slower. I've seen contractors crank up the heat thinking it'll speed things up, and next thing you know, we're dealing with callbacks and warranty issues. Better to take your time upfront than deal with headaches later...
Couldn't agree more—I've had similar experiences. Contractors sometimes underestimate how sensitive TPO membranes can be to excessive heat. A little patience upfront saves us all from warranty headaches down the line... learned that the hard way myself.
"A little patience upfront saves us all from warranty headaches down the line... learned that the hard way myself."
Ha, tell me about it. Last summer, I decided to tackle my garage roof myself—figured, how hard could welding TPO really be? Famous last words. Got a bit too enthusiastic with the heat gun, and next thing I knew, I had a melted mess that looked more like abstract art than roofing. Had to redo half the job. So now I'm curious—anyone found a sweet spot temperature-wise, or is it more of a "feel" thing?
Yeah, I've been there myself—first time I tried welding TPO, I scorched a good chunk of membrane before I got the hang of it. From what I've found, around 900-1000°F seems to be the sweet spot on most heat guns. But honestly, it's more about pacing and keeping your gun moving steadily. If you linger too long in one spot, you'll end up with another abstract masterpiece... ask me how I know.
