Flat Roof

Flat Roof Rooftop Floating Wood Deck. Toronto Flat Roofing.

2011-04-04T02:04:54Z

Here we install a floating walkout wood deck on a flat roof in Riverdale, Toronto. Last fall we installed the flat roof for our client, this spring we built this roof top deck. This deck is floating with no puncture or penetration of any sort to the roofing membrane as it should be.

Last spring we installed the two-ply modifed bitumen flat roofing system for our client and this spring we installed this floating flat roof deck. The deck was built of pressure treated wood as it will be exposed to the elements. The height and design of the deck were based on the client's request and our suggestions. As you see this deck is floating on styrofoam, so there is no punture or penetration of any sort to the roofing membrane. The deck is entirely stabilized by being attahced to the third storey of the home. Such a deck must be stabilized by being attached to the structure in some form. There are many options available depending on the structure. All specifications are consistent with city code. Scroll down to view the image gallery.

We offer various flat roof decking options, including wood decking as above, wood decking with glass and metal railings and more. When installing a deck be sure that the deck is floating. If there is any puncture to the roofing membrane. The enrtire deck will have to be removed and the leaking roof repaired. This is a costly mistake to endure. For proper flat roof deck installation contact us.

Flat roofing Toronto. Leaking modified bitumen flat roof in Toronto.

2010-11-29T17:00:09Z

We recently installed our two ply modified bitumen SBS flat roofing system on a pair of leaking flat roofs in Cabbagetown, Toronto. The flat roofs were leaking due to improper application of the roofing membranes resulting in both condensation and leakage through the seams. Watch our roofers cut the membrane and expose a roof that appears to be in good condition yet, contains a significant amount of water underneath and between the membranes.

Our Cabbagetown, Toronto client was experiencing serious leakage in the bathroom of his townhouse. Contributing to this leakage were improperly sealed seams along the edge of the roofing membranes. The roofing membranes are to be heat sealed using a propane torch such that the edge of one membrane roll is overlapped and bleeds onto the previously applied membrane roll. This bleed will ensure the roof will not leak. The bleeds on this roof were very small or non-existent which eventually results in the rubber membrane lifting and allowing water to travel under the membranes. Also, improper heating and application of the rubber itself will lead to air pockets between the roof deck and the rubber membranes causing condensation. Both of these issues were the cause of the leakage on this particular roof as is generally the case.

We proceeded to strip the entire roof and install our two-ply modified SBS bitumen flat roofing system, using Soprema 180 base membrane, 250 cap membrane and 1.5 inch poly iso insulation. We also installed a new copper drain with a u flow seal. Uflow seals are designed to be tightened using internal screws which compresses the thermoplastic seal, forcing it to expand and make contact with the wall of the old pipe. This prevents vertical movement and stops water backup damage.

Toronto flat roof balcony, deck, rafters repair Part 1

2010-08-30T02:28:08Z

Last week M&R Roofing began another flat roof balconies repair project. It included carpentry work such as the installation of new roof rafters and deck, followed by the installation of our two ply modified flat roofing system with polyiso insulation in the Beaches, Toronto.

When our sales consultant Maciej arrived to view the job, our distraught client has already removed the drywall from the ceiling so that Maciej could see the extent of the damage caused by the leaking balconies. The damage was extensive and would require the removal of the entire existing roof materials, roof decking and much of the roof framing. After viewing our video of a similar balcony repair we had done and discussing all matters with Maciej, with confidence our client decided to employ the services of M&R Roofing.

When our employees arrived on the job site to repair the roof they were surprised to see a sandwich of roofing materials lying on the roof deck. The roof deck was covered with four layers of plywood, one layer of green turf carpeting, one layer of asphalt and two layers of rubber membrane! Even with all these layers the roof deck leaked to such a point that all the plywoods and many of the rafters were rotten. Also, contributing to the water and moisture was a serious case of condensation. We began by stripping the entire roof deck which was a heavily labour intensive and then installing all new wooden rafters with hangers. When the framing carpentry was finished on one of the balconies we installed new decking and rafters in such a manner as to create the appropriate slope for drainage of the balcony roof, as discussed in a previous blog entry. We then installed our usual two ply modified flat roofing system with 1.5 inch polyiso insulation using a 180 base SBS membrane and 250 SBS cap membrane.

The above video contains part of the work that went into the project. A second video will follow showcasing further progress of the project. Below is a photo gallery of the project.

Flat roof Toronto balcony repair. Roofing Toronto

2010-06-30T16:27:40Z

Last week M&R Roofing completed a flat roof balcony repair in Toronto where we installed our two ply modified bitumen flat roofing system with polyiso roof insulation and built a new balcony railing.

Our client's home featured a balcony accessible from the dormer walkout on the front slope of the house. This house design is typical in western East York neighbourhoods. Many of the homes have balconies that are leaking and are rotten. The railings, decks and even rafters under the decks are rotten because the balconies are covered with subpar materials. Since the balcony is exposed to the outdoors it should be waterproofed with some type of flat roofing system. Specifically one that inludes some form of insulation as the balcony area is above a warm area of the house and should be insulated to prevent condensation problems. Previously the balcony was covered with welded galvanized metal. Metal is not a good solution for this sort of flat roof area because with time the welds will begin to crack and the metal will begin to move around. Metal also causes condensation as the warm air from the house meets the cold metal surface. To prevent condensation issues we installed 1.5 inch polyiso insulation. We also disassembled the side wood walls and the door step in order to run the rubber membrane up onto the walls and under the door step. We then flashed the area with black metal flashing and caulked it appropriately. After installing the new flat roof we built and installed a new wood railing on the balcony. The new railing is built according to code standards which makes it sturdy and accessible for the client. The client can now confidently choose to install some form of decking to her liking over the flat roofing system.

Toronto flat roof leaking drain repair

2010-06-13T22:30:49Z

A Toronto client's flat roof was leaking during rains. During a roof inspection we noticed the rubber membrane around the drain was loose and lifting. We suspected water rushing towards the drain was running under the membrane. We repaired the area by applying a SBS 250 cap membrane patch.

When we removed loose membrane and cleared the drain area we saw that the area was wet, which confirmed our suspicions that it was leaking. Once the area was cleaned up we applied Bakor primer on the metal surface area of the drain to help the new rubber membrane stick once it is torched. We then applied a SBS 250 cap membrane over the area and finished off by applying Bakor plastic cement around the drain. Since it rained the next day we called our client to find out whether he was still getting a leak. As expected the drain area was the cause of the leak and our client was thrilled that it was no longer leaking.

Cabbagetown Toronto flat roof, sloped roof and skylights project

2010-05-18T16:59:06Z

We recently completed work on two adjacent properties on Sackville Street in the downtown Toronto Cabbagetown neighbourhood. The work included two new flat roofs, four new skylights, new asphalt shingles on a sloped roof section and some other minor repairs.

Upon our initial inspection we concluded the existing tar and gravel roof was definitely in need of replacing and suggested to our client the more efficient two-ply modified bitumen flat roofing system. As can be seen from the photos, the skylights were also in need of replacing as the client was experiencing some leakage around the skylight area. It is possible that the leakage was due to a leaking skylight which explains the caulking on the skylight or due to the deterioration of the tar and gravel around the skylight area. Given the condition of the skylights and the additional costs of installing the skylights on a future visit, both clients decided to have the skylights changed. However, the single large skylight on the rear flat roof was still in good condition and only required the installation of new weather stripping.

It was also necessary that one of our clients have the asphalt shingles replaced on the sloped section because there were several key problems. At the edge of the roof the shingles were cut in line with the roof which results in water running down onto the side board and under the shingles which the water marks on the plywood confirmed. Also the sloped chimney flashing was exhaustively caulked which indicates repairs to a leakage problem. Finally, the contractor installing the skylights did not align the shingles properly as the keys on the three tab shingle were not aligned. This is a key installation error of these shingles. Given the many problems in the small area the client decided to have the entire area re-roofed.

There were also some minor repairs to a leaking sloped chimney flashing on the other clients roof which I had mentioned in a previous blog article. We completed the job by finishing all metal work including all new parapet caps, wall flashings, door step flashing and chimney flashing. Please view the image gallery to see the before and after photos of our project.

Leaking door step from walkout to flat roof

2010-05-17T02:39:46Z

Some downtown Toronto homes feature a rear sloped roof with a dormer with a walkout onto a flat roof. Very often we encounter that the door step has not been appropriately sealed and flashed and is therefore leaking, as was the case with out client’s home in the the downtown Toronto Annex neighbourhood.

Upon stripping the existing flashing we encountered the usual case, the rubber membrane did not extend up onto the door step. The door step was simply covered with metal flashing which will not seal the door step from leaking, it serves an entirely different purpose. It is the rubber membrane the serves the purpose of sealing the roof. The purpose of the metal flashing is to protect the rubber cap on the door step. The rubber cap is a membrane which features ceramic mineral granules on its surface to protect the membrane from UV exposure and thus material deterioration. When the client walks on the door step, the granules will eventually loosen and lead to premature deterioration in the material. A metal flashing is installed to prevent this. Another reason for the door step rotting is condensation from the lack of rubber membrane on the door step. As you can see from the image above the door step was clearly leaking and rotting.

To repair the problem we removed the rotten wood in the door step and rebuilt a new door step. We then ran the rubber base membrane over the rebuilt step extending the rubber as far as possible towards the door. Subsequently, we installed the rubber cap membrane over the base running it as far as we could under the door. Ideally, if possible the door should be removed, the membrane extended under the door and then the door should be re-installed over the membrane. In this circumstance it was sufficient enough to run the rubber cap under the door step and lower the cost to our client. We then installed a metal flashing that extended a few inches under the door to protect the membrane on the door step. Finally, we caulked the area where the door step and door meet. The metal flashing serves the other purpose of allowing the caulking to have a solid surface to me applied to. The caulking now rests against the metal flashing on the door step and the door. If the flashing was not installed and caulking applied onto the rubber cap the granules on the cap would eventually loosen as discussed and so would the caulking, eventually leading to leakage.

To finish the project aesthetically we covered all the existing wooden frames and fascia which featured wood with peeling white paint with black aluminum flashing. We also installed new a new eavesthrough and downspout. The charcoal cap on the flat roof, black laminated asphalt shingles and black aluminum flashing match nicely for a clean look.

Balfour Books on College Street

2010-05-11T01:03:15Z

M&R Roofing recently installed our two-ply modified bitumen flat roofing system on the rear flat roof of the new location of Balfour Books at 468 College Street.

This will be the new location of Balfour Books currently located at 601 College Street. We co-ordinated the project with the general contractor performing renovations on the new location. Upon completion of the flat roof the general contractor built a new floating deck over the new roof to our standards such that the deck would not compromise the roofing membrane. The client also requested a new curb mount skylight which we also supplied. We finished the job by installing all new metal flashing including parapet caps and all new eavestroughs and downspouts. Please visit the new location coming this September for it's fine selection of books.

Building a slope on a small flat roof

2010-03-24T21:24:20Z

In January we received a call from a distraught client with a severely leaking flat roof. The leakage had created significant water damage in the dining area where the flat roof was above. The entire ceiling needed to be redone.

You can clearly see from the first photo in the image gallery that the stripped deck was very wet in the one corner. We removed the plywoods and installed new insulation as the existing insulation was all wet and starting to mold.

Contributing to the leakage was the lack of slope to drain the water towards the eavestrough. To solve this problem we built a slope by installing new rafters lined up with existing rafters below the existing deck and installed new plywood over the new rafters. Essentially building a new sloped deck over the existing deck. We then proceeded to install our usual two ply modified bitumen flat roofing system with 1.5 inch poly-iso insulation. It was mid January and the sunlight hours were extremely short but our team hustled and we pulled off the entire carpentry and first base ply before dark. Our client was extremely pleased given more snow was in the forecast.

Proper drainage contributes to a longer roof life since water and snow are draining from the roof. The higher the slope the better the drainage. By building the slope with wood as above we were able to build a slope that recedes from 10 inches to zero. It is also possible to build a slope using poly-iso insulation as we often do however, the slope can recede from a maximum 3 inches to zero because 3 inch poly-iso insulation is the thickest standard available. It is more costly to build a slope from wood than poly-iso insulation but for a small roof the benefits may out weighs the costs. Given our clients experience with the water damage he decided to go ahead with rebuilding the slope from wood.