Displaying items by tag: cabbagetown

Copper dormer roof - Copper roofing Toronto

2011-03-24T13:19:24Z

Last week we installed natural slate tiles on a mansard roof in Cabbagetown, Toronto. However, the slope of the adjoining dormer roof was too low to install slate, so we suggested our client have the dormer roof covered with copper. Here you see our coppersmiths fabricating the panels on site and installing the copper.

Here you see our coppersmith installing the copper panels partially fabricated on site. Some panels were fabricated at our metal shop and others had to be fabricated on site as the dormer roof is not square, so the panels required many adjustments. The dormer roof was very uneven, so it was quite an effort to ensure that the final product turned out as well as it did. Once the panels were fabricated on the bender they were installed over the copper drip edge, which you see being installed before the panels. The panels were then fastened together with a standing seam mechanism. Scroll down to bottom for the entire image gallery.

Toronto slate roof. Slate tiles and copper on Heritage Toronto home

2010-09-05T02:32:18Z

This past week, M&R Roofing's experienced slate masons installed fine Quebec natural slate tiles, which were finished with copper flashings, on the roof of a Heritage Toronto home in Cabbagetown.

Our Cabbagetown, Toronto client had initially called us to repair some of the slate tiles on the mansard roof of his Spruce Street home. When we arrived to inspect the condition of the roof, we saw slate tiles that were in extremely poor condition. Many were very soft and breaking easily into dust. The slate appeared to be of inferior quality. There were approximately 20 to 30 tiles that needed to be replaced. In addition, others would be broken in the process of the repair and would also need replacing. Given that 40 to 60 tiles would need to be replaced and that others may break in the near future due to their poor condition, we advised our client that it was most cost efficient to install new slate tiles on the roof. Given the home was designated as a heritage property by the Heritage Toronto board in 2005, the details of our proposed work had to be approved by Heritage Toronto. The proposal was approved and we proceeded with our installation last week.

Before we began stripping the existing slate tiles, we protected the landscaping on the property accordingly. Once the mansard roof and dormer were stripped, we replaced all rotten boards and installed ice and water shield underlayment. Our experienced slaters then began installing the slate tiles. The slate tiles selected by our client were identical in size to those previously installed, in order to tie in the roof with his neighbour's slate roof. The slate tiles installed were of a high quality Quebec slate in the unfading black colour. The tiles were 10 x 16 inches in size with a 1/4 inch thickness. The slate was installed with all copper flashing including copper wall flashing, copper ice stoppers and copper step flashings and valley for the dormer.

M&R Roofing offers a wide range of high quality Quebec and Vermont roofing slate tiles. Many various sizes and intriguing colours options are available as shown in the video below.

Below is a image gallery of photos of the slate roof before, during and after installation. Please also visit our portfolio gallery for photos of other slate roof projects completed by M&R Roofing.

Bad installation: Heating cables clogging downspout and overflowing roof eavestrough

2010-06-05T16:20:39Z

Here is something we came across this past winter in Cabbagetown Toronto, heating cables which were clearly not working because they had not been installed into the downspout and eavestrough. The previous contractor had stuffed them in the drain pipe and caused blockage of the downspout and overflow of the eavestrough. Yikes!

The client had initially called us because of a frequently overflowing eavesthrough. The design of the Owl Lane townhomes in Cabbagetown Toronto was such that water from two flat roofs was draining into one small eavestrough and down the single downspout. We correctly suspected the amount of water was too great to be draining into such a small eavestrough and single downspout. However, the main contributor to the overflow was the heating cables that the previous contractor stuffed into the drain. Despite regular cleaning of eavesthrough some leaves still go into the downspout and rested on top of the bundled heating cables. At times of rain the downspout was full of water all the way to the top and the eavesthrough was overflowing. We remedied the problem by removing the heating wires, and properly installing a new downspout and the largest possible eavestrough and running new heating cables. No more overflowing eavestrough!

Skylight install on Cabbagetown Toronto flat roof

2010-06-04T00:08:58Z

Before embarking on renovating the interior of her home, our Cabbagetown Toronto client appropriately decided to first replace her flat roof and also install a larger curb mounted skylight.

While stripping the existing roof we encountered the remains of a chimney underneath the membrane. The previous roofing contractor had torched rubber over the remaining few courses of brick from a disassembled chimney. These remaining bricks were dangerously sitting above the insulation and drywall from the ceiling as one can see from the image below.

We carefully removed the remaining brick and properly closed off the the open area by re sheeting it with new 5/8” plywood. This is an example of a contractor cutting corners to save time and thus limit labour costs. We also installed a Velux fixed curb mounted skylight (FCM) by building a curb with the appropriate sloping. Our client can now proceed with her interior repairs with a piece of mind that her roof won’t leak anytime soon or bricks fall down through the ceiling. Scroll down to see entire image gallery.

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.

Toronto asphalt shingles, cedar mansard and slate roof featured in Globe and Mail

2010-03-30T21:48:33Z

Not long ago in the Friday, February 19, 2010 edition of the Globe and Mail’s Real Estate section the home of a past client was featured as the Resale Homes: Home of the Week represented by our friend Richard Silver of Bosley Real Estate. Last summer M&R Roofing completed various roofing work at the Edwardian home on 52 Amelia Street in Cabbagetown.

The large detached home required a complete replacement of the main roof for which our clients decided to go with the Certainteed Landmark 30 year shingle in Colonial Slate colour. This colour of shingle was the best match for the slate tiles we placed on the front porch. The rear two-car garage roof was replaced with matching Colonial Slate shingles. To add character to the front of the home we replaced the front porch with 10 x 20 inch unfading black slate tiles and finished all metal work in copper. The original cedar shingles on the front mansard were splitting and falling off and the fascia was rotten. We recommended our clients replace this front mansard with new cedar shingles which would both rejuvenate the front of the house and keep with the original design. Given the front mansard accounts for a large section of the front of the house, the new cedar definitely added a bold and refreshing look to our clients home.

Two rooms facing the rear of the home also featured 2 x 4 foot skylights which we believed were too small given the size of the rooms. Since the skylights were in need of replacing our clients decided to go with the Velux 4 x 4 foot electric venting curb mount skylights (VCE) with remote controls and black out blinds. The black out blinds were also remote controlled and allowed our clients to easily block out all of the city’s bright lights in their bedrooms during the night. To appropriately install these skylights we had to laminate the rafters around the skylights as shown in the image gallery below.

The new cedar shingles and slate tiles work on the front of the home adds character to the Cabbagetown home and neighbourhood and demands attention from people strolling down Amelia Street. It is a great example of how the presentation of a home can be improved without replacing the entire roof with slate tiles or cedar shingles. To view the Globe and Mail article in full view select the article in the image gallery.