Modified Bitumen Sheets in Madison, WI

TPO is a single-ply membrane, usually 45 or 60 mil, laid over polyiso insulation and either mechanically fastened or fully adhered. Seams are hot-air welded rather than glued, so a sound weld is as strong as the sheet itself. Failures show up at seam edges, along fastener rows that have backed out, and around penetrations where flashing was rushed. Punctures from foot traffic are the repair we see most on these roofs.

Standing seam panels run 24 or 26 gauge steel with ribs an inch and a half to two inches tall, held by concealed clips that let the metal move as it expands. Exposed-fastener panels go on faster but depend on neoprene washers that dry out and let water past. PVDF finishes hold color longer than polyester. Oil canning is cosmetic. The real trouble starts at valleys, end laps and penetrations where sealant was asked to do a flashing's job.

Hail bruises asphalt shingles before it ever breaks them. Press a thumb into a strike and the mat feels soft, granules gone, the asphalt underneath open to water. Soft metals tell the story faster: dented gutters, vent caps and flashing show hits that a shingle hides. On flat roofs, hail fractures the cap sheet and crushes the insulation below it. We chalk test squares and count strikes before calling it repair or replacement.

Most shingle repairs are small work: wind-lifted tabs resealed, cracked pipe boots swapped out, nail pops backed off and covered. Step flashing where a roof meets a wall or chimney is the piece people skip, and it is the piece that actually stops water. New shingles never match weathered ones exactly, so we pull replacements from a hidden slope when color matters. If the mat has gone brittle across the whole roof, patching buys time and little else.

We walk the roof first. On a modified bitumen system that means checking seam laps, looking at the base flashing where the membrane turns up a parapet or curb, and probing any soft spots that suggest wet insulation underneath. We pull a core sample when the layers are unclear. What we find determines whether you need a tear-off, an overlay, or targeted repairs at a few failed laps.

You get the estimate broken out by line: tear-off and disposal, insulation, base sheet, cap sheet, flashing details, and the metal edge. Modified bitumen comes in APP and SBS, in smooth or granulated cap, and the choice changes the number. We list quantities and thicknesses so you can see what you are paying for rather than a single figure at the bottom.

Modified bitumen goes down dry, so weather sets the calendar more than we do. We schedule around the forecast and stage materials so a roll is not sitting open in rain. On commercial buildings we coordinate access, dumpster placement, and any interior work under the deck. If your building stays occupied, we plan the sequence so tear-off never leaves an area open overnight.

The crew tears off to the deck, replaces any rotted wood, and installs insulation and cover board before the base sheet goes on. Cap sheet seams are torch applied or set in cold adhesive depending on the system and the building. Flashing gets the same attention as the field: drains, curbs, pipe penetrations and the perimeter, since that is where most roofs fail first.

We walk the finished roof with you and check the details that matter for long-term performance: seam adhesion, flashing height at walls and curbs, drain sumps clear, terminations sealed. Manufacturers require registration and documentation before their coverage takes effect, so we submit the paperwork the system calls for. You keep a copy of the material specifications and a maintenance schedule for the roof.