Yeah, our guy was tweaking temps too, but he also mentioned humidity playing a role—not just membrane thickness. Said on super humid days, he'd bump it up slightly to get cleaner seams. Definitely seems like there's some intuition involved...
"Said on super humid days, he'd bump it up slightly to get cleaner seams. Definitely seems like there's some intuition involved..."
Yeah, I think you're onto something there. Humidity definitely plays a role, but I'd be cautious about bumping the heat too much. From my experience patching up my garage roof last summer, I noticed that when it's really humid, the TPO membrane can get a bit tricky—almost gummy if you're not careful. Slightly higher temps did help me get smoother seams, but there's a fine line before you start overheating and risking damage.
What worked best for me was adjusting in small increments—maybe 5 degrees at a time—and testing on scrap pieces first. Also, keeping an eye on the nozzle speed helped balance things out. It's definitely part intuition, part trial-and-error...but patience pays off.
"Slightly higher temps did help me get smoother seams, but there's a fine line before you start overheating and risking damage."
Totally agree with this. I've found that humidity makes the membrane behave differently—almost softer or stickier. Instead of bumping the heat too much, I usually slow down my welding speed just a bit. Gives the material more time to fuse properly without risking overheating. Small adjustments, like you said, and testing scraps first always saves headaches later... learned that the hard way myself.
Good points here, especially about humidity. I've noticed similar issues—sometimes the membrane feels almost gummy when it's humid, making it tricky to find that sweet spot. One thing that's helped me is marking down the exact temp and speed settings each time conditions change. Seems tedious at first, but after a while, you build a handy reference. Definitely agree on testing scraps first... learned that lesson after ruining a good chunk of material once.
Humidity definitely throws a wrench in things. I've had days where the membrane just doesn't wanna cooperate, no matter how much I tweak the settings. Keeping track of temp and speed is smart—I started doing something similar after a few frustrating afternoons. But honestly, even with notes, sometimes it feels like there's a bit of guesswork involved.
One thing I've wondered about is nozzle size. I've seen some guys swear by switching to a narrower nozzle when it's humid, claiming it gives better control and less overheating. Haven't tried it myself yet, but it kinda makes sense. Has anyone here experimented with nozzle sizes in different weather conditions? Curious if it actually makes a noticeable difference or if it's just another roofing myth floating around...
