Been doing some digging around lately because my cousin's looking to replace his old flat roof, and he keeps mentioning TPO roofing. Honestly, I didn't even know what TPO stood for until yesterday (it's thermoplastic polyolefin, apparently—try saying that three times fast, lol). Anyway, stumbled across something kinda interesting: turns out TPO roofs are supposed to be pretty energy efficient because they're reflective and help keep buildings cooler. Sounds great for summer, right?
But then I also saw some folks online complaining about seams coming apart or issues with installation quality. Seems like the lifespan can vary a lot depending on how well it's installed and maintained. And apparently, it's a relatively newer roofing material compared to stuff like EPDM or PVC, so maybe there isn't as much long-term data yet?
My cousin's all excited about it because he heard it's cheaper than PVC but still has similar benefits. But I'm kinda skeptical—like, is it one of those "you get what you pay for" situations? Or is it genuinely a good deal?
I dunno...roofing isn't exactly my area of expertise (obviously), but now I'm curious. Has anyone here actually had experience with TPO roofs? Good or bad experiences welcome—just trying to get a better feel for whether this stuff is legit or just another trendy thing contractors push these days.
TPO definitely has its perks, but honestly, I'd be cautious about jumping on it just because it's cheaper. I've seen a few installs where seams started lifting after just a few years—usually because the contractor rushed the heat-welding process. If your cousin's set on TPO, make sure he vets the installer thoroughly. Personally, I'd also suggest looking into green roofs or cool roof coatings...they're proven and might offer better long-term reliability.
