Flat roof repair in Pickering

Flat roof services in Pickering

Townhouses and row houses are common in Pickering, and their flat roof sections often span several units. A leak can start on one unit's section and show up in the home next door. Its design snow load is among the lightest of the cities on this site, so freeze–thaw and summer storms do more damage than snow weight. 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.

Bay Ridges to Seaton: Pickering's three waves

Pickering was farmland, hamlets and Quaker settlement from the early 1800s. Two communities emerged in the early twentieth century: the Pickering Beach cottages and the Defence Industries Limited munitions plant. Urbanization in the south began after the Second World War. Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, with Pickering A opening in 1971, is the city's largest employer. Census figures show about 31% of homes were built before 1981 and 22% in 2001 or later.

South Pickering holds most of the older stock. Bay Ridges, Rosebank, Dunbarton and Village East are older, and houses and low-rise buildings there often have flat roofs over additions and garages. Pickering Town Centre is a two-storey mall with large low-slope commercial roofs, and new condominium buildings are going up near the GO station. The Brock Industrial area and the lands around the nuclear station include industrial buildings with wide flat roofs. Seaton, the planned northern community, is still in early stages, so most of its roofs are new.

Pickering 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 Pickering has to handle. Figures are for the lakeshore zone. Pickering has four zones, and the snow load rises toward the north of the city.

• 1 kPaGround snow load (about 21 lb per sq ft)
• 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
• 23 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
• 92 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
• -19 °CJanuary design temperature
• 3,800Heating degree-days per year
• 0.48 kPaHourly wind pressure, 1-in-50-year

Snow loads are close to the Toronto figure. Freeze–thaw cycles through the winter are what open tired seams and flashings.

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 Pickering

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

• 31%Homes built before 1981
• 22%Homes built since 2001
• 67%Detached and semi-detached houses
• 15%Row houses and townhouses
• 9%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
• 15%Households that rent

15% of homes in Pickering are row houses or townhouses. Flat sections often run across several units, so a leak can start on a neighbour's part of the roof or at the joint between two units. See townhouses and row houses.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile

Pickering: facts for property owners

• Population of Pickering: 99,186 (2021 Census). Source
• Pickering is part of the Regional Municipality of Durham.
• City of Pickering: like-for-like replacement or repair of roofing / roof covering (no structural work) does not need a permit; green roofs and rooftop water retention systems do. Source

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

Starting prices in Pickering

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.