Warehouse TPO Flat Roof Recover in Edison, NJ
Edison · Commercial · 60-mil mechanically attached TPO membrane
A leaking ballasted flat roof over an active Edison distribution warehouse was recovered with a 60-mil mechanically attached TPO system, installed in phases so the building never stopped shipping.
Representative example. This case study illustrates the systems, inspection process, and scope of work we deliver on jobs like this one — it does not describe an identified customer's property.
The problem
The facility manager was dealing with intermittent leaks over the racking aisles and, more importantly, with the risk that a heavy rain would land on inventory. The existing roof was an aging ballasted membrane with seam failures scattered across a large field, and a full tear-off would have meant exposing an operating warehouse to weather. The question was whether the existing assembly could carry a recover — which depends on how wet the insulation underneath is and what the structure can hold.
What the inspection found
- — Infrared survey identified four saturated insulation zones totaling roughly eight percent of the roof area
- — Open and fishmouthed seams across the older membrane, concentrated on the west field
- — Two roof drains partially blocked and set high relative to the surrounding deck, holding standing water
- — Rooftop HVAC curbs flashed with mastic that had cracked at the corners
- — Structural capacity confirmed adequate for a recover once the ballast and wet insulation were removed
What we did
Ballast was vacuumed off and the four saturated zones cut out and replaced with new polyiso to restore a consistent thermal layer and a sound substrate. A cover board went down over the existing membrane, then a 60-mil TPO membrane mechanically attached on a fastening pattern engineered for the building's wind zone. Every seam was hot-air welded and probe-tested, not taped. Both problem drains were reset lower with new clamping rings and strainers, and tapered insulation was installed around them to pull water off the deck. HVAC curbs, vents, and pipe penetrations were reflashed with prefabricated TPO boots and welded target patches. The work was sequenced in sections, each one dried in at the end of every shift, so no part of the warehouse was ever open to weather overnight.
Materials: 60-mil mechanically attached TPO membrane, Polyisocyanurate insulation replacement at wet zones, High-density cover board, Tapered insulation and reset drains with new clamping rings, Prefabricated TPO boots and welded target patches · Duration: 3 weeks, phased around warehouse operations
The result
The building has a single-ply roof with welded seams and positive drainage where it previously had a patched ballasted system holding water. The reflective white TPO surface also reduces summer heat gain on a large, unshaded roof, which matters on a conditioned warehouse of this footprint. The client received the infrared survey, a fastening pattern record, and a maintenance schedule keyed to the manufacturer's warranty requirements.