SpecTips - Fleece Backed Membranes: Increased Performance over Bare Backed Variants

Fleece-Backed Membranes: Increased Performance Over Bare-Backed Variants

Did you know that according to NOAA’s Severe Storm database, there were over 5,000 recorded major hail storms in 2019?

Punctures caused by severe storms and other trades on the rooftop createthe need for roofing systems that can withstand severe conditions.

Selecting a fleece-backed membrane will provide building owners with an enhanced system that offers greater puncture, tear, and hail resistance when compared to traditional roofing options. Any EPDM, TPO, PVC, or KEE HP membrane that is enhanced with a fleece backing reinforcement increases the overall thickness of the sheetand creates a tough, durable, and versatile membrane that is ideal for all re-roofing or new construction projects.

When adhered using a flexible, low-rise, no-VOC urethane adhesive, fleece-backed systems offer additional hail and accidental puncture warranties that give further peace of mind to the building owner.

When a fleece-backed membrane is combined with a flexible,two-part urethane adhesive, ASTM D5635 test results show an increase of up to 40% in puncture resistance when compared to traditional low-slope roofing options.

When testing fleece-backed membrane using the Federal 101C Dynamic Puncture Test, fleece-backed membranes produce over 350 lbf of resistance, when most modified options test at 250 lbf or less.

Spec Tip
For projects in hail-prone locations, or those utilizing overburden systems such as roof gardens or paver systems where punctures are more prone to occur, ensure that a fleece-backed membrane utilizing a flexible low-rise urethane adhesive is specified. Include verbiage in Division 7 of MasterFormat specifications in section 07xxxx stating that roof membrane must have a minimum puncture resistance of 330 lbf when tested using Federal 101C Method 2031 Dynamic Puncture Test.