Multi-Unit Retail Building Flat Roof Membrane Replacement
Address:
1801 & 1901 Harwood Avenue North
Ajax, Canada
With over 53,000 square feet, numerous parapet heights, and floating returns back onto the main roof, this project was a challenge! We’re thrilled with the beautiful end result.
The Ask
For this commercial roofing project, the Elite team worked together with our client, site carpenters and the project architect to ensure that the roof aesthetics worked with the design of this new build. Our team had installed the roof several years earlier at 1801 Hardwood Ave, Ajax. The client wanted a roofing membrane that was both easy to repair, and would allow for the straightforward installation of new equipment on the unfinished condominium units as they were sold and occupied.
Our Approach:
#1901
This retail/commercial multi-unit new construction project consisted of an off-white 2-PLY SBS modified bitumen membrane with elaborate metal/wall façade cladding details on the 1901 Hardwood building. Elite took on the metal cladding on this phase of the project so that the responsibility of all detailing inside the parapet was ours to warranty as a single-source supplier.
2-PLY SBS modified bitumen membranes are one of the easier membranes for repairs and new installations, as they do not require hot asphalt, which was a concern for this project given the light coloured stucco façade (pictured below). We were pleased to have the opportunity to again work with the client on the second phase of this project after the passage of over a 10 year time interval. We worked with the client to design an overflow scupper detail that would be as unobtrusive as possible as well as functional.
One area we discussed with the client prior to the contract award was our strong preference for the installation of the 2 layers of ISO insulation. Many contractors in our industry screw-down blindly through the 2 layers of ISO into the deck substrate. This saves a layer of asphalt and adds only a small cost for the extra length of screws. Instead, we prefer to screw down the bottom layer of ISO and install the top layer of ISO in hot asphalt to prevent both thermal bridging and fasteners that do not properly penetrate through the deck substrate.
#1801
The original building in the complex had numerous parapet details which we reviewed and contributed towards the final design thereof. There were 3 different parapet heights, floating returns back onto the main roof as well as cornice moulding details that required an extra measure of care to ensure that all would be watertight.

When it comes to the architectural design of construction parapets and other related details, we work with your team to create a final product that is both aesthetically pleasing and extremely functional.
Contact Elite Roofing for your next roofing project!
If you’re building a new building, thinking of replacing the roof on your existing building, or a trusted roofing partner in Toronto, Ontario, contact Elite Roofing here. We’re available 24/7 to answer all of your roofing questions. That’s the Elite Advantage.