TPO Roofing in Trail and the West Kootenays.
What TPO is
TPO is a white, heat-welded roofing membrane. It comes in wide rolls, fastens to the insulation below, and its seams are joined with hot air: welded, not taped or glued. The result is one continuous sheet with no open laps for water to find.
The white surface reflects summer sun. That keeps the roof cooler and takes real load off air conditioning in a warm month. TPO is lighter than torch-on and goes down without open flame, which matters on some buildings.
We’re straight about its limits too. TPO is the youngest of the membranes we install, and thin, cheap TPO isn’t worth putting on a roof, so we spec the membrane to the building and weld every seam properly, because the seams are the whole point.
What we find on TPO roofs around here
Most of the TPO we’re called to look at is fine in the field and failing at the edges. The membrane itself has years left; the details around it do not. Four things account for most of what we find:
- Open or lifting seams. A weld that was rushed on a hot day lets go in the first hard freeze. Probed welds don’t do this, which is why we probe them.
- Plugged drains and scuppers. Needles and grit build a dam, water sits, and a roof that was never designed to hold a pond starts holding one.
- Failed penetration details. Vents, curbs and anything the trades added after the roof went on. If it was flashed with sealant instead of metal, it’s on borrowed time.
- Crushed insulation under traffic. Service techs walk the same line to the same unit every month, and the membrane dishes along it until water stops leaving.
None of these means a tear-off. We’ll tell you which ones are a morning’s work and which ones mean the roof is done.
TPO is one of five systems we install. Compare it with torch-on, PVC, shingle roofing or steel roofing.
How we install it
- Tear off the old roof and inspect the deck. Wet insulation comes out. Covering it up just moves the problem.
- Install insulation and cover board so the membrane has a solid, even base.
- Roll out the membrane and hot-air weld every seam, then probe the welds to prove them.
- Finish the edges, drains and penetrations with fitted metal from our Trail shop.
Common questions
Yes, when the deck and insulation under it are right. TPO is a heat-welded membrane, and welded seams are exactly what five months of sitting snow tests. Trail Roofing installs TPO across the West Kootenays where a lighter, heat-reflective roof makes sense for the building.
The building decides, not habit. Torch-on suits most flat roofs here. TPO earns its place over conditioned space where summer heat gain matters and where open flame is unwelcome. Trail Roofing installs both across the West Kootenays, so the quote says which fits your roof and why.
Yes. Seams, flashings, punctures and ponding problems on existing TPO roofs are regular work for us. If a repair won't hold, we say so plainly and quote the fix that will. Call Trail Roofing and we'll come take a look, anywhere in the West Kootenays.
Who this is for
- Residential: Flat additions and garage roofs where a lighter, cooler membrane fits.
- Commercial: Warehouses, shops and offices with conditioned space under the roof. Start with a Free Flat Roof Assessment.
- Industrial: Large decks where reflectivity and weight matter. Ask us about industrial work.
Service area
We install and repair roofs across the West Kootenay: Trail, Rossland, Nelson, Castlegar, Kaslo, Salmo, Fruitvale, Grand Forks, Warfield, Montrose.