Flat roofing contractor in Mascouche

On the big lots of Mascouche-Heights and the more rural parts of town, a lot of outbuildings were put up by the owners themselves, with roll roofing or a single-ply sheet laid straight onto the plywood. Those coverings hold for a while, then crack at the seams and let water reach the wood. In the newer neighbourhoods it's more often low-slope kitchen bump-outs and sunrooms that keep us busy. Either way, we get up there, take photos and explain what's going on before we propose anything.

Garages, workshops and carports: the roofs nobody checks

A detached garage isn't heated like the house, and nobody looks at its roof until a stain shows up over the workbench or a joist turns black. Yet these flat roofs take the same snow and rain as everything else on the property. When the covering is nailed-down roll roofing, frost slowly pushes the nails back up and every nail head turns into a tiny hole.

To redo a roof like that, we strip the old covering, replace any plywood that has gone soft and install a two-ply elastomeric membrane with new metal edging all the way around. On a carport we also look at the structure: a roof that dips in the middle holds water, and sometimes the beams need stiffening or the slope needs building up before anything gets covered.

Leaves, needles and branches on a roof with no pitch

The woods that give Mascouche its character have a downside for flat roofs. Pine needles and leaves pile up against the edges, break down and turn into a layer of soil where moss takes hold. That mat keeps the membrane wet all the time and holds back water that should be running to the drain or scupper.

On an old tar and gravel roof it's even worse: the gravel traps debris, and it gets hard to tell where the roofing underneath is tired. A little simple upkeep goes a long way.

• A cleanup in late fall once the leaves are down
• Overhanging branches cut back well clear of the roof
• A strainer on every drain, checked in spring
• A quick look after every big windstorm

Shops and offices along the highway

Along Mascouche's main roads, plenty of small commercial buildings have a flat roof carrying air conditioning units, ductwork and sign brackets. Every piece that passes through the membrane is a possible way in for water. We inspect those penetrations one by one, redo the flashing that has let go and schedule the work so your business doesn't have to close in the middle of the day.