Flat roof repair in Cambridge

Flat roof services in Cambridge

Flat roof problems in Cambridge usually show up as a leak: a stain on the ceiling under a rear addition, water at a skylight, or a drain backing up on a commercial roof. 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.

Three mill towns joined as Cambridge

Cambridge was formed in January 1973 by joining Galt, Preston and Hespeler, three river towns with their own mills, main streets and housing. Galt's factories ran on Grand River power from the 1840s, Preston made flour, furniture and stoves, and Hespeler was a textile town. Toyota opened its plant in 1988. The census shows about 48% of homes were built before 1981, and about a quarter are from 2001 onward.

This history leaves several layers of roofing. In West Galt, including the Dickson Hill heritage district, late nineteenth-century homes and later rear additions often have low-slope sections tied into older brick walls. Old mill and factory buildings along the river were built with large flat or low-pitched roofs. Industrial and distribution buildings near the auto sector add big low-slope roofs, while the housing built since 2001, about a quarter of the stock, often includes townhouse blocks with membrane roofs. A repair here starts with working out which era of building you are dealing with.

Cambridge 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 Cambridge has to handle.

• 1.6 kPaGround snow load (about 33 lb per sq ft)
• 0.4 kPaRain load added to snow (Sr)
• 25 mmRain in a 15-minute storm (design value)
• 113 mmRain in one day, 1-in-50-year storm
• -18 °CJanuary design temperature
• 4,100Heating degree-days per year
• 0.36 kPaHourly wind pressure, 1-in-50-year

That snow load is about 1.8 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 25 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 Cambridge

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

• 48%Homes built before 1981
• 24%Homes built since 2001
• 64%Detached and semi-detached houses
• 12%Row houses and townhouses
• 6%Apartments in buildings of 5+ storeys
• 31%Households that rent

About 48% of homes in Cambridge were built before 1981, more than in 18 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

Cambridge: facts for property owners

• Population of Cambridge: 138,479 (2021 Census). Source
• Cambridge is part of the Region of Waterloo.
• City lists 'Roof shingling' among work that does not need a permit. Source

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

Starting prices in Cambridge

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.