Displaying items by tag: slate roof

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.

Slate roofing Toronto. Leaking valley and slate roof tiles.

2010-11-13T19:37:03Z

Our downtown Toronto client's mansard roof was leaking near the valley where the two slopes meet. Contributing to the leakage was a narrow valley that did not run far enough under the natural slate tiles. Given the slate tiles on the smaller mansard section were in poor condition we replaced them with new slate tiles cut to match the decorative design and removed and replaced slates on the other section to install a proper width valley.

The slate tiles on the smaller and lower sloped section of the mansard roof were in poor condition, so given we were replacing the valley it made sense to install new natural slate tiles on this section. We installed high quality Quebec slate in the unfading black and light green colour to match the existing slate. For a section of that slope, the slate tiles were cut in a decorative diamond shape to match the existing scalloped edge slate design. In the video, you can see our slate mason cutting the green slate tiles with a slate cutter. As always we installed ice and water shield underlayment underneath the slate tiles and installed them using 2 inch copper nails. The valley installed was black to match neighbours roofs and is of heavy guage pre-painted steel. To finish we installed a new black ridge cap along the peak of the roof.

Along with the slate repair, M&R Roofing also installed our two ply modified flat roofing system.

Below is an image gallery of the slate project. Please visit our slate tiles blog category and slate roof portfolio for other information regarding our slate services.

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.

Toronto slate roof tile repair

2010-06-27T21:46:22Z

Here M&R Roofing is repairing and replacing slate roof tiles in East York, Toronto.

Our client’s roof still contains the original slate tiles which appear to be about 100 years old, but some were broken and missing and needed to be replaced. The original tiles were much smaller then those currently available on the market, so we had to cut them down to the appropriate size. We also tried to match the colour as closely as possible, however the match will never be perfect because of available stock, wear of original tiles and the nature of stone. In this case it was possible to repair some of the slate roof tiles because they were quite solid. In other cases, the roofing slate may be of inferior quality and very soft, in which case it is very difficult to repair since many will break in the process. Those borken must be replaced and the process is less cost effective then installing new slate tiles on the roof. Below are some photos of such a case where the slate is so soft it easily breaks and turns into dust.

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.