Rolled roofing... not asphalt, not rubber, thermoplastic

So a buddy of mine has access to copious quantities of thermoplastic rolled commercial roofing.  (no, not stolen).  They are factory seconds that aren't damaged.  Long story longer, they were in a warehouse that collapsed in a storm and the insurance company just wrote a check for the whole inventory. 

So what suitable substrates will they work with?  I was thinking I could easily glue and staple some to my shed roof, but I'm also wondering if this is a mostly-free way to get a couple roofing jobs done.  I know they're for flat roofs, but what happens if you put them on a sloped roof?  Maybe a big movie screen?  Make an awning for my van?  Help me find fun ways to use this stuff.

Worst case scenario, they become tarps for dad's wood pile.

They'll go over a lot of stuff. Most things you'll want to cover with, well, recover board. That's similar to R-max board, but made for roofing. It will also go down over gypsum sheathing, if it is fiber faced.

I don't use it a lot, so I don't know about adhesive compatibility. The seams are meant to be hot air welded.

It doesn't appear to be fiber faced.  It looks like mesh fabric that has been impregnated with melted plastic on both sides.  The research I found shows that they feed the mesh through big hot drums and feed white pellets on top and black pellets on the bottom and it melts them into the fabric.

It looks similar to billboard vinyl.  Smooth, but you can see the fibers of the fabric.  Trade name seems to be TPO.

These are unlabeled, but my guess is that it's this stuff

I SWEAR there's building codes for stuff like this- the 70s even produced codes for building entire homes from recycled plastics like this. I'll poke around a bit.

The glue used on this stuff is either the foulest chemical stuff in the world with everything osha and the epa warn you about or a water based glue that will likely work on small roofs with good edge metal. The seams need to be heat welded which isn't super hard on a flat roof with practice. I did my carport roof with TPO in 2018. 
 

i am sure it would work on a pitched roof, but installing it would be a bear. The rolls are super heavy and need to be rolled onto the glue with a heavy roller thingy. Those two things alone will likely get someone chucked off the roof edge.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Oh, sorry, I meant fiber faced gypsum sheathing, like Dens-Glas.

TPO is the generic name - Thermoplastic Poly Olefin.

We use TPO on all kinds of roofs.  It's fantastic. Usually has very long warranties available with it (when installed by approved installlers).

The best thing about TPO is how easy it is to do repairs and patches when necessary.

Installation requires special tools and heat irons.  We usually have to put a good sized generator on the roof.

I was watching some install videos and I think the whole process would be relatively simple.... except for the heat welding.

I wonder if there is a world where the cement could be used in place of the welding.

Lengths could be pre-cut to prevent lugging the whole roll up a ladder.  Mechanical fasteners at the top of the run with a 6" overlap. Glue the overlap?  There also appears to be a handheld welder that they warn is not nearly as good as the robot thing.

I know I'm making this way more complicated.  I'm just reminded that I will have to do a roof in about 5-7 years and I plan on going deep....  like potentially new trusses kinda deep.  This ancient house just has rafters and no ridge beam with rough-cut slats for sheathing.  I've had solar folks tell me they wouldn't put panels up there.  It would also be nice to have soffit and ridge vents instead of gable vents.

I also expect that stuff is pretty slippery when wet.  Maybe not the best idea with a 4/12 pitch.

You could probably fabricate automotive body panels out of titanium sheets, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I wouldn't use TPO on a pitched residential roof. That's not what it is made for. 

Poly olefin does not glue well. Only slightly better than polyethylene. Play with some scraps and a variety of electric irons.

SV reX said:

You could probably fabricate automotive body panels out of titanium sheets, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I wouldn't use TPO on a pitched residential roof. That's not what it is made for. 

That's kinda what I'm gathering.  I was hoping to shoehorn it in to my brain because it's good stuff and it's free.

Awning for the van?  Sell for profit?  Giant slip 'n slide?  Help me do something fun with it.

I have seen YouTube's about using it on mobile home and tv roofs. Perhaps market it that way? 
 

Epic adult sized slip-n-slide?

Is it the sort of roofing that's supposed to have ballast (gravel) placed on top?  I believe that type isn't glued down to the deck.  I don't know what happens to it if you do, but checking its compatibility may be a good idea.

In reply to stuart in mn :

No. TPO has no ballast