Commercial Leak Repair
Ottawa Roofing Pros repairs leaking commercial roofs across Ottawa, on TPO, EPDM, PVC, SBS, built-up and metal systems. We answer the phone 24/7, make the roof safe the same visit and fix the cause, not just the drip.
Our crews have more than 17 years of roof repair behind them and over 1,500 completed jobs. Most commercial leaks we trace start at a flashing, a seam or a blocked drain, often metres away from the stain on the ceiling tile.
Every repair ends with a written photo report your owners, tenants or board can act on.
We repair every common commercial roof system: single-ply TPO, EPDM and PVC, two-ply SBS modified bitumen, built-up gravel roofs and commercial metal. Our clients are building owners, property managers, facility and maintenance teams, and condo boards who need a leak stopped and explained.
A commercial service call from us includes four things. We check the interior where water appears, then walk the roof and trace the water path back to its entry point. We make a temporary or permanent repair, and you get a written report.
Each membrane needs its own repair method, which is where general handymen go wrong:
Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, and crews dispatch from our Centretown base. Outside rush hour, that puts us roughly 15 to 20 minutes from the airport-area industrial roofs we service as Gloucester commercial roofers, and 25 to 35 minutes from Kanata North offices covered by our Kanata roofing team.
Plazas in Orléans, retail strips along Merivale Road served by our Nepean roofers and newer retail around Barrhaven all sit within a similar drive. On an emergency visit, we stop the water first with a temporary seal that works on wet or snowy membrane. The permanent repair follows when conditions allow.
While you wait for us, a few steps limit the damage:
Four failures cause most of the commercial leaks we see in Ottawa. Each has its own warning signs and repair, and most get worse with every freeze-thaw cycle.
If you're unsure which membrane your building has, our guide to TPO, EPDM and modified bitumen roofs explains how to tell them apart.
Open seams are laps that have come apart, letting water run under the membrane. Older EPDM roofs glued with liquid splice adhesive, rather than seam tape, are frequent offenders.
On TPO, we probe every suspect weld with a seam probe to find under-welded laps. Splits usually form where the membrane is stretched over deck joints, shrinks at the perimeter or has been punctured by dropped tools.
Blisters are trapped pockets of air or moisture that swell in summer heat, most often on SBS and built-up roofs. Ridging is a raised line over insulation joints, usually from moisture moving below the membrane.
Neither always leaks right away, but both signal trouble. Soft, spongy areas underfoot point to wet insulation, which we confirm with core cuts before deciding to cut out and replace that section.
Flashings at rooftop unit curbs, parapets, walls and pipes cause more leaks than the open field of the roof. In Ottawa, short base flashings get buried by drifting snow, and meltwater runs over the top.
Most manufacturer details call for base flashings at least 200 mm (8 inches) high, which many older curbs don't meet. We also see failed termination bar sealant, open coping joints, old pitch pockets and panels left loose after HVAC service.
Blocked drains and scuppers turn a roof into a pond. Every inch of standing water adds about 5.2 lb per sq ft of load and speeds up membrane ageing.
Leaves, loose gravel and winter ice are the usual causes, and frozen scuppers often back water up under flashings. We clear and test the drain, replace missing strainers, re-seat clamping rings, and recommend tapered crickets where water still sits after 48 hours.
An infrared roof scan finds wet insulation by showing which areas hold heat after sunset, since wet board stays warm longer than dry board. It shows where water has spread under the membrane, which a visual inspection cannot.
We follow the approach in ASTM C1153, the standard practice for locating wet roof insulation with infrared imaging. Scans happen on a clear, dry evening after a sunny day, so in Ottawa the windows are spring through fall, never with snow on the roof. Gravel-surfaced and ballasted roofs can mask the signal, so results there need extra checking.
Every infrared "hot spot" is verified with core cuts and an impedance moisture meter before we recommend work. On roofs over concrete decks, electronic leak detection can also pinpoint holes in the membrane itself.
The result is a marked-up roof plan showing exactly which areas are wet. That lets you replace only the damaged sections instead of guessing, and it tells you whether a recover or restoration coating is still possible.
Every repair we make is documented in a written report, so the person paying for it can see what happened without climbing onto the roof. It arrives by email after the visit, ready to forward.
Each report includes:
Property managers use these reports for insurance claims, warranty claims and board minutes. Our page on roofing for condo boards and property managers explains how we support reserve fund planning.
Minor commercial roof repairs in Ottawa typically cost $350 to $1,200, and larger repairs $1,200 to $3,500 or more. Leak tracing on a large or complex roof is usually billed by time and materials, while defined repairs get a fixed quote.
Price depends on the membrane type, the size of the damaged area, access and hoisting, after-hours timing and whether wet insulation must be replaced. Our repairs carry a 1-year written labour warranty.
If your roof is under a manufacturer NDL warranty, tell us before we start. Repairs by an unapproved contractor can affect coverage, so we check the warranty terms and, where needed, involve the manufacturer.
Buildings that call us more than once or twice a year usually save money on a service agreement. Our commercial roof maintenance programs bundle scheduled inspections, drain clearing and minor repairs with priority response. You can also browse every commercial roofing service we offer.
When a commercial roof leaks, the first questions are about speed, cost and whether a repair will hold. These answers reflect how we handle repair calls on Ottawa flat roofs.
Yes. We make temporary repairs in snow and cold with products designed for wet surfaces, and many permanent repairs can be done on dry, cleared sections.
Some adhesives and torch work need warmer conditions, so a few repairs are completed in a follow-up visit.
It can, if the repair isn't made with compatible materials or the manufacturer requires an approved contractor. We review your warranty first and report the work in writing so your coverage stays intact.
Repair when leaks are isolated and the insulation is mostly dry. Plan commercial flat roof replacement when wet insulation is widespread, leaks keep moving or yearly repair bills keep climbing.
Because water travels before it drips. On steel decks, it runs along the deck flutes, and on insulated roofs it moves between boards until it finds a fastener hole or a joint.
We trace it back by checking the roof upslope of the stain, probing seams and flashings, and taking moisture readings. Where the source still hides, we run a controlled water test, one detail at a time, until the leak shows inside.
Spring leaks usually come from meltwater, not rain. Snow drifts above short base flashings, ice blocks drains and scuppers, and meltwater backs up under laps that stay dry all summer.
Ottawa's freeze-thaw cycles also open seams and crack sealant a little more each year. A fall maintenance visit that clears drains and checks flashing heights prevents most of these calls.
Yes. Ottawa has seen severe wind events, including the May 2022 derecho, that peeled membrane edges, scattered gravel and tore off coping.
We secure the roof the same day, document the damage with photos for your insurer and then complete permanent repairs.
Our crews dispatch from Centretown to every Ottawa community and anywhere within about 30 minutes of the city.
Free roofing estimate
Call (343) 504-9753 any time, day or night, or send the address and where water is coming in. We dispatch from our Centretown base, make the roof safe and follow up with a written repair report.