Flat roof repair in Vaughan

Flat roof services in Vaughan

Vaughan has a lot of newer housing, and on newer flat roofs leaks usually start at details rather than the whole membrane: a terrace door, a rooftop unit or a drain on a roof that is otherwise sound. 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.

Villages, highways and warehouses in Vaughan

Vaughan was a farming township with mills until the postwar years. Thornhill is its oldest hamlet, with a sawmill from 1801 and a grist mill from 1815, and Woodbridge and Kleinburg grew as village cores. Highway 400 was completed to Barrie in 1951, and the population reached about 16,000 by 1960. Census data show only about 8% of homes were built before 1981, and about 50% in 2001 or later.

That makes Vaughan a mostly newer building stock. Around Maple, Concord and Woodbridge you find subdivisions and townhouse blocks from the past few decades, where membrane roofs over garages, porches and flat sections are typical. The heritage main streets of Thornhill, Woodbridge and Kleinburg have older brick buildings that often carry flat roofs behind the front facade. Vaughan also has a large employment base: manufacturing makes up about 22% of jobs, and warehouse, distribution and rail-related buildings, such as those of employers like UPS Canada and Canadian National Railway, have extensive low-slope roofs. The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre around Highway 7 and Jane Street adds new towers with terraces and podium roofs.

Vaughan 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 Vaughan has to handle. Figures are for Woodbridge, the Vaughan location listed in SB-1.

• 1.1 kPaGround snow load (about 23 lb per sq ft)
• 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
• 26 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
• 113 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
• -20 °CJanuary design temperature
• 4,100Heating degree-days per year
• 0.44 kPaHourly wind pressure, 1-in-50-year

That snow load is about 1.2 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.

A design storm can drop 26 mm of rain in 15 minutes. On a flat roof that water has to reach a drain or scupper quickly, so clear drains and sound drain flashings matter as much as the membrane.

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

Homes and buildings in Vaughan

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

• 8%Homes built before 1981
• 50%Homes built since 2001
• 70%Detached and semi-detached houses
• 11%Row houses and townhouses
• 13%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
• 14%Households that rent

50% of homes in Vaughan were built since 2001, one of the higher shares among the cities we cover. Newer flat roofs rarely fail across the whole membrane; they leak at details first: flashings at rooftop units and terraces, drains and dried-out sealants. A maintenance visit catches those early.

13% of homes in Vaughan are apartments in buildings of five or more storeys. Those roofs are looked after by condo boards and property managers, who need a written scope, photos and a plan that fits the reserve fund. See condo buildings and apartment buildings.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile

Storms that hit Vaughan

• 20 August 2009: A tornado on 20 August 2009 damaged dozens of homes, many severely, plus businesses and a school in Vaughan. Source

Storms like these are when blocked drains, loose flashings and open seams show up. After a big storm, check the ceilings under the roof and send us photos of any new stain.

Vaughan: facts for property owners

• Population of Vaughan: 323,103 (2021 Census). Source
• Vaughan is part of the Regional Municipality of York.

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

Starting prices in Vaughan

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.