The manufacturers of wide-width single-ply rolls make marketing claims that the wide-width products have application advantages because, compared with systems using narrower rolls, there are fewer seams and installation is quicker. While this claim may be accurate when wide-width rolls are used in fully adhered and plate-bonded systems, it is not necessarily accurate for side-lap mechanically attached applications. The installation process for wider and heavier rolls can take longer and pose several workforce challenges for the installers.
To investigate claims that it is more cost effective to use wide-width rolls in mechanically attached systems, we analyzed side-lap attachment spacing and seam welding lengths comparing the use of wide-width rolls versus more traditional narrower rolls. This article presents our findings, which demonstrate installation of traditional roll width in a mechanically attached format is faster than the wider-width rolls.