Flat roof repair in Brantford

Flat roof services in Brantford

Much of Brantford's housing is older, and older houses often have flat roofs over rear additions, porches and garages. Typical signs are a stain on the kitchen ceiling, water at a skylight or a roof with several worn layers. We find where the water gets in, fix that spot and tell you how much life the rest of the roof has.

When a roof is past repair, we replace it with EPDM, TPO, PVC or modified bitumen, and fix the drainage so water does not sit on the new membrane. Owners and property managers also book inspections and maintenance visits.

Foundry-era streets and newer plants in Brantford

Brantford grew after the railway arrived in 1854 and became a farm-implement city. Cockshutt and Harris opened in the 1870s, and Massey-Harris, Verity Plow and S.C. Johnson followed. The 1980s closures hit hard, and Highway 403 reached the city in 1997. Procter & Gamble and Ferrero chose Brantford in 2004. Census data shows about 63% of homes were built before 1981, and a third before 1961.

That makes Brantford a city of older brick houses and workshops. Streets around Dalhousie and George have older homes where flat roofs over rear additions and porches are a common repair. Downtown Colborne Street holds commercial blocks with flat roofs behind brick fronts. The old foundry and implement plants were built large and low, and many such buildings still have flat roofs. Newer plants and warehouses near Highway 403 have membrane roofs, while the aging stock needs closer attention to seams, drains and flashings.

Brantford weather and your flat roof

Ontario's Building Code sets the climate values used to design roofs in each municipality. They show what a flat roof in Brantford has to handle.

• 1.3 kPaGround snow load (about 27 lb per sq ft)
• 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
• 23 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
• 103 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
• -18 °CJanuary design temperature
• 3,900Heating degree-days per year
• 0.42 kPaHourly wind pressure, 1-in-50-year

That snow load is about 1.4 times the Toronto figure. Snow drifts against parapets, walls and rooftop units, and the weight sits on the roof for weeks. Drains that freeze shut leave meltwater nowhere to go.

Short summer storms can still drop 23 mm of rain in 15 minutes, so drains and scuppers have to be clear and sealed.

Source: Ontario Building Code, Supplementary Standard SB-1, Table 1.2

Homes and buildings in Brantford

The age and type of buildings shape the flat roofs we see. These are the 2021 Census figures for Brantford.

• 63%Homes built before 1981
• 18%Homes built since 2001
• 65%Detached and semi-detached houses
• 10%Row houses and townhouses
• 11%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
• 34%Households that rent

About 63% of homes in Brantford were built before 1981, more than in 28 of the 40 Ontario cities on this site. Older houses often have flat roofs over rear additions, kitchens and porches, sometimes with two or three layers of old roofing on top of each other. Replacing one usually starts with a full tear-off and a look at the wood deck underneath.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile

Brantford: facts for property owners

• Population of Brantford: 104,688 (2021 Census). Source

Rules and programs change. Confirm current details with the municipality before you start work.

Starting prices in Brantford

Starting prices in CAD before 13% HST, based on typical Ontario contractor rates (mostly Toronto and the GTA). The final price depends on roof size, access, the layers to remove, the membrane, drains and flashings, and is confirmed in your written quote.

See all prices.