TPO Roofing

Flat and low-slope roofs are everywhere in Arizona — on Territorial and Santa Fe style homes, room additions, carports, and virtually every commercial building in the state. TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) single-ply membrane is the workhorse system for these roofs, and CraftBuilt installs, repairs, and replaces it across our service area.

Why TPO Owns Arizona's Flat Roofs

TPO's white reflective surface bounces solar heat instead of soaking it in — on a 110-degree Valley day, that's the difference between a roof surface at 160 degrees and one dramatically cooler, which shows up directly on cooling bills. The membrane is heat-welded at every seam rather than glued, producing a monolithic waterproof sheet that handles monsoon deluges and the ponding that follows. And it does this at a price point below most competing membranes.

Where Flat Roofs Fail

• Seams: on older glued systems, adhesive failure is the classic leak source — heat-welded TPO exists to solve this
• Ponding: low spots that hold water after monsoon storms accelerate every failure mode
• Penetrations: HVAC curbs, drains, and pipe boots concentrate movement and sealant stress
• UV chalking: membranes and coatings past their service life crack and check like old paint
• Foot traffic: every service tech who visits the AC unit walks your roof

Our Flat Roof Process

1. Moisture assessment first — trapped water in the existing assembly decides whether we can overlay or must tear off.
2. Substrate and drainage correction: insulation, tapered crickets, and drains so water leaves rather than ponds.
3. Membrane installation with heat-welded seams and properly flashed penetrations.
4. Walk pads at service routes, and a maintenance plan that keeps warranties valid.

Homes and Businesses Alike

Residential flat sections — the addition over the family room, the low-slope patio roof, the Santa Fe home in Tucson or Sedona — get the same engineering as our commercial work, scaled appropriately. Mixed-pitch homes with shingle uppers and flat lowers are a specialty: the transition flashing between systems is where those roofs leak, and where we focus.

TPO, coating, or built-up — which do I need?

It depends on what's under the surface. A structurally sound roof with a tired surface may take a quality coating; trapped moisture or failed seams demand membrane replacement. Our assessment tells you which, with moisture readings rather than guesswork.

How long does TPO last?

Properly installed and maintained, 20–30 years in Arizona conditions. The maintenance matters: an annual inspection catching a lifted seam early is the cheapest roofing money you'll ever spend.

Membrane Thickness, Insulation, and the Spec That Matters

TPO is sold in thicknesses — commonly 45, 60, and 80 mil — and in Arizona sun the difference is service life. The membrane's weatherable top layer is what UV consumes; thicker sheet means more years before it's gone. Under the membrane, polyiso insulation does double duty: R-value for the building and, tapered correctly, the slope that eliminates ponding — often the single highest-value correction on an older flat roof. Attachment method (mechanically fastened vs. fully adhered) gets chosen per building for wind exposure and substrate. All of it goes in the written spec, because two "TPO roofs" can differ by a decade of life and you deserve to see why the quotes differ.

White TPO gets dirty — does that matter?

Cosmetically yes, functionally a little: dirt reduces reflectivity and the energy benefit. An occasional low-pressure wash during scheduled maintenance restores it. What actually matters is keeping drains clear and seams inspected — dirt is cheap; ponding isn't.

Can you repair my existing TPO instead of replacing it?

Frequently, yes. TPO's great virtue is weldability: a trained tech can heat-weld a patch that's as strong as the original sheet. The limiting factors are membrane age (an oxidized sheet stops welding cleanly) and what's underneath — saturated insulation means repairs are cosmetic. Our moisture assessment sorts one from the other before you spend money either way.