Howdo you assess damage to a reinforced PVC roof?

I am trying to determine the extent of hail damage to a PVC roof. I have researched this subject, but cannot find the answer I need. There are noo fractures on th surface due to imbrittlement. Do I cut away a sample piece to inspect the underside? What qualifies as damaged, and in need of replacement?

"Whatever it means, one lesson is to not use Eternabond on PVC eh?"

Along those exact lines, I advise against using any kind of S/A on any kind of synthetic udl without first doing your own test somewhere else.

(I am obviously not referring to contact with the HDPE film. :woohoo: )

One more curious thing, I got a lot of them.

This was a big PVC roof. ~2K squares total. Original building was steel deck, I think 1.5" pearlite and BUR-3 w/cap. PVC was overlay on top of 1/2" fiber as I recall, maybe more insulation in places.

~600 square addition was roofed at the same time as overlay. Steel deck, 3" PolyIso, PVC.

Of the 60+ shatters, only two were on the addition.

Now that I think about it, another curious thing for this roof-

Someone had apparently cut a membrane sample and had sealed it with white Eternabond, no primer.

For whatever reason, the PVC hardened and shriveled under the Eternabond and curled up like an over-cooked potato chip. The surface of the PVC under the tape was "slimy".

I'd guesstimate from the dust/dirt and general looks that it curled and tore loose in less than two months.

Whatever it means, one lesson is to not use Eternabond on PVC eh?

BIG hailstorm. Hail took out every skylight and these aren't cheapies. PVC looked fine. No damage visible at all, and I looked closely.

A year later, long after the winter that wouldn't end, I get a call for one leak there. I stopped counting shatters at 60.

A few years back, I posted something similar w/ black PVC. This is the same brand. Shatters are generally in the same areas around welds, primarily hand welds. This roof always had a very heavy chlorine smell to it, particularly on warm, sunny days.

Mfg rep had been there a week or so before me and apparently the shatters weren't there or they just didn't notice them...

Were they there when I checked after the storm and just too small to see? I suppose it's possible but highly doubtful. I don't make my living by missing things.

How can it be a full year of record precipitation and thermal swings unlike we've had in decades before the shatters showed up? Your guess is as good as mine.

Could they have been shattered on the back of the membrane and worked out to the top? Maybe, but probably half of the shatters I found were on the top only and not all the way through.

It's all a bit moot for me at this point since it's got a fresh TPO overlay by another brand now.

Hey, I not lurking, I'm researching. I'm a new guy hear and just reading some of the older posts.

As to PVC or even TPO damage, normally it is quite evident that there is damage. . Sometimes it helps to get on your hands and knees with a little water and a brush. Scrub the area to be inspected to remove dirt and scrum. serch for fractures that radiate out in a circle fashion, kind of like ripples in water. Tug at those circles with one finger and see if they open. My arguement would be just the fact that you found these marks are sufficient to determine damage, but and adjuster might want to see some opening of the ripples. Take a core sample and have it tested. Haag Engineering has a book that describes this. Haag engineering is a premier engineering group that is often called out to inspect failed or damaged roofs. Getting one of their books is difficult as you have to take their courses, residential/commercial or both, to get them. But then you get certification also,which will strengthen your case.

As has been mentioned already, cutting the membrane will allow you to see if there has been damage on the underside.

Typically, if the membrane is cracking underneath they are also present on the top - even if you can't see them.

If you are trying to avoid cutting the membrane, just focus on areas of the PVC system that will typically crack first: -Edges (especially if a termination bar was used instead of metal edge) -Seams (cracks often form around the outline of the metal plate) -Access points (high traffic areas like ladders, roof hatches, stairs, etc.. can be prone to premature failure) -Areas exposed to sun (try to find the parts of roof that get the most UV exposure)

You may also benefit from inspecting the roof system in the early morning or evening before the sun is fully out. When the sun starts reflecting off of the membrane it becomes increasingly more difficult to spot the failure.

Good luck!

-Eric

I have on rare occasion seen cracks on the underside that were not present on the top, due to the fact that the bottom stretched farther than the top. So, if you can identify a know hit on the surface, try and make it the biggest you can find, cut it and look, but I doubt you'll find anything.

If you don't have visible cracks, and or visual signs of reinforcement tears, I don't know how it could be considered damaged.