Mass production of high-insulation building roof exterior material, ‘TPO Waterproofing Sheet’

Outstanding price competitiveness and eco-friendliness

Hyundai L&C is entering the exterior materials business in earnest, leading with a high-quality roof-finishing exterior product.

Hyundai L&C, a comprehensive building materials company affiliated with Hyundai Department Store Group, announced the launch of its TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) waterproofing sheet, a building roof exterior material. Until now, Hyundai L&C has mainly offered interior finishing materials or products for combined interior and exterior use, and this marks the first time it has undertaken the mass production and sale of a product dedicated to exterior use.

The TPO waterproofing sheet is an eco-friendly roof exterior material that not only generates no substances harmful to the human body during the production process but can also be recycled after removal. It is produced based on polypropylene (PP), an eco-friendly material used to manufacture water bottles and airtight containers. A roof exterior material refers to the final finishing material for the roofs of buildings such as large factories and logistics warehouses, and its main purpose is to prevent contamination and water leakage.

The TPO waterproofing sheet offered by Hyundai L&C features high durability that allows it to maintain key functions such as waterproofing over a long period, even when exposed to external natural conditions like moisture, rain, and wind, delivering an outstanding effect in reducing LCC (Life Cycle Cost).

In fact, compared with applied-coating products such as epoxy and urethane, which are currently widely used as roof exterior materials, the TPO waterproofing sheet has a replacement cycle of 10 years—more than three times longer—and can shorten construction time by more than 50%.

In addition, thanks to its high thermal insulation performance, with a solar reflectance of up to 86%, it can even reduce building cooling costs (when installed in white-toned colors). According to Hyundai L&C’s own analysis, applying the TPO waterproofing sheet is expected to cut operating costs by more than 40% over a 10-year period compared with conventional applied-coating waterproof exterior materials.

A Hyundai L&C official said, “The core technology required to produce the TPO waterproofing sheet is extremely difficult to develop, so only a small number of companies worldwide produce and sell it,” adding, “Recently, it has been drawing attention as an eco-friendly, high-quality product in the construction and interior industries, and with demand rising sharply, its future growth potential is also very high.”

Hyundai L&C has recently signed supply contracts for the TPO waterproofing sheet with large factories and logistics centers and has entered full-scale production. The company plans to additionally introduce a variety of exterior material product lines utilizing the core technology behind the TPO waterproofing sheet.

A Hyundai L&C official said, “The TPO waterproofing sheet is a new business Hyundai L&C has pursued to diversify its business structure, which has been centered on interior finishing materials,” adding, “Leveraging the high brand credibility of Hyundai Department Store Group and our premium-grade TPO products, we will grow into Korea’s No. 1 TPO waterproofing sheet company within three years.”