Roof Recover and Overlay

Roof Recover and Overlay in Austin, TX

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  Roof Recover and Overlay for commercial buildings across Austin.

  TPO is the most-installed commercial single-ply membrane in Austin commercial work. We install 60-mil and 80-mil systems against manufacturer-spec details, suited to Central Texas heat loads, with 20-year no-dollar-limit warranty paths.

  Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) became the dominant commercial single-ply membrane in Austin over the last two decades for a straightforward reason: a properly installed white TPO roof reflects 80–90% of incident solar radiation, which matters on a flat commercial roof in a city that regularly logs 90-plus days above 100°F ambient temperature. On a dark or aged membrane, surface temperature can exceed 165°F on a peak Austin summer afternoon. On a properly installed 60-mil white TPO, that surface temperature drops to the low 100s — a material reduction in cooling load for any building without heavy rooftop shade.

  TPO is also heat-weldable at the seams, which produces mechanically superior lap joints compared to adhesive-bonded or tape-sealed membranes. When installed at correct weld temperatures and speeds — which vary by membrane brand and ambient temperature — a TPO seam is stronger than the base membrane. When installed incorrectly, the seams are the first failure point. We calibrate weld parameters to current ambient conditions, not to a fixed setting.

  Austin's hail history matters for TPO membrane selection. The June 2024 storm dropped quarter-size hail across Round Rock and Pflugerville. The November 2022 storm affected north Travis County. We specify 80-mil TPO for buildings in hail-exposed locations or those with known limitations on maintenance access — the additional membrane thickness extends impact resistance meaningfully. For buildings with frequent foot-traffic or rooftop mechanical work, we add walk pads at access routes.

  How We Install TPO on Austin Commercial Buildings

  Substrate preparation: The existing deck — typically steel or concrete for commercial applications — gets inspected for fastener pullout resistance before we anchor the insulation. Steel decks corroded below structural spec get documented and flagged for the owner; we do not install over compromised deck.

  Insulation: Polyiso board in a single or double layer depending on required R-value, mechanically fastened to deck at pattern density calculated for wind-uplift zone. A HD polyiso or gypsum cover board over the primary layer gives the TPO membrane a smooth substrate and reduces thermal bridging at fastener locations.

  Membrane: 60-mil for standard commercial applications; 80-mil for hail-exposed or high-traffic roofs. Rolls are positioned with factory-selvedge edges aligned for overlap, then hot-air welded at 1.5-inch minimum weld width. Weld quality is verified by probe test every 100 linear feet and by tensile pull test on sample welds at start of each day and after any break in production. We do not field-test only; seam width and weld temperature are logged throughout.

  Flashing: All penetrations, curbs, edges, and parapets get TPO-compatible flashing membrane, either pre-formed or cut from roll, welded to the field membrane. Parapet coping cap is aluminum or galvalume; exposed coping joints are sealed with compatible TPO sealant, not generic caulk.

  TPO Warranty Paths on Austin Projects

  Standard commercial TPO warranties run 10, 15, or 20 years from most major manufacturers. The 20-year NDL (no-dollar-limit) warranty covers material and labor cost to repair or replace any warranted failure — it is the benchmark for commercial property owners who want to transfer the roof liability to the manufacturer for the warranty period.

  NDL warranty qualification requires the manufacturer's field inspector to walk the completed roof and sign off on details. Most national TPO manufacturers have regional reps covering Central Texas. We schedule the inspection as part of the closeout sequence — the warranty document does not issue until the field inspection passes.

  Warranty maintenance is required by every major manufacturer to keep the warranty in force. Typically: one annual inspection by the contractor with a written condition report submitted to the manufacturer, caulk and sealant renewal at penetrations and terminations on the inspection schedule, and prompt repair of any membrane puncture or mechanical damage within the coverage period. We offer maintenance contracts structured to each manufacturer's requirement — not a generic annual visit.

  TPO Recover vs. Full Replacement in Austin

  If the existing roof system has dry insulation (confirmed by moisture core sampling) and a structurally sound deck, recovering over the existing system with new TPO can extend asset life 15 to 20 years at roughly half the cost of full replacement. The recover eliminates tear-off and disposal costs, which matter more on larger Austin roofs where disposal logistics (and the city's landfill tipping fees) add up.

  We do not recover over wet insulation. Wet insulation trapped under a new membrane will continue to degrade the deck, void the new membrane warranty, and produce premature failure. If core sampling shows saturation above 25% of the sampled area, full replacement is the correct scope. Between 10% and 25% wet, we often do targeted insulation replacement in wet zones before recovering the rest.

  Austin's limestone substrate can complicate drain relocation if a recover requires changing slope. We document existing drain locations and ponding patterns in the pre-scope walk and design the recover package around what the drain layout can support — not around a theoretical ideal slope.

  How does Austin's heat affect TPO weld quality?

  Heat-welding TPO in Austin's summer ambient temperatures (95–105°F) requires adjusting weld speed and air temperature settings relative to spring or fall installation. We calibrate daily at start of production and after any extended break. Crews do not run standard cool-weather settings in August — the substrate temperature affects how the membrane flows at the weld, and incorrect settings produce seams that probe-test clean but delaminate under thermal cycling.

  Is 60-mil or 80-mil TPO better for Central Texas?

  60-mil is standard for most Austin commercial applications. 80-mil is worth the additional cost per square for roofs in hail-exposed locations (north Travis County, Williamson County, and Pflugerville/Round Rock have documented hail frequency above the Austin MSA average), for roofs with regular foot traffic or mechanical maintenance access, or for buildings where management turnover makes maintenance consistency uncertain. The 20-mil difference in thickness adds meaningful impact resistance with no change in installation method.

  Can TPO be installed over an existing EPDM or BUR roof?

  In many cases, yes — subject to moisture core sampling confirming dry insulation and a structural review confirming the existing assembly can support the added dead load. The City of Austin Development Services Department requires a permit for recover projects above a certain scope threshold; we pull the permit as part of project set-up. The bigger constraint is often drain elevation: if the existing assembly is already at or near parapet height, an additional insulation-plus-membrane layer may exceed the drains, requiring drain riser modification.

  Get a TPO scope for your Austin commercial building.

  We will walk the roof, sample cores if the recover-vs-replace decision requires it, and provide a written specification you can use for comparison or direct award.

  Roof Recover and Overlay in Austin, TX is a code-compliant option when the existing roof membrane is structurally sound, the insulation beneath it is dry, and the building currently carries only one membrane layer. Most building codes based on the IBC allow a maximum of two total membrane layers on a low-slope roof. Before any roof recover and overlay work begins in Austin, we require a moisture scan — infrared or nuclear — to confirm that insulation saturation is below the threshold where a new membrane would trap retained moisture and compromise the new assembly from underneath.

  Weight and structural load are the first technical checkpoint for roof recover and overlay. A recover assembly typically adds 1.5 to 3.5 pounds per square foot depending on cover board thickness, membrane weight, and insulation added for energy code compliance. For roof recover and overlay projects in Austin, the structural engineer of record or an existing load calculation must confirm that the deck and framing can carry the added weight before the specification is finalized.

  Cost savings compared to full tear-off are typically 30 to 40 percent for a roof recover and overlay because tear-off labor, disposal fees, and debris management are eliminated. That savings is real, but only when the substrate genuinely qualifies. A roof recover and overlay installed over wet insulation, a deteriorated deck, or poor drainage will fail early and leave the owner with a tear-off bill on top of the failed recover cost. Commercial Roofing will not recommend roof recover and overlay unless the moisture scan and field assessment support it.

  FM Global and UL ratings must be maintained through the recover assembly for properties where rated systems are required by the insurance carrier or lease terms. We review applicable ratings, confirm that the proposed cover board, insulation, and membrane combination maintains the required classification, and provide the specification documentation that the insurance carrier or property manager needs to confirm compliance after the roof recover and overlay is complete. Call or email to find out if your Austin roof is a candidate.

  The roof must have only one existing membrane layer, a dry insulation assembly confirmed by moisture scan, adequate structural capacity for the added weight, and drainage that supports the new assembly's performance.

  Infrared or nuclear moisture scanning maps wet insulation areas that must be removed and replaced before the recover membrane is installed. We will not recover over wet material regardless of cost pressure.

  Typically 30 to 40 percent, primarily by eliminating tear-off labor and disposal costs. The savings are real but only when the substrate genuinely qualifies.

  It can, if the specified cover board, insulation, and membrane combination is listed as a rated assembly. We confirm the rating classification before finalizing the specification.

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