Calgary Flat Roofing

EPDM Roof Replacement
Jun 8, 2015

EPDM Roof Replacement, Flat Roof, Residential, Single-Ply Membrane. Firestone.

A roof site report documenting the installation of a small flat roof on a residential property. We replaced the roof with EPDM membrane in Edmonton, Alberta. The old roof was a roll on built up roof.

About EPDM Roofing.

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) roofing is now one of the more used roof systems in North America. EPDM roofing is a single-ply roof membrane like TPO and PVC. The single-ply membranes came along more than forty years ago after tar and gravel and SBS modified torch-on.

The most popular single-ply roof membrane systems in Canada are EPDM (rubber roofing), TPO (thermal plastic) and PVC (poly-vinyl).

Single-ply membranes are more affordable than tradition BUR and torch on roofing systems due primarily to labor savings. Single ply roof material is also less costly, but the main savings comes as a result of installation time being less.

In warmer climates, white or reflective roofs produce a net benefit for building efficiency. In colder climates (like Alberta), a black membrane such as EPDM produces a net benefit because we have more cold days than warm days.

EPDM can assist with snow melt being faster and this improves overall building performance and efficiency by lessening the roof dead weight load. A dark roof will also melt ice dams quicker resulting in less maintenance due to membrane damage caused by ice and snow.

EPDM also has the benefit of thermal shock durability. The EPDM roofing association states that EPDM has expansion of 300 percent. When you add the UV stability EPDM possesses to its expansion qualities it makes sense to use it in any environment. Traditional BUR and torch on SBS do not have the same expansion quality or UV stability. Tar and gravel requires pea gravel and SBS requires granules to protect it from the sun’s rays. Even TPO and PVC do not have the expansion qualities of EPDM.

A significant benefit of using EPDM is that science tells us in many recent studies that in a cold climate single ply reflective roofs are prone to condensation issues – EPDM is black and doesn’t pose that issue.

EPDM can last more than 40 years because of its high resistance to ultraviolet (UV) radiation according to the EPDM Roofing Association (ERA).

EPDM’s resistance to moisture absorption allows it to be installed on roof systems with less of a slope than other single-plies. EPDM is also used for waterproofing reservoirs, geo-membranes, ponds and has many other uses.

Choosing the Right Membrane for You.

When choosing a low slope roof membrane we suggest examining the various options available on the market. Many contractors only install one or two options and are therefore not your unbiased source. Obtaining quotes from contractors that represent all system choices will help you determine which system is right for your building considering budget, performance, warranty, climate, efficiency and many more considerations.

We see it all the time (the wrong choice) because we are roof repair experts – we process thousands of incoming inquiries every year. We have seen people purchase EPDM when their roof was a high traffic area, which is not the correct membrane. We have seen large sophisticated operations in northern or central Alberta and Saskatchewan opt for a reflective membrane citing their green initiatives, which is not usually going to produce a net benefit and if you study it out will likely not hit the end goal target relating to green objectives.

We have even had building operators in areas as far north as Dawson Creek or Rainbow Lake ask for a spray foam (spf) roof with a reflective covering such as polyurea on a metal roof system because their goal was to achieve waterproofing. Spray foam (spf) roofing of course will insulate but it doesn’t assist in waterproofing and a reflective roof in a cold climate works against building efficiency. If you want waterproofing on a metal roof use liquid rubber in a cold climate. If you want R value then spray foam is a great option. But why pay for the insulation if you don’t need it?

There are many more examples. It is very important when choosing a low slope roof membrane to consult the sources and be sure it is the right system for your location and goals.

Below is a report from Edmonton, Alberta that has a homeowner choosing EPDM because they wanted a better net benefit than white or cool roofing could offer. They chose a complete replacement vs. a roof recovery (retro-fit) because the existing roof assembly was not sound and there was existing moisture in the old built up roof. They did not require more R value so there was no added spray foam (SPF) or roof insulation boards to the roof.

May 23, 2015 – Day one. Crew attends for EPDM roof replacement.

More here:

http://edmontonroofrepair.ca/epdm-roof-replacement-edmonton/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/epdm-roof-replacement-general-roofing-systems-canada-grs-?trk=mp-reader-card

EPDM Roof Replacement EPDM Roof Replacement Edmonton, Alberta. Flat Roof, Residential, Single-Ply Membrane. Firestone. A roof site report documenting the installation of a small flat roof on a residential property. We replaced the roof with EPDM membrane in Edmonton, Alberta. The old roof was a roll on built up roof. Abo…

Flat Roof Drainage and Leaks: It May Be Plumbing and NOT the Roof

General Roofing Systems Canada provides Flat Roof Repairs throughout Canada. Repairs are completed in the following cities: Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Lloydminster, Saskatoon, Regina, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Canmore, Banff, Cranbrook, Kelowna, Vancouver, Whistler, Winnipeg, Toronto and points between. British Columbia. Alberta. Saskatchewan. Manitoba. Ontario.

Below you will find a simple account of a service call inquiry. Oftentimes, there are multiple contracting parties involved in a roof repair. This includes plumbers, the roofers themselves, other construction services in the area, and obviously the stakeholders themselves.

In this case, a simple misunderstanding concerning the purpose of water testing culminated in repeated requests for service calls outside of the ongoing work we had been performing for the client. Finally, our client’s property manager provided us with the implements to deal with the problem. As suspected, it was the plumbing – not the roofing system itself – which was causing major leaks.

We have included a comprehensive explanation from our national project manager as well as a follow-up correspondence by a third-party plumbing contractor concerning this matter.

Water Source Needed to Test Drainage System

As you know, for about a year and a half, GRS has been requesting a water source at the building to be able to test your drains. On each occasion, we have been told that a water source is being to be made available. As well, our crews have been told that it is likely the water source has been covered up in construction, but that we may be able to use a neighbour’s water source until a proper solution could be found. Up until today, no water source has been offered.

The Reasons Drains Need to be Tested

a. The source of the leaks were previously at the drain system. We requested the drain assembly (the connection to a new drain and U-Flow, and the connection to the drain) be redone with a plumber – we would provide the roofing services and the plumber would provide the connection services. This was not done at that time. My understanding is that the plumber only cleared the drain system. So, we requested a water source so that we could test the drains/plumbing ourselves to eliminate them as the main issue, or conclude that they are the suspected cause of your leaks.

b. The plumbing system and assemblies are old. It is common for drainage during times of heavy rain (which is when your building is having issues) to back up and leak at the drain bowl assembly connection to the drain pipes. As the water rises and then meets the bowl assembly, if there is not a U-Flow expander and/or proper drain bowl, the water will then get between the pipe and the connection to the bowl. What occurs is the water that is backing up will then get into the roof assembly and begin to run along various areas and manifest themselves through the ceiling. At the time of your roof replacement, there was no work order for the plumbing and drainage to be modernized, and normally this is not an issue. This this does become one, it is typically solved with a quick water test and simple remediation work (such as bowl replacement, U-Flow backup expander installations, and/or repairs to the drain pipes).

Discussion with the Site Manager

Water testing only works when it is not raining and is intended to isolate the drainage system from the roof membrane that we replaced. This is the reason for the need of an external/outside water source. We test the drainage system with a hose, which allows us to isolate the drainage system on its own. If that test does not show that it is the drainage system, then we go on to retest the membrane. We also test various other penetrations, such as rooftop units and/or vents, pipe boots, etc. Finally, we move onto testing various other components of the building envelope, such as the connection of the roof to the wall and the flashing areas.

Your site manager also asked that an emergency be done (such as pumping water off the roof), to which I replied that we could, if requested, dispatch an emergency crew for that, but we would have to charge extra because we have requested on numerous occasions for the water test to be done to the drainage system, and that has not been done. The site manager did not seem to want the emergency service under those terms.

I should also note that on the other occasions that we did respond in this fashion, that we did not charge for the emergency service. We did this despite finding that it was a drainage problem by the plumbers at that time. Furthermore, I will also note that on each occasion we did recoat the roof and did not charge for that either.

The only reason we are now saying that we have no choice but to charge a service fee is because we have requested number times to have water access. Part of our servicing parameters included that should the water test not to be done, that we would charge a fee for the emergency service.

You also asked us about why water was pooling on the roof. I explained to the site manager that at the time of the roof replacement, an engineered sloped insulation package and rebuild of the building exterior (parapet wall construction, sheet metal, siding, etc.). We were only approved to go ahead with the roof membrane replacement only. He asked why that was so, and I said that it is an option and that not all (in fact, less than 50%) of the buildings we service have a sloped insulation package installed. I directed him to all the neighbouring buildings as examples of those that do not have such sloped systems.

Discussion with the Property Manager

I explained to the general property manager that we needed to test the various components of plumbing, membrane, units, vents, plumbing boots, and possibly the building envelope at the roof to wall connections. Finally, we have been promised an external water source to isolate the issue based on our tests.

Plumbing Contractor’s Follow-up with the Property Manager

August 21, 2015:

I was sent out to have a look at water leaking in the building. I found that the roof was full of water and it is what was pouring into the suites. The one drain was working, but very slowly. I called in the drain cleaners and went through it with them.

The snake was getting caught up on something, so I had them use the camera and we found there is something stuck in the piping. We traced it to the piping in the ceiling of a first floor room. We will need to return when the water is all gone and open the ceiling, remove the piping, and then get the cause of the blocking out. As it stands, the system is draining as much as it can with whatever is causing the blockage.

Also, the building has some piping up to the roof drains. These are not ran well and are back-graded for parts of the system. I have left it disconnected for the drain that has the problem.
CONTACT US:
General Roofing Systems Canada (GRS)
24 Hour Emergency Roof Repair: Call +1.877.497.3528 toll-free.

[email protected].

http://generalroofingsystemscanada.ca/flat-roof-drainage-and-leaks-it-may-be-plumbing-and-not-the-roof/

Flat Roof Drainage and Leaks: It May Be Plumbing and NOT the Roof - General Roofing Systems... Typical service inquiry call between our national project manager and multiple stakeholders concerning a flat roof drainage problem.

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