TPO Membrane: Costs, Lifespan and Alternatives

Unpermitted roofing in South of Market surfaces at resale, because the permit record is public and inspectors check it. Structural work on a South of Market roof triggers a separate review beyond the roofing permit itself.

Tile on a South of Market property outlives its underlayment by decades, and the underlayment is the part doing the waterproofing. Low-slope sections on South of Market buildings need a membrane or coating system rather than shingle laid flatter than it is rated for.

Thermal cycling does the quiet damage in South of Market — hot afternoons, cool nights, materials working against their fixings. Heat is the main ageing force on a South of Market roof, with surface temperatures running well above the air reading for months.

Policies on South of Market properties pay for sudden damage and not for age, so the report has to separate the two. Insurance work in South of Market turns on documentation taken before anything is touched or tarped.

Work on a South of Market roof starts with ground protection and a plan for where the debris goes. A typical South of Market re-roof runs one to three days depending on size, pitch and how much deck needs replacing.

We look at the deck from inside the South of Market attic as well as walking the roof; half the evidence is underneath. A South of Market inspection starts at the flashings — chimney, vents, skylights — because they fail long before the field does.

We inspect roofs in South of Market free of charge and put the findings in writing before any price is discussed. Emergency work in South of Market costs more than planned work, for the obvious reason that nobody chose the timing.

A South of Market property with two roof types gets two scopes, because a single lump sum hides what is being done. We inspect roofs in South of Market free of charge and put the findings in writing before any price is discussed.