Flat Roof Repair Services in Toronto: Overview
Any coatings, including roofing, cannot serve you forever. Even the most modern of them are subject to wear and the gradual loss of their protective qualities.
Under the influence of precipitation, temperature changes, and mechanical factors, the roofing material suffers, and leakage (or other problems) may occur! By choosing a reliable flat roof repair Toronto service, you can forget about all your problems.
In general, flat roofs are particularly prone to diverse damages due to their geometry and the use of soft materials as coverings. Moreover, some minor defects may appear literally after a couple of years of operation.
What about re-roofing? Not at all. You can repair damage by performing timely repair of a flat roof. Simple measures to restore the roofing will help extend its service life and, importantly, will not require large expenditures. To fully understand all the important all the nuances, let's take a look at all the details of Toronto flat roof repair.
Flat roof: pros & cons
Before you build a country house or cottage with a flat roof, you need to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of such a design, as well as installation features.
The flat roof has the following advantages:
It takes up less space. This makes it possible to save on consumables and installation costs significantly.
It is easier to install the roof, spending a little time. Moreover, it is much easier to carry out further maintenance and repair.
Such a roof allows you to easily install air conditioning, antenna, solar panels, and other equipment.
It gives an additional place for outdoor recreation, sports training, creating flower beds, and more.
With these advantages, a flat roof significantly outperforms a pitched roof. Nevertheless, there are still some disadvantages.
Considering the pros and cons of houses with a flat roof, we should note the following disadvantages of installing such a design:
Due to heavy winter precipitation, a large amount of snow accumulates on the surface, which may cause leakage during the melting period.
In some cases, the installation of a flat structure requires the use of internal gutters.
The drain placed inside may become clogged.
In winter, it is essential to mechanically clean the surface of a large amount of snow.
It is necessary to constantly monitor the insulation's humidity level and the degree of tightness.
Why do you need to choose us?
There are plenty of companies that offer flat roof repair in Toronto. So, why choose us?
We provide a 25-years warranty.
Our professionals will help you choose what suits you best, be it replacement or repair.
Both commercial and residential roofs - we can do anything!
Our installers are fully certified.
We use only high-quality materials.
If you are still hesitating, just check our portfolio and read reviews of satisfied customers. We have a lot to offer.
What does flat roof repair diagnostics look like?
Flat roofs became popular years ago. This is a good choice, but the condition of such a roof must be monitored regularly. Minor damage can cause moisture to enter under the roof. Repairing the entire roof is expensive and time-consuming; partial repairs can be carried out, but this option also has its own subtleties.
Therefore, in order to avoid large-scale destruction and repair, it is necessary to conduct an annual diagnosis of the condition of the roof surface. Inspection of a flat roof can be visual and technological.
Visual diagnostics gives the masters the following information:
The quality and condition of the seams of the membrane material.
The integrity of the roofing.
Coating thickness.
The state of insulation at the junctions and seams.
The actual slope of the roof and a number of other parameters.
Examining a flat roof reveals cracks, holes, dents, and deflections. Based on the inspection results, professionals prepare an act of inspection of a flat roof with a list of defects. The thermal imager finds "warm" spots under which moisture has accumulated.
To control leaks, a non-destructive moisture meter for building materials is also used. All in all, diagnostics is a really important aspect if you want your Toronto flat roof repair to be of the highest quality.
Flat roof repair: pitfalls and price
Are there any pitfalls and problems one may face having decided to repair the roof? There are some.
Band-aid flat roof repair
If you think you can simply spread roofing cement over a crack and add some more roofing material, you are mistaken. Such an attempt may make your problem even worse! If you have found a roofer who offers such a solution, you'd better find another company.
The waiting game
It is important to inspect your flat roof regularly. Small leaks may lead to a disaster when you don't expect it at all. We strongly recommend making inspections regularly to avoid impressive financial losses.
Flat roof repair by yourself? Never!
Nowadays, one can find diverse tutorials on how to perform flat roof repair. A simple YouTube search makes people you think that it's extremely easy. Nevertheless, flat roof repair is not as easy as some are convinced.
First of all, it is not an easy task to find the reason of leakage. Water can go from one layer to another, so only professionals who have years of experience in this field know how to detect leakage and solve this problem correctly (as well as problems of other types).
Trying to cope with the problem on your own often leads to the need to replace the roof completely, which is much more expensive. Moreover, a professional can help you detect and eliminate diverse problems you may not be aware of existing. Those are:
Cracking of the surface.
Local mechanical damage.
Peeling of the roofing at the edges and in the seams; the appearance of wrinkles.
Coating rotting.
Wear (loss) of the dressing of the top layer of the roof.
The causes of defects are various factors: mistakes during installation, insufficient insulation of attic floors, mechanical stress, and environmental influences.
What materials are used for the repair by professionals? Here are the common options:
EPDM rubber.
Modified bitumen.
Single-ply.
Ruberoid and others.
Consequences of a bad flat roof repair
Make any of the mistakes described above, and you may end up having to cope with rodents, serious damage to your home, toxic mold growth, and in the worst-case scenario, having your roof collapse. Moreover, a leaky roof can also be a serious fire hazard.
As we know, a roof is the first line of defense against the weather, and if it is not performing its duty of keeping the weather out of your home, you will suffer greatly. Speaking about the price of a flat roof repair in Toronto, it differs depending on the complexity of the tasks.
Average cost - $700.
Highest cost - $1,100.
Lowest cost - $300.
Let's summarize some measures to prevent the destruction of a flat roof.
To ensure that the need for roof repairs occurs as rarely as possible, be sure to adhere to the following surface care recommendations:
Flush the entire roof with a water hose once a year.
After drying, treat the surface with an antiseptic solution to prevent rotting.
Properly prune spreading branches from nearby trees to prevent clogging of gutters and reduce the risk of seed germination in the roof covering.
Every season, be sure to inspect the condition of the roof for signs of surface deterioration.
What does flat roof repair look like? [process and timeline]
What about the process of the repair itself? There are two possible variants - minor repairs and overhaul.
Minor repairs
Most often, homeowners have to deal with minor damage. After several years of operation, small cracks and swellings may appear on the surface of the roofing material. The technology for eliminating these defects is as follows.
First of all, the roofing condition is assessed, noting with the help of chalk all the cracks and swellings noticed. At this stage of the work, it is important to determine whether these damages can be dealt with using liquid mastic.
If there are swellings on the roof's surface, moss, or other plants grow there, it is a sign that liquid has accumulated inside. A cross-shaped incision is made with a knife to remove dampness and swelling. By pressing the cut place with a rag, the water is driven out and left to dry completely. To speed up the process or to dry especially wet places, a heat gun is used.
Using liquid mastic or rubber, the edges of the cruciform incision are glued back. This termination method is temporary.
Over the cracks and cut swellings, patches of roofing material are fixed with liquid bituminous mastic. They can be melted with a gas burner. Self-adhesive roofing material is an excellent material for repairing damage, on the base of which an adhesive layer is applied.
Overhaul
The service life of a flat roof using modern polymeric materials is about 20-25 years. However, if the roof is not cared for, it may serve less. The technology for a complete reconstruction of the roof is as follows:
The first stage of a flat roof overhaul is the dismantling of aerators, ebbs, and other auxiliary elements. Then professionals remove all layers of roofing and insulation. The cost of dismantling is about 20% of the price of an overhaul.
Beacons are installed on the roof surface, and a concrete screed is made. The new leveling layer is given time to dry completely. Insulation plates are laid on a concrete screed, or expanded clay is covered. Most often, professionals use glass wool or basalt fiber. A reinforcing mesh is laid over the insulation and poured with a 2-4 cm layer of concrete.
Lay roofing. The first two layers are made from lining material, and the next one is the roofing. A flat roof usually consists of 3-5 layers of waterproofing material, laid with an overlap. The layers are mounted in a run-up so that the location of the seams does not match.
The final phase of construction is the installation of aerators, parapets, and drainage elements.
Speaking about the time it takes, roof repair may take 2-8 days (depending on complexity). Your roofer will provide you with more accurate timing.
Toronto flat roof repair: summary
In order for you to really benefit from all the repairs performed and save yourself from further troubles in the next few years, be sure to follow all the rules during installation. You should also understand that the service time of a roof directly depends on the material chosen for the restoration.
Specialists from a reliable company will help you select the best solution. Therefore, give preference only to high-quality products from trusted manufacturers in order to ensure a comfortable stay in your own home and avoid damage to all interior decoration due to a sudden emergency.