If you’ve been researching types of roofing, you might have noticed that TPO and EPDM are two of the popular options available. To make the right decision, it helps to understand the differences between TPO roofing and EPDM roofing, so we’ll cover that here.
First of all, it helps to know what these acronyms mean. EPDM stands for “ethylene propylene diene monomer.”
This is a type of material made from synthetic rubber and is usually used on commercial roofs with a low slope. The main ingredients are natural gas, propylene, and ethylene.
As for TPO, this stands for “thermoplastic polyolefin.” This is a single-ply membrane that’s composed of filler blends and polymer. A fabric scrim reinforces it.
As for the thermoplastics in it, these include BCPP (block copolymer polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), or PP (polypropylene).
Because of these differences in composition, we consider TPO to be the better choice for commercial roofing, metal roofs, and residential roofs that are flat.
Additionally, the installation methods are different. When installing TPO, you use a hot-air gun and chemical adhesives to put everything into place.
As for EPDM installation, you use either mechanical fasteners or adhesive, and you join the sheets with seam tape.