JM APP Product Lineup is Ready to Make Your Next Job Run Like a Dream Come True

Strength. Versatility. Fire resistance. Fast and easy installation.

It might seem like a roofing contractor’s ideal wish list but at JM it’s a reality.

Johns Manville’s portfolio of APP products includes polyester (APPeX^®/Dibiten), fiberglass (JM APP Base), and composite (Bicor/Tricor) reinforcement options. Their versatility allows for choice in tailoring products to meet any system needs and come with the backing of Johns Manville, which has been manufacturing roofing systems and standing behind them since 1858.

The asphalt coating on APP membranes consists of a high-quality base asphalt that is modified with APP (atactic polypropylene) polymers for improved durability, UV protection, flexibility, and strength. All the products offer high temperature stability and are great for areas with hot summers and warm winters, while also maintaining flexibility in slightly cooler temperatures

With a built-in adhesive on the bottom of the sheet, torch-applied APPeX and Dibiten, for example, take minimal equipment to get started — just a torch, propane tank and a few protective supplies — but offer maximum protection and non-prorated warranties up to 20 years, depending on the system and products used. APPeX 4.5M and Dibiten products also are available in a variety of colors in certain regions to match shingles in residential applications.

Johns Manville also offers APP membranes with bright white, highly reflective granules. APPeX and Dibiten CR G products have a three-year aged Solar Reflective Index (SRI) value of 80 with the Cool Roof Rating Council — one of the highest in the industry for APP CR G products — meeting reflectivity requirements for Title 24 and reducing a building’s energy usage.

In addition to long-term durability, APPeX 4.5M offers exceptional fire performance. APPeX 4.5M can be used in various systems to achieve a UL Class A fire rating over a combustible deck up to 1/2” slope with standard white or colored granules, and up to ¼” slope with CR G granules, negating the need for a higher cost FR sheet that would be necessary with competitive products.

John Lawson of Davis Associates, which has represented Johns Manville for 27 years, said achieving the highest possible rating for fire-resistant building materials with standard rolls is a “wonderful benefit that we have. Not only does it save the contractor money when they don’t need to pay for the FR version, but it also saves our distribution partners from having to stock multiple SKUs — a non-FR version and the FR version.”

Other factors that set JM APP^™ products apart include:

• Bicor/Tricor — These products offer composite fiberglass and polyester reinforcements for high tensile and tear needs.
• Dibiten — a premium APP membrane exclusive to the Pacific region, features European slate granules for improved lay flat and adhesion of the granule surface.
• APPeX 4S — produced with an embossed back surface for lighter weight rolls and faster torch application, which lowers propane usage when torching.

But Randy Davis, founder of Davis Associates, said the products’ true strength lies in JM being a 166-year-old American company.

“There are a lot of foreign-owned competitors … a lot of competition from people trying to sell APP,” Davis said. “But this isn’t just about product. It’s about customer service and JM standing behind everything it sells.”