A commercial roof does not always fail overnight. In many cases, the warning signs appear gradually, giving property owners an opportunity to address problems before they become much more expensive. A recent roof inspection on the southeast side of Joplin, Missouri, is a good example of why regular commercial roof maintenance and professional inspections are so important.

Tim Yates of Ridgeline Roofing was inspecting a TPO roof on a building near 32nd Street in Joplin. The property had changed ownership, and the new owner brought Ridgeline in to evaluate the existing roof and develop a plan for restoring it with a silicone roof coating.

Unfortunately, the roof had deteriorated significantly since Ridgeline had last worked on it.

A TPO Roof Can Change Quickly

The roof is constructed with a metal B deck, multiple layers of ISO insulation, and a 60-mil TPO membrane. TPO, or thermoplastic polyolefin, is a common single-ply roofing membrane used on commercial buildings because of its durability and reflective properties.

However, every roofing system has a service life. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation, weather, foot traffic, standing water, mechanical activity and other conditions can gradually weaken the membrane.

During this inspection, one of the most concerning signs was the appearance of exposed fibers across portions of the TPO.

When the surface of a TPO membrane begins deteriorating to the point where the underlying reinforcement becomes visible, the roof is telling you that it needs attention. Once the membrane begins breaking down, water intrusion and interior damage can become much more likely.

The team also found that the roof had developed considerably more holes and deteriorated areas than it had just a year earlier.

That kind of change is exactly why routine commercial roof inspections matter.

Roof Maintenance Can Save Property Owners Money

Roof maintenance is often easier to justify when you compare it to the cost of a complete roof replacement.

Property owners sometimes put off maintenance because the roof is still functioning. There may not be buckets catching water inside the building, and there may not be obvious signs of a major leak from the ground.

But a roof can be deteriorating long before a major interior leak appears.

Small membrane defects can grow. Seams and penetrations can become vulnerable. UV exposure can continue breaking down exposed materials. Water can find its way beneath the roofing system and damage insulation or decking.

By the time those problems become visible inside the building, the repair can be much more involved.

Regular roof inspections give property owners a chance to identify these conditions earlier and consider options before replacement becomes the only practical solution.

Silicone Coating May Be an Alternative to Replacement

In this particular Joplin project, the TPO roof was still considered a candidate for silicone coating.

That is important because not every aging commercial roof needs to be completely removed and replaced.

When an existing roof has adequate structural integrity and meets the requirements for a coating system, a silicone roof coating can provide another option for extending the useful life of the roofing system.

For this property, replacing the entire roof would be substantially more expensive than applying a coating system. Tim estimated that full replacement could cost roughly three times as much as coating the existing roof.

The exact cost and suitability of a silicone roof coating will always depend on the condition of the existing roofing system. A professional assessment is necessary before determining whether coating is appropriate.

Understanding 60-Mil TPO Roofing

The existing roof uses a 60-mil TPO membrane. The thickness of a TPO membrane can affect its durability and expected service life.

A 60-mil membrane is a common specification for commercial roofing, but heavier membrane systems are also available.

In general, thicker roofing membranes can provide additional material to withstand years of weather exposure and normal wear. However, thickness is only one part of a roofing system. Installation quality, drainage, insulation, flashing, penetrations, maintenance and environmental exposure all play important roles.

This is why a professional roof assessment should look at the entire roofing assembly instead of focusing on one component.

A Layered Roofing System

This Joplin building provides another good example of how commercial roofs are constructed.

Under the TPO membrane is ISO insulation, which provides thermal resistance. Beneath that is a metal B deck supporting the roofing assembly.

When evaluating an older commercial roof, understanding what is underneath the membrane is extremely important.

Moisture that gets below the surface can affect insulation and other components of the assembly. In some cases, moisture can travel farther than expected before it becomes visible inside the building.

That is one reason professional commercial roof inspections can involve more than simply walking the surface and looking for obvious holes.

Don’t Wait Until the Roof Fails

One of the biggest takeaways from this Joplin roof inspection is that roof deterioration can accelerate.

A roof that appears to be performing adequately one year can look dramatically different the next.

This particular TPO roof had already received repairs over the years, but the membrane was now showing significant deterioration. Fortunately, the roof was still considered suitable for a silicone coating system.

Addressing it now gives the property owner an opportunity to restore the roof before the deterioration progresses even further.

That does not mean every aging TPO roof should be coated. Some roofs are too damaged, saturated or structurally compromised for restoration. In those cases, replacement may be the better long-term investment.

The goal is to understand the condition of the roof and make an informed decision.

Commercial Roof Inspection in Joplin and Beyond

Whether you own a commercial building, manage a facility or are responsible for maintaining a residential property, regular roof inspections can help identify problems before they become major expenses.

Ridgeline Roofing works with property owners to evaluate existing roofing systems and determine whether repair, maintenance, restoration or replacement makes the most sense.

For qualifying commercial roofs, silicone roof coatings can provide a cost-effective alternative to complete replacement while adding another layer of protection to the existing system.

And when replacement is necessary, identifying that early can help property owners plan for the expense rather than being forced into an emergency roofing project.

Does your roof qualify for silicone? Let’s find out. Contact us today!

Ridgeline Roofing proudly serves property owners throughout Joplin, Southwest Missouri and surrounding communities with professional residential and commercial roofing services.

Call 844-RDG-LINE or get your instant roof quote now to schedule your free professional roof assessment and estimate.

Hear Tim’s Thoughts

Video Transcript: "Hey Tim Yates, Ridgeline Roofing and Solar. We're over here off of 32nd today.
There used to be a subway in this building and something else.
They've been having trouble with this roof for a while.
Well, anyway, they sold and the new owner contracted us to do this roof in silicone.
So it's TPO and we've done some repairs to it over the years.
I really wish they had done silicone a few years ago and just because this roof hit its point, its peak, and it's just been downhill for really about a year.
And it's really starting to show some problems that could have been dodged a little bit.
But if you see these fibers right here, it's going on in quite a few places of the roof.
And all that is is the TPO, which is a plastic membrane, thermopolyolefin.
And it's actually basically washing off.
And the UV from the sun, of course, helps make that happen.
And it starts happening quick because a year ago, it didn't have half the holes it has in it now.
So the good thing is it's still coatable.
It's still cheaper than replacing this roof.
This has got a metal B deck on it, a couple layers of ISO and then TPO.
So the replacement on this is probably three times more than coating.
And with this 60 mil system, you get a 15-year warranty.
You can get thicker mils.
If this was a thicker mil TPO, the roof itself probably would have lasted longer.
But it is what it is.
60 mil is pretty common.
And most people are happy with a 15-year warranty.
So silicone gives you a 10-year manufacturer-backed material and labor warranty.
Ridgeline puts 20 years behind it.
And then it's 50 years on the material itself.
So we're going to let this dry out today.
Come back tomorrow and see what we can get done.
If you need any assistance with your roof, residential, or commercial, give us a call.
Thanks."