There’s a brown ring on the ceiling under the porch roof, or water is sitting on your building’s flat roof two days after the storm cleared. Flat roofs leak differently than sloped ones, and if you’re looking into TPO roofing in Orlando, you probably want to know two things first: can the roof you have be fixed, and if not, is TPO the right replacement?
It’s a reasonable thing to be unsure about. Flat roofing gets explained badly a lot, and you should get a plain answer backed by photos before you spend money.
APC Roofing is a GAF Certified roofer, licensed in Florida (CCC1337030) and insured. We install and repair TPO on homes (usually over a porch, carport, garage or addition) and on light commercial buildings across the greater Orlando metro area. Inspections and estimates are free. Call 407-270-1129, or see all our flat roofing services in greater Orlando.
What TPO is and why it suits Central Florida
TPO is a single-ply membrane, a flexible sheet that comes off a wide roll and covers a low-slope roof in one continuous layer. It’s normally white. That matters here. A white roof reflects a good share of the sun instead of soaking it up, so the space under it stays cooler through a long Central Florida summer. A black rubber (EPDM) roof absorbs that heat instead.
The seams are where most flat roofs fail, and TPO’s seams are welded with hot air. The two sheets melt together, and every seam gets probed by hand to check for gaps. That’s a different thing from glue or tape, which can let go over time if they weren’t applied to a clean surface.
Shingles and tile need slope to shed water. Below about two inches of rise per foot, wind pushes rain up under the laps. That’s why so many Orlando homes with shingle or tile roofs have a membrane over the lanai or a later addition.
TPO roofing for Orlando homes and businesses
On a house, TPO usually covers a small low-slope area that ties into a sloped roof. The tie-in is the detail to get right. The membrane has to run up under the shingles so water coming down the main roof lands on top of it. If it was built the other way around, a hard storm pushes water behind it, and you’ll see a drip where the porch ceiling meets the house.
On small commercial buildings, the job is bigger but the priorities stay the same: drainage, seams, the edges and anything that pokes through the roof. Rooftop AC units get foot traffic from service techs, so walkway pads along the route protect the membrane from wear.
Common flat roof problems in the Orlando area
Ponding water
If water is still standing 48 hours after rain, something’s off. Usually it’s a sag in the framing or a clogged drain. A new membrane alone won’t fix that. Tapered insulation, a cricket (a small ridge that turns water toward a drain) or an added drain does.
Seam and edge failure
Wind pulls hardest at corners and along the edges of a low roof. Afternoon thunderstorms and hurricane season both test the edge metal, and once wind gets under a loose section it can peel the sheet back. Resetting loose trim is a small job next to replacing a torn membrane.
Punctures and pinholes
A dropped tool or a blown branch can nick a thin sheet. A small hole caught early is a patch. Left through a rainy season, it soaks the insulation underneath.
Wet insulation
The roof can look fine on top while the insulation below is soaked. Moisture readings and, if needed, a small core sample show how far the water has spread under your roof.
Signs your flat roof needs attention
- A ceiling stain under the low roof
- Water pouring out of an overflow scupper during heavy rain
- Loose or rattling edge trim after a windy day
- A visible dip in the roofline
- Bubbles or blisters in the membrane
- A drip where a porch ceiling meets the main house
Repair, recover or replace?
Most flat roof leaks come from one area, and a matching TPO patch welded over the damage often solves it. Replacement makes more sense when many seams are failing, the sheet has gone stiff and cracked, or large areas of insulation are wet.
Sometimes a new membrane can go over the old one, but only if there’s just one layer in place and the insulation underneath is dry. Otherwise, it comes off down to the deck, which also gives the crew a chance to replace rotted boards and fix the slope. You’ll see the moisture readings and layer count, so you know why one route makes more sense for your roof than the other. If you’re comparing options, our flat roof repair and flat roof installation pages go into more detail.
How it works with APC Roofing
- Book your free inspection. Call 407-270-1129 or request a free online estimate.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. Your inspection covers the drains, seams, edges, curbs and tie-ins, with a moisture test wherever there’s a leak. You get a written report with photos, and if a repair will do the job, that’s the recommendation you’ll hear.
- Get the roof done and the site cleaned up. The crew closes up any open section at the end of each day, finishes the work and hauls away the debris.
Financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance. For business owners with a larger building, see our commercial roofing services.
TPO roofing questions from Orlando owners
Is TPO a good choice for a flat roof in Florida?
For many roofs, yes. The white surface reflects sun, and heat-welded seams hold up well. The right choice still depends on your drainage, deck and what sits on the roof.
Do you install TPO on homes or only commercial buildings?
Both. On homes it’s usually over a porch, carport, garage or addition. Light commercial roofs are part of the work too.
Can a leaking TPO roof be patched?
Usually. A TPO patch is heat-welded to the existing sheet. If the leak has soaked a large area of insulation, a bigger repair or replacement may make more sense.
Can you put TPO over my old flat roof?
Sometimes. Code allows it only over a single existing layer, and the insulation underneath has to be dry.
A flat roof you can stop checking
A small leak on a flat roof spreads quietly through the insulation before it shows inside, so waiting tends to make the repair bigger. You don’t need to decide anything today. It just helps to know what’s going on up there.
After the next afternoon storm, the porch ceiling stays dry and the roof drains clear by morning. That’s the result you’re after: a sound roof, no surprise bill and confidence in the decision. Call 407-270-1129 to book your free inspection, or start with our free online estimate.
