It has been my privilege to work in the roofing industry for forty years, starting as an estimator in 1976. For much of that time I have been involved with single-ply roofing products, which started to enter the market about the same time I landed my first roofing job. Just as it was tough for me to gain experience and qualifications as a newcomer to the industry, it was difficult for single-plies to earn a place of respect among modern roofing systems. It took time to overcome initial problems of design and installation practice, but many dedicated people and commited companies worked hard to overcome these obstacles and develop the wide variety of durable and dependable single-ply roofs we use today.
Looking over the many outstanding roofing projects I’ve had the privilege of working on over the past forty years, it’s easy to see how modern sustainable single-plies have advanced in durability and value. Important features observed on the best of these projects almost always include: