It came as a surprise to many that GAF Materials Corp., Wayne, N.J., would take a product off the market in such a short period of time, but that is exactly what happened with EverGuard TPO2 Plus. The low-slope roofing membrane had not failed, and in fact all of the EverGuard TPO2 Plus jobs in place are all performing as advertised. Other factors, primarily the handling of the product by the installers, led to the decision to discontinue EverGuard TPO2 Plus in favor of the classic EverGuard TPO.

The original EverGuard TPO was manufactured from a GAF formula in another facility. The new version of the classic EverGuard TPO is being manufactured in GAF’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant designed specifically for the manufacture of TPO roofing

GAF originally announced some long lead times on the new product, but those problems have been resolved in record time, despite a demanding schedule of testing for the newly manufactured product. The plant is producing and shipping a product that has undergone a full battery of testing, including tensile, tear, cold, puncture, hydraulic, heat, mechanical properties, shrinkage and others.

Welding properties were an issue with the EverGuard TPO2 Plus product. With the testing of the new version of EverGuard TPO, welding testing was done in-lab and on jobs with simulations of all varieties of hand-held and robotic welders working in a wide range of ambient temperatures. A wide welding window will make this a considerably more user-friendly TPO. Testing was performed in conjunction with Leister, a major manufacturer of heat welding equipment.

Some of the testing included re-inspection of many of the original EverGuard TPO roofs, and the installation of 10 test roofs with the product manufactured in the new facility. The results, according to GAF’s senior vice-president of corporate marketing, David Harrison, show a product that is even better than the original. Harrison also hastens to assure roofing contractors, that they can “count on GAF standing behind them.”

Roofing Contractor is pleased to give this brief report on the latest news of this product change. A full, in-depth report on the events surrounding the changes in EverGuard TPO will follow in several months.