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Our Services
Flat Roof Restoration & Overlay. New-Roof Results, Without the Tear-Off.
If your structure is sound and your insulation is dry, you may not need an expensive replacement at all. A professionally installed overlay can match a new roof's lifespan — at a fraction of the cost. A core test tells us if your roof qualifies.
See If Your Roof Qualifies 416-826-1334Is your roof a restoration candidate?
Is the structure sound?
No sagging, no rot, no deflection underfoot. Very often the answer is yes — flat roof structures outlive their membranes by decades.
Is the insulation dry?
Moisture readings and a core sample confirm it. Dry insulation still insulates — and doesn't deserve a dumpster.
Is there only one layer?
The core test counts them. One existing layer: overlay is on the table. Two or more: it's off — and we'll show you why below.
That's the exact case where an overlay delivers new-roof performance for roughly half the money, without a single trailer of tear-off.
The two roofs we restore every week
Aging membrane, healthy roof
UV, freeze-thaw, and foot traffic wear membranes out decades before the structure underneath. The deck is solid, the insulation tests dry — only the surface is done. Tearing that roof off is like scrapping a car because the tires are bald. An overlay restores full waterproofing over the prepared existing system, with a manufacturer warranty.
Nearly new roof, botched installation
The roof is young — but the membrane wasn't installed to manufacturer requirements, which is mandatory to pass inspection and hold a warranty. It leaks at seams and details years ahead of schedule. Instead of scrapping a new roof, a corrective overlay done to spec brings it to full performance and warranty eligibility.
Why we never overlay a roof with two layers already on it.
Restoration is only the smart choice when the roof underneath deserves it. Past two layers, physics and the Ontario Building Code both say stop:
Weight — every layer adds thousands of kilograms your structure was never engineered to carry.
Blindness — each layer buries the deck deeper, hiding rot, sagging, and trapped moisture that keep worsening out of sight until they cost far more than any tear-off would have.
If your core test shows two existing layers, the honest recommendation is a proper tear-off and replacement — and we'll hand you the core sample that proves it.
Ontario Building Code caps roof coverings at two layers. Anyone offering to overlay your second-layer roof is selling you a heavier problem, not a solution.
We check the deck like the roof depends on it. It does.
An overlay is only as good as what it sits on. Every assessment includes a core test of the layers plus a structural read of the deck — with straight recommendations, whichever way the evidence points.
Dips and low spots reveal overloaded framing or past water damage. We identify the cause and recommend reinforcement or correction before anything goes over it.
Soft decking under the probe means hidden moisture history. Rot never improves under a new membrane — it gets found now, or found expensively later.
If water can't reach the drains, ponding will attack any membrane — new or overlaid. We flag it and recommend tapered correction or re-sloping where an overlay alone won't survive.
Overlay vs. replacement — the honest math
| Restoration / Overlay | Full Replacement | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | A fraction — often ~half | $10–16 / sq ft |
| Duration | Typically 1 day | 1–3 days |
| Disruption | No tear-off, minimal debris | Full tear-off, trailer disposal |
| Lifespan | Comparable to new, done to spec | New system, 20-yr warranty |
| Right when… | Structure sound · insulation dry · 1 layer | 2 layers · saturation · deck damage |
| Decided by | The same core test — evidence, not a sales pitch | |
Done to spec. Tested like a new roof.
Layers counted, insulation moisture-verified, deck probed for sag, rot, and slope. Verdict documented.
Blisters cut out, wet spots replaced, seams reinforced, surface cleaned and primed.
Flashings, terminations, drains, skylight and AC curbs rebuilt to manufacturer requirements.
New membrane system over the prepared assembly — SBS cap or reflective system that cuts cooling loads.
Controlled water test, then independent inspection — you pay after it passes.
Restoration & overlay questions
What's the difference between restoration, overlay, and replacement?
Replacement tears everything off down to the deck and rebuilds. An overlay (restoration) installs a new membrane system over the existing prepared one — when the core test proves the structure is sound, the insulation is dry, and only one layer exists. Same waterproofing result, a fraction of the cost and disruption.
Does an overlay really last as long as a new roof?
When the roof qualifies and the overlay is installed to manufacturer requirements — yes, in many cases the lifespan is comparable to a full replacement, and it carries a manufacturer warranty. The qualifier matters: over a sound, dry, single-layer assembly. That's why the core test comes first.
Why can't you overlay a roof that already has two layers?
Weight and hidden damage. Each layer adds serious load the structure wasn't designed for, and buries the deck deeper — hiding rot, sagging, and trapped moisture that worsen unseen. Ontario Building Code limits roof coverings to two layers. At that point a proper tear-off is genuinely cheaper over any horizon that matters.
My roof is almost new but leaking — can restoration fix a bad installation?
Often, yes. Membranes not installed to manufacturer requirements — which is mandatory to pass inspection — fail early at seams and details. Rather than scrapping a young roof, a corrective overlay done to spec can bring it to full performance and warranty eligibility. The diagnostic tells us if yours qualifies.
How do you decide if my roof qualifies?
A core test — a small sample through the assembly — counts the layers and checks insulation moisture, while we probe the deck for sagging, rot, and slope deficiency. You see the evidence and get a straight recommendation: overlay, targeted repair, or replacement. If it's no, we show you why.
What does flat roof restoration cost in Toronto?
Typically a fraction of full replacement — often around half, depending on prep work, details, and the system installed. You get an itemized written quote after the core test, and you pay only after independent inspection passes.
Can slope problems be fixed during an overlay?
Minor drainage improvements can be built into the overlay. Serious slope deficiencies causing chronic ponding need tapered insulation or re-sloping — which we'll identify honestly, because ponding destroys overlaid and new membranes alike.